Japanese Swordsmiths Ancient Fire Lighting Ceremony to Ignite Sacred Art of Sword Forging
Japanese swordsmiths have discovered the ingenious method of using a fire lighting ceremony to create a fire before forging a sword.
This involves hammering a plain iron rod down to a sharp point, which is then used to light the fire.
The best-known part of the sword-making process is the folding of the steel, where the swords are made by repeatedly heating, hammering, and folding the metal. The process of folding metal to improve strength and remove impurities is frequently attributed to specific Japanese smiths in legends. The forging of a Japanese blade typically took many days or weeks and was considered a sacred art, traditionally accompanied by a large array of Shinto religious rituals.