Craftsmanship & Our Steel

Craftsmanship

Collaborating with a venerable master smith, Hatano Sen captures his workmanship in every facet of our production processes. Every one of our accessories is made from the finest materials, and crafted with the precision and loving care that only a true artisan can muster. 

Our smith's workshop

These artful creations (as well as the materials used in their creation) are individually hand-made and made-to-order, which means that no two accessories will ever be the same. 

In order to commit to our mission of broadcasting Japanese culture throughout the world, we price our accessories at extremely affordable rates considering the amount of effort required for their production, forgoing the usual markups that see products of a similar type going for hundreds or thousands of dollars.

To showcase our faith in the quality of our products, and to adhere to our standards of customer satisfaction, we ask that our customers contact us immediately should any issue with our products arise. We will do everything in our power to ensure that you are completely satisfied with your order, but please note that refunds will only be offered on a case by case basis. We are in no way a large conglomerate that can simply offset the cost through tremendous sales volume. Every cent that is paid to the smith goes to maintaining his operations (upkeep for his forge and pay for his apprentices), hence the necessary inclusion of this policy.

If you wish to cancel your order, you must submit the cancellation request to our email address (info@hatanosen.com) within 24 hours of placing your order, as orders are unable to be cancelled once the smith has begun work on the piece. In addition, please note that orders specifying custom designs (engravings or special sizes etc.) are not able to be refunded or cancelled. If you have ordered a wrong size in error and would like a new size to be sent to you, please note that there will be a reforging fee (that depends on the piece to be reforged) that ranges from $15 - $75.

Direct any inquiries or feedback to info@hatanosen.com!

Our Steel

Japanese katanas are renowned around the world for their steel. Acquired through a long, arduous process of constant refinement, this precious metal (known as tamahagane or 玉鋼) is the very pinnacle of high-end metallurgy. A single ingot of this incredibly valuable steel is worth its weight in gold, costing thousands of dollars and is a nationally protected resource in Japan.

A chunk of raw tamahagane

At the same time, no one can doubt the aesthetic beauty of pattern-welded steel often seen in the likes of Damascus or Wootz steel. The unique swirls of contrasting colors that adorn such metals mesmerize and entrance those who look upon them.  

Working closely with our master artisan, we are proud to announce a line of accessories forged from high carbon steel that is created using methods based on the traditional Japanese tatara production techniques, in order to birth a metal as close to tamahagane as possible. 

The metals are then handfolded by following the processes used by smiths in the early Showa period to forge han-tanren-tō swords. Due to the usage of multiple layers of steel and careful control over the number of folds, the hada (grain pattern) on such metal is more pronounced and thus perfect for crafting jewelry pieces due to its visual qualities. 

Finally, this is then combined with the etching processes used in the production of Damascus steel to further emphasize the beautiful patterns already present on the metal.

The forging process

We use this rare, unique fusion of old and new to cultivate the perfect accessories for the modern warrior.

Please note that the patterns on each piece will vary according to the folds of the metal as well as the location on the ingot that the piece is cut from. As such, each accessory we produce is entirely unique in its existence!