TLDW #20 - Futokorogatana Kaiken Tanto @islandblacksmith

Uploaded January 2018 | Updated September 2026, 11 hours ago

**WARNING: This is the longer process version intended for serious students of knifemaking. Futokorogatana (懐刀) is translated as “clothing fold sword” and describes a type of tanto mounting meant to be carried in the kimono sleeve or fold. Also known as kaiken, this humble style of hidden mounting is usually unadorned with a smooth profile and lacquer finish. This knife would historically be carried for last chance survival situations.

The steel comes from a reclaimed horse-drawn carriage spring, the wood is hounoki (Japanese Magnolia), and the finish is natural urushi lacquer with ground crimson lake stone pigment.

more photos and info: islandblacksmith.ca/2017/08/process-making-a-futokorogatana

$3 minute forge and 5 minute forge making...bring your own bellows! diy Building two examples of quick and simple diy sideblast charcoal forges with found and reclaimed materials to demonstrate that lack of equipment and materials should not be a major obstacle. See more in-depth forge builds on the bladesmith forge building playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBJ5AOs7cMwCSinW7foaiHFZKbZDkasQL Ways to improve these concepts include: mixing copious amounts of chopped straw or charcoal powder into the clay to make it refractory, using high temperature kiln bricks, making the walls higher and longer, using the clay to narrow the tuyere to about 1sun/3cm right where it enters at the bottom side of the forge, putting a barrier up to protect the fuigo (and allowing a shorter pipe), allowing the clay to dry before lighting the forge, etc... Note that if the pipe is galvanized best fit with another section of non-galvanized or at least file off the last 2 inches of zinc in case your tuyere accidentally gets heated to an orange yellow heat and burns off the zinc causing toxic fumes... Full traditional swordsmith forge build documentation here: http://islandblacksmith.ca/2017/01/building-traditional-swordsmith-forge/ Smaller tanto forge build here: http://islandblacksmith.ca/2017/04/building-a-charcoal-tanto-forge/ Fuigo box bellows: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ecetg1B7y4&t=0s&index=16&list=PLBJ5AOs7cMwCSinW7foaiHFZKbZDkasQL$

TLDW #27 - Forging a Saya Nomi (鞘鑿, scabbard chisel) - from reclaimed farm equipment (harrow tooth)

Blacksmith Forging Plastic? DIY snowskate from recycled decking material

Preparing and Loading the Charcoal Making Kiln

Hand Forged from Farm Scrap - The Culinary Knife Project

TLDW #13 - Mountain Kotanto natural urushi lacquering

TimeWarp #3 - Tanto Forging Practice: Railroad Spike

Louie Mills - Yasutomo (康友) - Forging a Tanto, 2013 (full process)

SOTW #20 - Assembling the Furusato Tanto (aikuchi w/ireko saya)

TLDW #21 - Making a Tanto Habaki with simple tools