Behind the Scenes: How Tanto Are Made
Making Charcoal from Scrap Wood



Read more about making charcoal
See the charcoal archive
Finding the Raw Materials



Read more about testing steel
Testing for wrought iron
Forging the Blade from Reclaimed Steel



Read more about forging a tanto
Forging a sunnobi tanto
Hardening & Tempering the Blade



Read more about yaki-ire
On classical tanto geometry
Making the Fittings



Read more about making habaki
Making koshirae mountings
Making the Handle & Scabbard



Read about carving a handle
Carving a tanto scabbard
Lacquering with Natural Tree Urushi



Carving and lacquering a scabbard
Learn about sokui.
Polishing & Final Assembly



Read about water stone polishing
Aesthetics of the tanto form
Detailed Topical Articles for Students of the Forge
Assembly & Construction
Read about water stone polishing
How to open shirasaya
Recent Case Studies
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Tsukimizu Tanto
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Ashinoho Tanto
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Process: Forging a Field Kotanto
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Process – Forging a Sunnobi Forest Tanto
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Process – Forging a Mountain Kotanto
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Yoroidoshi Forest Kotanto
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Itten Forest Tanto
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An Inside Look at Handle Geometry
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Forest Kotanto with Antique Fittings
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Nagatsuki Tanto
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TLDW #26 – Traditional Yaki-Ire, Hardening a Tanto
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First Lighting of the Forge & Antique Habaki Utsushi (写)
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Furusato Tanto
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TLDW #24 – Making an Ireko (nesting) Saya
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Inome Tanto
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Eyes on the Spine: say No to the kink, and Yes to the flow
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Yoroidoshi in Shirasaya
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Arashiage: Filing Order of Operations
“Materials are the most perfect medium for the experience which shall illuminate the soul and ripen the mind: for they oppose your effort, and against that
beneficent and lovely resistance
you work out your ideas, with patience, with forethought, with skill, with pride, with self-revelation.”
– Edward Yeomans, Shackled Youth, 1921
