"Thou art even as a finely tempered sword"

O MY SERVANT!


Thou art even as a finely tempered sword concealed in the darkness of its sheath and its value hidden from the artificer's knowledge. Wherefore come forth from the sheath of self and desire that thy worth may be made resplendent and manifest unto all the world.
(Baha'u'llah, The Persian Hidden Words)


Picture from http://www.arscives.com/bladesign/koreanswordreview.htm


What does it mean to be a "finely tempered sword"?


A dear friend recently sent me the following meditation on the sword making process. Becoming a finely tempered sword requires a great deal of fire, testing, polishing. Not a comfortable process to be sure:

1. HEATING AND BELLOWING: the process in which steel is exposed to intense heat


2. FORGING: the process of removing impurities and homogenizing the carbon content by repeated beating of the metal


3. ADJUSTING THE FORGED BLADE: less intense, but repeated hammer blows to shape the blade


4. HEAT TEMPERING: to remove stress in the metal


5. QUENCHING: placing the hot, stressed sword into a cold bath of water to see if it will hold together, or break apart after having been exposed to the aforementioned processes


6. POLISHING THE FINISHED BLADE: repeated filing and sanding of the metal to add to its luster


7. SHAPING THE TIP: the process of forming and sharpening the tip


8. FINAL POLISH: giving it that extra shine by removing excess material


9. GRIP MAKING: wrapping the handle with leather strips to assure a firm grip


10. FINAL ASSEMBLY: putting it all together to be tested out in the field


Sword Making - Click here for more blooper videos