Japan's famed swords smiths vanishing
MARK COLVIN: They're renowned as the ultimate examples of bladed weaponry. For more than a thousand years Japanese swords have been sought after both as articles of war, and works of art. Even now, a sword hand-crafted by a Japanese master can take many months to make and sell for tens of thousands of dollars.
But the number of sword-smiths in Japan has more than halved in recent decades, and there are fears that the craft will die out.
Our correspondent Mark Willacy travelled to the southern Japanese island of Kyushu to meet one of the country's remaining sword masters.
MARK WILLACY: With a flash of its glimmering blade, the katana slices through the rolled up tatami mat, as easy as a kitchen knife through a cabbage. It's taken Master Matsunaga six months to forge this sword; days of hammering, folding and quenching to expel every impurity from the iron.
(Master Matsunaga speaking)
"When I am making a sword I am thinking about making a blade that will last a thousand years," the sword-smith tells me. "A man can live at most, say 100 years. But a sword can exist for centuries," he says.
Master Matsunaga has been fashioning Japanese swords for 30 years. Like a medieval wizard conjuring magic, the sword-smith sweats over his forge hammering and quenching.
Producing exquisite blades with thousands of layers of steel. Sharpened and polished, these swords are both a lethal weapon of war and unique works of art. And they are priced like masterpieces too, from $15,000 up.
You'd think with hand-make swords fetching prices like that there'd be scores of young Japanese wanting to learn this craft. But it's hard, hot, repetitive work, the sort of labour many young people want to avoid.
(Master Matsunaga speaking)
"Several young people come to me every year hoping to become an apprentice," Master Matsunaga tells me. "But I wonder if they can make ends meet in this profession. When I started out there were 500 sword-makers. Now there is less than half that number," he says.
Tetsuo Kurotaki is the curator of an antique sword collection in Tokyo's Shibuya district. He says many young Japanese simply don't have the patience to try to master this thousand-year-old skill.
(Tetsuo Kurotaki speaking)
"Apprentices need to learn sword making with a master for four to five years," he says. "Then they have to pass tough tests set by the culture agency.
Antique Swords Japanese - News
When I started out there were 500 sword-makers. Now there is less than half that number," he says. Tetsuo Kurotaki is the curator of an antique sword collection in Tokyo's Shibuya district. He says many young Japanese simply don't have the patience to
The Ottoman Turkish tombak shield was the major highlight, while Japanese swords also sold very well, as did Russian edged weapons, with the Murchison sword being a particular success. There was keen competition for many of the English and Continental
After extensive training, Seary's sensei (teacher), Renshi Robert Davis, told him it was time for a real sword. He obtained a traditional Japanese sword from an antique sword company in Japan. When he picks up the sword, it becomes part of him.
The Union sword is worth only about $700, Parnell said, because there are many more of them than the rarer Confederate swords. DMZ Military Antiques also houses countless spoils of the War World II era, ranging from uniforms and medals to knives and
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