All About Pocket Knives

When looking at Japanese swords(at a show for example)you might see the same pattern of fittings on some swords.Its hard to speak in general terms about them because none were really mass produced untill the end of the 19th century.The ones pictured are"Gunto",the pattern of sword mounting produced for millitary use starting about 1933-34 untill the end of WW2.The neet thing about these sword mounts is that they carried a varied assortment of blades.The lowest quality being a plain toolsteel blade with no artistic or intrinsic value other than it being a Japanese style blade.Another,better variety being a piece of toolsteel that has been selectivly heat treated (edge tempered,Or differential tempered)Another being sunobi formed(forged from a chunk of steel into the shape of a sword,sometimes "kobuse" or wrapped construction:a high carbon steel jacket is wrapped around a core of low carbon steel then selectivly heat treated and mostly all oil quenched but sometimes water quenched)The next classification is Gendaito(modern,traditionally made sword)To be what is considered "Nihonto" a sword must be forged of traditional materials(tamahagane or other approved material)and quenched in water,not oil or the blood of a virgin.
More about this later.
Greg

blood of a virgin. you have stories to tell!