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Shingane: Low-Carbon Iron Folded on Itself for a Sword's Soft Core
Forge

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Forge

17. October 2026NO
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Shingane: Low-Carbon Iron Folded on Itself for a Sword's Soft Core

Shingane is the soft core of a Japanese sword: very low-carbon iron, folded several times on itself to purify it, so it stays nearly pure iron and barely hardens. Coat it in clay, water and straw ash at each heat, fold and weld it, then draw it into a bar to fit inside the harder edge steel. The picture: our diagram, a bar folded into layers.
Advanced
A day

Instructions

1

Mix the coating

Stir clay into water with rice straw ash to a thin slurry.

Tools needed:

ClayClay
Rice Straw AshRice Straw Ash
WaterWater
BowlBowl
2

Heat and coat

Bring the low-carbon iron to a welding heat, dip or paint it in the slurry, and return it to the fire.

Materials for this step:

Wrought Iron BarWrought Iron Bar1.5 kg

Tools needed:

Blacksmith ForgeBlacksmith Forge
CharcoalCharcoal
Blacksmith TongsBlacksmith Tongs
Welding GlovesWelding Gloves
Safety GlassesSafety Glasses
Leather ApronLeather Apron
3

Fold

Draw the bar out, cut it halfway across on the hardy, fold it back on itself and weld it solid. Recoat and repeat, about six times.

Tools needed:

Blacksmith ForgeBlacksmith Forge
Hot Cut HardyHot Cut Hardy
Blacksmith HammerBlacksmith Hammer
SledgehammerSledgehammer
AnvilAnvil
Blacksmith TongsBlacksmith Tongs
Welding GlovesWelding Gloves
Safety GlassesSafety Glasses
Leather ApronLeather Apron
4

Draw the core bar

Draw the folded iron into a bar of the size the edge steel will wrap around.

Tools needed:

Blacksmith ForgeBlacksmith Forge
Blacksmith HammerBlacksmith Hammer
AnvilAnvil
Blacksmith TongsBlacksmith Tongs
Welding GlovesWelding Gloves
Safety GlassesSafety Glasses
Leather ApronLeather Apron
5

Layers

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Materials

1

Tools Required

14

This blueprint makes

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Shingane

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