将成について

私の刀づくりにかけている想い

修業前の学生時代から古名刀の魅力の本質を技術的 技法的探究をし続けて30年以上 時代ごとに異なる刀剣の美しさと奥行きを 技法や素材の性質の違いから分類し 五ヶ伝といわれる各伝法を表面的な再現で満足せず より深みをもった魅力を目指し取り組んでおります また刀剣の鑑定 鑑賞も長年の経験のなかで数々の名品に触れる機会を得てきました そうして培ってきた鑑識眼も 作刀技術と同様に私の一つの財産です しかし名品を観ることと同じ視座で当作を見つめるということは ある意味では残酷で苦しい行為です この頃はやっと名刀の「位」の高みに わずかながら近づいている実感も得られるようになってきました 刀剣の美の奥行きを作品の内側から体現できるよう そしてそれをご依頼主に感じてもらい ご満足いただけるよう 真摯に作りつづけ 歩みつづけていきたいと思います 材料となる鋼は日刀保たたらの玉鋼を用いるのが主流ですが 当鍛刀場では玉鋼のみならず各種の古材の卸鉄づくりと活用 小規模のたたら炉で砂鉄から鋼を生み出す自家製鉄にも取り組みはじめています また 北欧のたたら製鉄実践者との交流で国内材料に限らない素材の探究も 名刀へ迫っていくためのひとつの要素とし 素材ごとに異なる性質や特性 メリットデメリットを整理して 目標とする作風に最適と思われる材料を選定しています 選定された素材と独自の鍛錬技法をもって より本質に到達するような美的な深みを作品に体現します For over thirty years—since my days as a student before formally beginning my training—I have pursued a technical and methodological inquiry into the essence of what makes classical Japanese swords so captivating. The aesthetic depth and distinctive beauty of swords vary by historical period. I have devoted myself to categorising these differences through the lens of technique and material characteristics, and in my work I strive not merely for surface-level reproductions of the five traditional schools of swordsmithing known as the Gokaden, but to express something deeper, something more resonant. Over many years of appraising and studying swords, I have had the rare opportunity to examine a number of true masterpieces firsthand. The discerning eye I have developed through these experiences is, to me, no less valuable than the skills I have gained in forging blades. Yet to hold my own work to the same exacting standard as those revered masterpieces is, in a sense, a harsh and demanding act. It is not without pain. Still, I have recently begun to feel, if only slightly, that I am finally approaching the dignified realm in which those great swords reside. I will continue to forge with sincerity, striving to embody the profound aesthetic of the Japanese sword from within the blade itself, so that each commissioned piece may evoke this depth of beauty and bring lasting satisfaction to its owner. While the standard steel used in sword-making today is tamahagane produced by the NBTHK's traditional tatara furnace, I go beyond this in my own forge. I work not only with tamahagane, but also with a variety of historical iron sources, recreating raw steel from antique materials. Recently, I have also begun smelting my own steel from iron sand using a small-scale tatara furnace. Through collaboration and dialogue with practitioners of traditional smelting techniques in Northern Europe, I have expanded my exploration of materials beyond those found in Japan. Understanding the differing properties, strengths, and limitations of each type of steel allows me to select the most appropriate material for the particular aesthetic and technical outcome I aim to achieve. By carefully choosing each material and applying my own distinctive forging methods, I seek to embody a deeper and more essential beauty in every sword I create.