Making of a Blacksmith (P/NK)

Senba started the day like any other stretching and groaning that, of course, it is another day but unlike any other day he felt productive. It was suppose to be his "day off" from any and all training. He, instead, had it in his mind that he would finally create his first weapon from scratch. Turning a hunk of material into a fine piece of sharpened death. He went down to the kitchen where his mother had already cooked breakfest but father's dish was already empty.

Mother: "Your father went out for awhile he probably will not be back until late late today."
Senba: "Supply run i assume?"
Mother: "No remember the guy needed help building his new home? He will be there awhile."
Senba: "Ah yes that was a thing he was doing today." Senba contemplated on going to help for a moment then dismissed it.
Mother: "Are you going to go help or you taking the day off?"
Senba: "Neither. I am feeling productive today...if you stop hearing any hammering or movement in the forge then i am either passed out or dead."
Mother: "Well if you are planning on possible death. Tell your grandmother that i still can not find her darned baked roll cooking guide. I still botch the hell out of them."
Senba: He laughed then answered "Alright, but you already know her response to that." He said as he grabbed one of the gallon jugs of water from the second fridge to bring into the forge with him.

The forge building was next door where him and his father. Well mainly his father made weapons for various people or ninja shops. Equipped with a blast furnace, anvils, hammers, soakers, and anything a blacksmith could dream of himself needing. Senba opened the door to the forge and the ceiling window to have a constant circulation of air from outside and vent the hot air out. Thankfully for him it was a nice cool day to do this. Stretching and setting up all the essentials he did not know what to make. A simple kunai? No that was too small for him. He wanted to make a katana. A sword that could take him till the dead of night to make with his inexperience. Pure steel from hilt to tip, and the handle carved of wood and a gripping fabric material around it.

Thinking to himself a normal katana was approximately twenty-four to twenty-nine and a half inches just for the blade and the hilt probably another six inches. The hilt is typically a two-handed swept, with circular or squared guard so he was gonna end up following that pattern. The thing that Senba believes is gonna trip him the most that it is curved. He has made several mistakes when it comes to that by making them too thin and them snapping mid forge hammering.

Senba took a big gulp of water from the jug and set it down FAR away from the forge. Inhaling and exhaling saying to himself "This is gonna be a long process." Donning on personal protective equipment and a good face shield he started working.

Step one: Senba turns on the blast furnace and shoveling in coals from the supply saying to himself "Melting point of iron is approximately twenty thousand eight hundred degree Fahrenheit. We have to start at that to get it to melt down." The furnace roars and the temperature soars. Senba was use to this type of heat so it did not affect him right away as he went to get iron blocks. He placed them in a cauldron like holder and took a set of tongs and grasped the container. He placed the container in the blast furnace with said tongs and laid them to the side for cool off.

He waited a bit while standing outside the door enjoying the cool weather as he kept looking back at the forge. His mother came out of the house and walked to him.

Mother: "I am going out to the store do you need anything?"
Senba: "My sanity after this is all said and done."
Mother laughing: "Oh baby you know we never had any of that and no one is ever in stock."

Senba and his mother both laughed and she departed. He went back inside to check on the process. The iron melted as Senba checked the temperature. It read twenty nine hundred degrees. Senba opened some vents cause that was a bit too much at the moment but grabbed the tongs and pulled the container out. The impurities sitting atop the iron liquid.

Step Two: Senba, to get the impurities out, fused the molten iron with scrap steel. This causes oxygen to be forced through the furnace as well, which gets out a lot of the carbon and other impurities. Shoving the container back into the furnace you could hear some popping and another roar of the furnace. This is why you wear protective clothing cause Senba would have had some nasty molten metal on his skin if not.

Step Three: Senba grabbed one of the katana models from the wall and placed it on a stone table that sat near the furnace and the soakers. Soon after the process should be done. Senba took out the hot liquid with the same method of tongs as before and inspected the molten orange liquid. The impurities were all gone and he slowly poured the liquid steel into the mold. Letting it set looking really rough but what do you expect this early in the process. Finally it was cool enough to touch with at least some thermal gloves.

