- Joined
- Jul 6, 1999
- Messages
- 1,151
Great start! Uncle. I hope chapters not a chapter.
If it helps, here's another viewpoint for Japanese swordsmiths. Only top of the top notch among the few swordsmiths are known to US. They are just like Birgorkha kamis in Nepal, an exception. Most swordsmiths can't live on their occupation alone. They are limited in making swords to three per months, each of which is required to undergo red tapes. They have to pay for the pricy Tama-hagane (gem=precious steel), needless to say notoriously expensive food and house to live in Japan. Customers are so harsh not to allow any flaw. They must be certified to be a swordsmith after 5 years of payless apprentice under another certified swordsmith. I know a well known knifemaker tried and achieved a certification. He did help forging in daytime, worked in restaurant at night slept in a cheap room of chep apartment. I respect him who has done through it. He's over 50 years old!
Swordsmith may be reverred in Japan, but there are so few swordsmiths to determine who is swordsmith. They know how hard it is to live on the occupation. Though the tradition is still strong in Japan, most swordsmiths can't tell his son to succeeed his job. Add some zeros to both the income and expense of Nepali kamis, it's the life of ordinally Japanese swordsmiths.
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\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
If it helps, here's another viewpoint for Japanese swordsmiths. Only top of the top notch among the few swordsmiths are known to US. They are just like Birgorkha kamis in Nepal, an exception. Most swordsmiths can't live on their occupation alone. They are limited in making swords to three per months, each of which is required to undergo red tapes. They have to pay for the pricy Tama-hagane (gem=precious steel), needless to say notoriously expensive food and house to live in Japan. Customers are so harsh not to allow any flaw. They must be certified to be a swordsmith after 5 years of payless apprentice under another certified swordsmith. I know a well known knifemaker tried and achieved a certification. He did help forging in daytime, worked in restaurant at night slept in a cheap room of chep apartment. I respect him who has done through it. He's over 50 years old!
Swordsmith may be reverred in Japan, but there are so few swordsmiths to determine who is swordsmith. They know how hard it is to live on the occupation. Though the tradition is still strong in Japan, most swordsmiths can't tell his son to succeeed his job. Add some zeros to both the income and expense of Nepali kamis, it's the life of ordinally Japanese swordsmiths.
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\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
