Handmade Portraits: The Sword Maker

This amazing documentary was brought to my attention this morning and it has completely blown me away. Within this post is a video displaying one man's lifetime of study to truly become a master.

This creative masterpiece by Etsy tells the story of Korehira Watanabe, who has dedicated most of his life to studying how to forge swords and attempting to recreate the mythical Koto sword. Originally inspired by the famous craftsman Akihira Miyairi (whom later became Watanabe's master) after seeing a picture whilst still in college. He was told he would be abandoned by his family if he chose sword making as a career as they did not feel he could make a living.

It is a known statement and Watanabe even says it himself that 'It's impossible to recreate the sword'. Only within the past few years has Watanabe been able to create something even similar to the Koto blade. This video displays the raw passion, dedication and patience involved in creating a masterpiece, and also demonstrates the importance of a disciple to carry the trade on in the future.

Watch and enjoy.