What are Samurai Grooves for? An ancient history of Ninja Swords
A popular legends is that Amakuni and his son Amakura were standing outside their sword smithing shop when the army was returning from battle. As a sword maker to the Emperor’s army Amakuni was expecting to be acknowledged by the Emperor, as had been the norm in the past. However, in this case he was snubbed by the Emperor and soon understood why when he saw many of the sword blades carried by the soldiers were broken. He was determined to research and build the perfect sword.
After a period of sabbatical and reflection, Amakuni and his son went about developing a superior weapon. The next summer when the Emperor returned from another battle, none of the swords were broken and the Emperor passed and said to Amakuni, “you are an expert sword maker, none of the swords you made failed in battle”. What Amakuni is said to have developed is a style of sword that was hard enough to hold an edge but flexible enough not to break or shatter, the paradoxical combination needed for a good blade.
