Historic Connection

Its was 12 hours before the forge was to be fired up for a 3 day forging fest. I needed something more to build. I have lists of items but I wanted to make this one! Yet this one was still an unknown.

As I continued going through my books of ninja tools I found inspiration with in Ninjutsu History and Traditions pg 171 I was almost to the end when I saw what I had seen many times, yet today was the day (well tomorrow in this case) that I would make these Wide Shuriken that I see Hatsumi Soke hold in so many pictures. In this picture they are spread in his hand as a Peacock spreads his feathers.

The Shuriken that I’m talking of are wide Bo-Shuriken. They are about an inch in width, around 8`` to 9`` inches in length and 1é8 in width. These measurements are taken from the picture as best as I can measure.

I sent off an e-mail to my steel guy for the steel I needed. That was the second add on e-mail I had sent that night to him.

I work with mild steel. Katana of the day had a carbon content of 7% carbon. I am told that mild steel is very close to that. I prefer to use steel as close as to what would have been used at the time to have a better look into the past.

Once I had them at the forge I took of the extra steel and sent them to turn red in the fire. Forging them was relatively easy, yet time consuming. Once the shape had been found I fired them up again and sent them for a rapid cool to maintain that wonderful shape.

Once they all had been formed and treated, it was off to the target tree. (Target tree is a dead tree that has much of its density left and half its former height) 6 foot range no problem. I moved to the next distance…didn’t go so well. I will need to give this tool more time.

I have put together a short video of these shuriken so people may gain a little insight to the bo-Shuriken for themselves. The distance that I used in the video is 6 feet. Once I understand the tool further I will up date the my next understanding of the tool.

For now I will end with a statement of my happiness with this tool. On the Historic connection that I feel with this tool proves it was the one tool I was looking for. My understanding of the tool has started with the creation, next step is use.

Well I best quit sitting here and get back to training,

Matthew Wright