See now, for a good blade, one that will not betray the man in battle, rods of hard and soft iron must be heated and braided together. Then is the blade folded over and hammered flat again, and maybe yet again, many times for the finest blades.. So the hard and soft iron are mingled without blending, before the blade is hammered up to its finished form and tempered, and ground to an edge that shall draw blood from the wind. So comes the pattern, like oil and water that mingle but do not mix. Yet it is the strength of the blade, for without the hard iron the blade would bend in battle, and without the soft iron it would break. Rosemary Sutcliff
About This Quote

The world of katana is like the world of rosewood. The rosewood is the hard iron, and the blade is the folding of it over. The rosewood is hammered flat again and again, until it acquires a fine polish. This compares with the hard and soft iron being brought together from different sources to make the blade. The shape of the blade follows from this folding and hammering, but once forged it must be tempered, so that not only does it hold an edge, but it holds it so that it can draw blood from a blow.

Source: The Shining Company

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