Frequently Asked Question:

We have selected the most frequently asked question. Before emailing us a question please review the list below to see if the question has already been answered. This list of questions is not restrictive, so you may have other questions that are not answered, do not hesitate to contact us: hello@wkc-usa.com

We are willing to answer any question. We appreciate any comments.

Why is it better to purchase a forged blade?

The forging process defines the Japanese Samurai Sword. Authentic Samurai Swords were hand forged. A lot of companies are selling different types of steel swords. Most of the time these blades are not forged and therefore do not have the integrity of a forged blade. The forging provides the best and equal dispersion of carbon throughout the steel so as to achieve an excellent strength of the blade which you will never get with modern blades that are stamped or milled out by the 1000’s without any dispersion of the carbon. Our smith has a complete control and freedom to determine how much each blade needs to be worked in order to achieve the best results.

Each hand-forged blade is also a unique piece that no one else has as it comes out of the traditional forging process.

What are the steps in forging a Katana?

Step 1: Forging

Hand forging consists in hammering a billet of high carbon steel in a way to get the shape of the blade. The forging provides the best and equal dispersion of carbon throughout the steel so as to achieve an excellent strength of the blade.

Step 2: Shaping

The blade, which is still not hardened at this stage, is shaped depending on the dimensions required.

Step 3: Tradition Clay-wrapping

To get the differential hardening, the blade is hand-covered by special clay, with different thickness near the edge (thinner) and the rest of the blade (thicker) in a way to get different cooling. This results in getting hard edge and softer back.

Step 4: Quenching

At this stage, a special know-how is required. The blade is heated to a predetermined temperature and quenched in a water bath. This step will determine the shape, hamon, sori and straightness of the blade. The quality mainly depends on the skill of the craftsman.

Step 5: Sori

The curvature (sori) is made according to the balance point and point of percussion depending if the blade will be used for cutting or slashing.

Step 6:
Final hand-polishing is made to provide an excellent finishing and to get the best visual effects of the hamon line and different hardening areas.

What is the difference between the 4 types of steel you propose?

We propose the following type of steel that correspond to different forging process:

Spring steel (C55Si7): The steel is hand forged and is hardened in a traditional way so that the Mune is 55° and the Ha (blade edge) is 55° HRC Rockwell.

High Carbon steel (C105 W2): The steel is hand forged and is differentially hardened by traditional clay-wrapping technique so that the hardness of the Mune is ca 43° and the Ha (blade edge) is ca 60° HRC Rockwell.

Folded steel (45C & C55Si7): 2 steels are hand forged and 13 times folded to achieve ca. 8192 layers traditional clay-wrapping technique for differential hardening. There are some hada (grain in steel, pattern of folding the steel) in the blade. The hardness of its Mune is ca 43° and the Ha (blade edge) is ca 60° HRC Rockwell.

Tamahaganes series: The blade is forged from 2 sorts of steel, the softer C45 is embedded into the harder C105. This forging art comes from the Japanese model Makuri which was taught in Japan since centuries but only to the best smith. The two steel are forged up to 26000 layers and thanks to the traditional clay-wrapping technique for differential hardening, you can see the martensite crystals and the Hamonlinie. This is made visible with our carbon steel blade only by manual polish. The hardness of the Mune is ca 61° HRC and the Ha (blade edge) is ca 48° HRC.

All blades are sharpened.

Why your HAMON line is not as visible as with other producers?

The blade is heated to a predetermined temperature and quenched in a water bath. This step will determine the shape, hamon, sori and straightness of the blade. The Hamon we get on the blade is REAL as we do not make it with sandblasting or etching (except stainless steel). The differential hardening is really existing and created by the heat treatment. It is not a surface treatment.

How do you measure the blade length?

The blade length is measured from the Habaki to Kissaki (point). See the following drawing.

What is the meaning of without Niku?

Our blades are very sharp edged with a "flatsided" edge geometry (not clamshell shaped) as describe in the following pictures:

Can I get a personalized item?

Yes, we can propose you personalized item. But note that you will be charged some additional cost and delivery time maybe longer. Please consult us for any special request. To be able to inform you in the best conditions, we need to know exact details on what you are looking for. Thank you

What is the ISO certification?

WKC is certified according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2000 since March 2000: We at WKC, think that you deserve the best service, quality and warrantee. That is why, we submit ourselves to the ISO certification. The ISO certification is not a self-checking that any company can claim. To be certified is the result of going through a procedure. We are controlled by an official external organization. It is a guarantee for you that you get a high quality service. Check yourself, how many producers of edged weapons are certified according to DIN ISO 9001:2000.

Lame Acier ressort: Forgée main, lame courbe avec Chu-Kissaki (pointe). Acier ressort (C55Si7). La dureté du Mune et du Ha (tranchant de la lame) est de 55° HRC Rockwell

Lame Acier carbone: Forgée main, lame courbe avec Bohi (gouttière) et Chu-Kissaki (pointe). Acier Carbone (C105 W2). Durcie différemment par trempe sélective. La dureté du Mune est d’environ 43° et du Ha (tranchant de la lame) est d’environ 60° HRC Rockwell

Lame Acier plié: Forgée main, lame courbe avec Bohi (gouttière) et Chu-Kissaki (pointe). Acier plié (45C & C55Si7). Pliée 13 fois pour atteindre environ 8192 feuilles, durcie différemment par trempe sélective.Il y a un magnifique Hada (grain sur l’acier, résultat de l’acier plié) sur la lame. La dureté du Mune est d’environ 43° et du Ha (tranchant de la lame) est d’environ 60° HRC Rockwell.