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New Generation of Japanese Swordsmiths

MDBK5

IN Stock in small quanities

Unparalleled in its deadly cutting power, strength, and enduring elegance, the Japanese sword is a triumph of both technical merit and mythical appeal. For a thousand years the Japanese sword was the linchpin of the warrior class, the mainstay of social order, and the definitive weapon on the battlefield.
Now incongruous with modern warfare and society, its practical role has been consigned to history. But the sword has retained its artistic and symbolic power. Most of the qualities that are considered aesthetically pleasing in the sword, from the intricate patterns on the steel itself to the blade's characteristic curvature, derive from its function as a weapon. The sword must embody both lightness and durability, and the blade requires a toughness that is not too brittle or its effectiveness as a weapon would be compromised, The perfect harmony of these conflicting elements characterizes the swordsmith's art.
In this insightful volume, noted sword expert, journalist, and editor, Tamio Tsuchiko, explores the world of gendaito, visiting its practitioners and sharing views and ideas. Through close-up interviews with twenty gendai-tosho, and dialogues between smiths and polishers, Tsuchiko presents the reader with a fascinating and enriching array of experiences, theories, and reflections from those at the forefront of modern sword craftsmanship, as they take this ancient art into purely aesthetic directions. Never before has such a thorough and illuminating study of this kind emerged.
Including over one hundred photographs of the artists and their most recent creations, this will be an important addition to the libraries of collectors, craftsmen and sword aficionados, as well as those with a more general interest in Japanese weaponry.