Tamahagane (Steel for the sword blades), Japanese sword

Tamahagane, which is the raw material for Japanese Swords, is made of iron sand due to its low level of impurities. In the tatara steelmaking method, high-quality material with a carbon content of around 0.3 to 1.5% through low temperature reduction (1300-1500℃) is the main ingredient of the tamahagane. This is then flattened out to a thickness of about 3 mm. The material is then stacked up and forge welded by heating to around 1300℃.