| The samurai katana is one of the most famous | | | | ornamented fittings. |
| swords in history. The finest samurai katana were | | | | The samurai warrior did not use shields in battle |
| superbly crafted and a sword forged by a celebrated | | | | because they could use their swords as shields. A |
| swordsmith was one the most prized gifts a samurai | | | | skilled swordsman could deflect an oncoming blow |
| could receive. | | | | and then respond with a killing stroke of his own. |
| The great swordsmiths treated their craft as a blend | | | | Hours of practice were given to the art of drawing |
| of art, religion, and science. They dressed themselves | | | | the samurai sword, because sometimes one cut |
| like priests before forging a particularly fine samurai | | | | delivered straight from the scabbard would be |
| sword, which started life as only a crude lump of iron. | | | | enough to win a fight. One swordsmith boasted that |
| This was beaten time and time again and heated in a | | | | his swords were so sharp that if a blade was placed |
| furnace to make the finest steel. The raw steel was | | | | uppermost in a stream and a water lily floated down |
| then folded and beaten repeatedly until the rough | | | | toward is, the flower would be cut in two when is |
| sword blade was like hundreds of thin individual blades | | | | met the samurai katana! |
| welded together. A samurai sword blade usually had a | | | | Others used to show how strong their swords were |
| very hard cutting edge with a razor-sharp finish | | | | by chopping iron helmets in half. According to one |
| wrapped inside a body of springier steel that would | | | | story, a samurai was chopped in half from top to |
| prevent the samurai katana from snapping. Finally the | | | | bottom so quickly and cleanly that he walked on for |
| sword was polished and mounted in richly | | | | several steps before falling in two! |