The core of this project is a charcoal-forged 1965 Series 2a Land Rover leaf spring steel blade, water quenched with clay and sharpened with waterstones, a historical western style outdoor knife that has the foundation of the Japanese sword but is finished in the simple and humble aspect of farming and foresting tools of centuries ago.
Satoyama are the managed forest areas that border the cultivated fields and the mountain wilds in Japan. Historically they provided soil nutrients, firewood, edible plants, mushrooms, fish, and game, and supported many local industries and crafts such as farming, timber construction, and charcoal making. The interaction of forest, arable land, wetlands, and streams are an important component of the satoyama landscape.
The subtle and rustic appearance of hammer marks on the blade and hand-carved wooden handle finished with natural urushi lacquer made from tree sap—reminiscent of hand-hewn beams in a kominka farm house that are darkened by years of smoke drifting up from the irori hearth. A hand crafted tool for adventure that would be very much at home in the field, forest, or mountain landscape.
Forged from a reclaimed 1965 Series 2a Land Rover leaf spring, the blade profile has a deeply rounded belly, a slight recurve, and an unsharpened swedge. The temper of this high carbon steel blade has been left relatively hard in order to hold a keen edge for controlled hand work. This particular combination of steel and heat treatment is well suited to users who require a good edge and are willing to take care of it.
The tang is constructed in a similar manner to a Japanese sword requiring only a single bamboo peg to hold the knife assembly together. In addition to the sense of beautiful simplicity, this design allows the knife to be field stripped for cleaning, polishing, detailed cutting tasks, or major resharpening work.
The minimalist handle is carved from Sapele and the accompanying scabbard from Magnolia, finished in traditional unfiltered urushi lacquer which highlights the grain and protects the wood. Please note that the scabbard fit for this style blade is not as snug as with a traditional kotanto shape. The bronze guard is made from antique lighthouse reflector bracket and the nata style kurikata is carved from a scrap of live edge Magnolia. The removable peg is carved from susudake, a piece of bamboo that served for a century or more as part of the ceiling or roof in a kominka, darkened and hardened by decades of smoke wafting up from the irori hearth.
The blade is just under 5.5″ long, the overall length is about 10.25″, and 11.5″ when sheathed. The spine at the munemachi is about 5mm thick.
Katachi (geometry): hira-zukuri, kaku-mune (squared spine)
Hamon (edge pattern): rising suguha
Boshi (tip pattern): maru
Nakago (tang): futsu, kuri-jiri, one mekugi-ana
Mei (signature): mumei (unsigned)
Koshirae (mounting): satoyama ken-nata style, issaku
Materials: reclaimed Series 2a Land Rover leaf spring steel, lighthouse bronze, Sapele, Magnolia, cotton cord, natural urushi lacquer, susudake bamboo
Process
This knife was forged and underwent yaki-ire at the museum forge. It began as a section of leaf spring from a 1965 Series 2a Land Rover, which seems to be listed as 60sicr8 steel and has not changed formulation since 1948 when the very first series 1 Rover was built.
Ready for a day at the museum forge, the old 1966 Rover still earning its keep hauling tools overland at almost 60 years running (and on its original springs).
A load of several hundred pounds of tools ready for a day at the forge.
Opening the forge and preparing to unload the tools and steel.
This knife began as a section of leaf spring from a 1965 Series 2a Land Rover, nearing the end of its useful service life on a vehicle that was undergoing restoration.
A cold chisel was used to separate the leaves of the spring.
The leaves are cleaned of the deepest pitting, cut and sorted by size and condition before forging to shape on the anvil.
The charcoal swordsmith style forge with hand-powered wooden box bellows is used to heat the steel as it is forged.
View across the forge and out to the forest between heats on a cool and cloudy spring morning.
Beginning to form the rough tang after thickening the spine using a heavy hand hammer.
Nearing the end of forging the sunobe (pre-form) before beginning the hizukuri (bevelling), thinning the edge and moving toward the final shape with a hand hammer.
A small amount of hand filing forms the notches and cleans up the spine and tang, completing the profile. Then a sen-dai (staple vise) holds the steel flat while the edge is adjusted with a file to an even 1mm thickness and then smoothed with a coarse stone.
A mixture of natural clay, charcoal powder, and polishing stone powder is prepared with water and spread thinly on the blade to delay the cooling of the body of the blade during yaki-ire (hardening).
After the clay dries, the steel will be heated carefully in the forge to the lowest possible red-hot critical temperature and plunged into water to cool the edge quickly.
It has survived the stressful process of yaki-ire. Due to the differential cooling rates the strip along the edge is now very hard while the rest of the blade remains tough and ductile, the best of both realms.
A hand guard is roughly shaped from a bronze lighthouse reflector bracket using a drill, chisel, hacksaw, and files.
Some cold forging and careful filing fit the opening to the tang and then the outside is shaped with files.
A batch of Rover steel blades receiving various fittings in preparation for mounting.
Wood working in the coastal forest, Arbutus leaves continue to fall all year long!
Hauling woodworking tools in summer mode, no need for a roof for a couple of months.
The best kind of air conditioning is outdoors!
A scrap block of Sapele is sawn into two thin book-matched half blocks for the handle.
The halves are carefully planed flat on the inside mating surfaces.
The halves are marked and carved to fit the tang snugly and then glued back together with nikawa (hide glue) to cure for a week before being hand carved to shape.
The mekugi (retaining peg) is carved from susudake, bamboo that has spent the greater part of a century as part of the ceiling or roof inside a kominka farmhouse, darkened and strengthened by the smoke from the hearth.
A Rover lineup progressing slowly towards the day of completion.
The halves of the magnolia scabbard are carved inside with a chisel and adjusted to fit the blade, then glued back together with nikawa.
After curing the glue for a week, excess wood is removed with a hand saw and then kanna (handplanes) are used for most of the final shaping.
Cutting a sliding dovetail for the nata style kurikata on the scabbard.
A scrap of live edge magnolia is carved into a kurikata, after lacquering it will be glued in place with nikawa.
Lunch break view towards the forge, toolboxes and tools must be onboard for whatever may be required on a given day.
Late fall sunlight still bright at midday but shadows are lengthening as the museum season comes to an end.
The first application of natural fukiurushi seals the wood in preparation for following layers which will add colour and subtle texture. It is cured slowly in a slightly warm humid muro/furo box, each layer takes 1-4 days to cure. Natural urushi lacquer is made from the sap of a certain tree, evaporated, fermented, and filtered.
After a couple of weeks to allow the wood moisture levels to stabilize after several rounds of lacquering, final adjustements to the fit are made. The knife is sharpened and ready for assembly.
