One sword
documentary about the making of the Japanese katana sword

The production of the sword is documented in more than an hour of annotated footage. From the production of traditional tamahagane and oroshigane steel, to the methods of preparing the steel by folding, forging and hardening the blade, to basic polishing techniques and the production of the set. For the production of the set, the steps involved in the manufacture of all its essential components are also documented and described. The spoken commentary deliberately avoids being overly technical and describes the manufacturing processes in a way that is understandable to the layman. In making the documentary, an attempt was made to show sword making purely from the perspective of the craftsman, without the mythical trappings and veil of mystery that often shroud Japanese swords and their manufacture.

Documentary production, direction, camera, commentary by Pavel Holub
Sword making: Pavel Bolf