The Process of Making a Japanese Sword Habaki (blade collar)

The Process of Making a Japanese Sword Habaki (blade collar) The sword shown in the video is currently being crafted. It will be approximately 15 cm in length and is known as a Futokoro-gatana, a small sword traditionally carried close to the body for personal protection. Many people choose a Futokoro-gatana—such as business owners, professional athletes, and those who have recently welcomed a new baby—as a symbolic item to protect what is precious in their lives, including their wellbeing and their loved ones. If you place your order by February 2026, we can discuss the design of the scabbard (saya). For example, you may include a team logo, a company emblem, a national flag, or any design you personally prefer. For inquiries or to place an order, please contact us at the email address below: ▶[email protected] ▶Craftsman Profile Hiroki Ueno This work mainly involves crafting habaki (blade collar) and the metal foundations for sword fittings. Using copper, silver, and gold, the artisan hammers, bends, brazes, and finally shapes everything with a file. The role is close to that of a kinkōshi, but a simple distinction is that kinkōshi rely on chisels, while shirogane-shi rely on files. Shirogane-shi also melt metals to adjust purity and create alloys. Because a habaki (blade collar) that is too hard can damage the blade, finding the right balance of strength and workability is crucial. While alloy sheets can be purchased today, I prefer to mix the metals myself to achieve the ideal composition. © 2022 Suigenkyo Ltd. All rights reserved. #process #art #asmr #swordsmith #samurai #process #kyoto #crafts #satisfyingvideo #lastsamurai 【Chapter】 00:00 Introduction 00:16 Taking Measurements 01:16 Creating the Copper Base 04:04 Shaping to Fit the Blade 08:00 Making Rods to Fill Gaps 08:47 Bonding with Wax 09:53 Cutting into a “U” Shape 10:39 Filing the Edges 12:50 Smoothing the Surface 15:00 Trace the shape of the base 16:04 Melting the Gold 16:49 Hammering Out the Gold 17:52 Cutting the Gold Pieces 18:22 Fitting Gold to the Copper Base 19:43 Wax Soldering 20:31 Blending the Surface 27:55 Designing 30:14 Washing 30:30 Coloring/Polishing 31:20 Finished products