Step Four: Slowly shaping the sword over a period of time. Senba would put the sword back into the furnace. Always checking the temperature and adding coals when needed. When the blade was orange he would take it out and quickly shape little bits at a time starting with the curve. The katana mold only did so much so he had to finish it out himself. The mold makes it a bit easier but the real way to truly make these is to hammer together long sheets of metals but that work is not something Senba could do right now. This was the easier way but it makes for a average blade. Throwing the metal back into the furnace to get orange hot then back out curving and hammering multiple times. Making sure everything is uniform and finally when Senba was satisfied with the shape he would start the next process.

Step Five: The grind phase one. He used paper and a manual grinder to grind down the excess of the metal making sure not to grind it down too thin. There were a lot of imperfections. Things that father would have already dealt with but, again, with Senba's inexperience he did not take note of right away. Hopefully it will not compromise the blade's integrity. Grinding down slowly shaping the edge of the blade and the tip down to fine points. Slowly starting to become a sword that could do harm to.

Senba took a small break. The heat and not drinking enough of the water were getting to him. He was always like that though. He would tunnel vision on the project and forget everything else. Normally father would keep that in check but he was not around. Mother was back home though and unnoticed by Senba had placed a snack and a extra water jug next to the door. Senba drank the rest of the water and ate the snack slowly as to not upset his stomach. The sweat pouring down his face and arms. The furnace was cooling down and the air flow as it became dark felt so much better, but he was still not done yet.

Step Six: Senba got back up feeling a bit better and added coals to the furnace. It began to roar once more as he closed vents. He wanted this thing to get really hot. Once it was high enough he put the blade back into the furnace constantly watching the color of the blade. Once the edge of the blade became yellow color and the middle of the blade became a slight plum color Senba took it out and dunked it into a soaker, or quench tank, this would shock the metal into fast hardening and make the blade harder so it was not so soft and brittle. After pulling it out Senba would use a coarse paper to finish it down. He repeated this process a few times shocking the heated steel and hardening it.

Step Seven: The final grind, Senba was tired and it was late. He was so close to finishing but this was the very last step besides the hilt. Senba put all the hilt and design he wanted on the wood working desk for next step. He sat down at the grinder and started working. Grinding the metal down even more to a fine edge and polish. It slowly became a true sword. Using a finer grind for passes it was nice, polished and sharp. Senba smiled and stood up with excitement. It was not perfect but it was his first hand made sword. Of course if this was a more experience blacksmith it would be made the traditional way and a lot faster.

Smiling with glee he stood up. His body stopped moving and the world became black as he thudded down onto the floor. His mother, keeping a eye on him the entire time dragged him into the house and began heat exhaustion medical procedures. Ice packs around the neck, arm pits, and groin area. Lucklily his father had just arrived home and shut down the forge so it would let cool. Of course he noticed why Senba had passed out. Smiling he picked up the blade checking its quality and everything.

Father chuckling: "That boy finally made it. It is not perfect but he made one."

Mother finally getting Senba washed up as he became conscious and put into bed. Meanwhile his father constructed the already put in place hilt parts onto the blade and even made a sheath for it.

The next morning Senba woke up to his father checking on him.

Father: "You alright there Senba? You worked all day making that sword did you not?"

Senba smiled: "Yes i am alright i think. I can not move all that much. Also yes i did, but i do not know how it truly came out."

Father laughing: "Well it is not a pure perfect blade. It is a quality of one you would get in a shop. You did very well though and i am proud of you. I will say though you did a hell of a job sharpening this thing. It will chip easily if you hit a hard surface with it but i took it to some bamboo earlier and it went through quiet a few. Deadly of course but i would keep it. Being your first sword you should mount it. From this day on you are a true blacksmith. I will teach you better and more traditional techniques than those crummy sword molds for beginners. You have to be ready for more days like you are now, but just remember to drink more water. Mother was sick and worried about you."

Senba laughed: "I am sorry but you know how i am i just get really focused on a project. I should have taken more breaks and kept up with my hydration. I still have the hilt to put on it though."

Father: "Do not worry about that. I found your stuff on the bench and i put it together for you. Even made you a sheathe for it made out of old and hard wood. It is more for decoration but it will do."

Senba: "Thank you."

Mother screaming: "FELLAS FOOD IS READY! SENBA YOU GOT TRAINING TODAY GET YOUR BEHIND UP!"

Senba and Father both stood up straight: "YES MA'AM!"

After a nice big breakfast it was onto ninja training for Senba.

[WC: 2,025 - 20 stats acquired - Blacksmithing Skill Learned - Senba's first blade is a decorative item that is now in his room]