The Praying Mantis
is a symbol of cunning and power in Japanese culture and is consequently
a highly respected theme in Samurai swords. Built on Hanwei's
new L6/Bainite blade (detailed below) in the Shobu Zukuri style
with Bo-Hi, and featuring superb koshirae, the Praying Mantis is
a very desirable and functional piece. The subdued green silk ito
and deep brown of the lacquered saya provide handsome contrast
to the dark copper and golden accents of the tsuba, fuchi and kashira.
The stalking mantis lies in wait for his next prey, mirroring the
power and grace in this exceptional katana.
Bainite is a structure of high-carbon steel that combines great
strength with excellent flexibility and shock absorption characteristics.
It has been known as an exemplary Katana blade component for a
number of years but its use has been restricted to a few top-class
master smiths, due to the difficulties involved in performing the
exacting heat treatment procedures necessary for the production
of a Bainite blade body in combination with the very hard Martensite
Yakiba (edge section) required for Katana blades.
Hanwei has now mastered this difficult
process, using billets of L-6 tool steel (a very tough high-carbon
low-alloy steel) as a starting point. Blades are forged and shaped
in the normal way, then carefully heat treated to achieve the required
Bainite and Martensite structures before final polishing. |
