157 brim and handle




 When I was cleaning up, I placed the finished sword under the altar. A Shinto shrine and a sword have an atmosphere. ....... It might be a good idea to make a sword that is not a custom-made model and keep it on display.

 Normally I would practice with Deanna and then prepare for dinner, but today I have something to do first. After washing my hands, I looked at the bread I had prepared in the morning and found that it was quite puffy.
 Then I added water to a pan of hot water, and placed the dough on a board over the water. I hope this works.
 I headed off to practice with Deanna in that state.

 When I came back, the bread had risen again. It looks like it's ready to bake. I don't have an oven, so I'm going to use a pot to get the heat going in a similar fashion. A Dutch oven is a cool thing, but it's not that good.
 I make soup in one pot and bake bread in the other. Both of them smell good. This is very promising.

 Eventually, both are finished and placed on the table.
Today's bread is different.
 Samija's nose twitches.
The usual bread is not fermented, but today's is, so it's soft.
Huh.
 Samija tries to poke him, but Rike smacks her hand away.
 We laughed, said thank you, and began to eat.

 The soup tasted the same as usual, but the bread was fluffy and smelled slightly of apples. It's good to know that cheats are effective in this kind of thing, though not as effective as blacksmithing.
"Oh, it's really fluffy.
 Samija says as she slices the bread. She chewed on it as if confirming its softness with her mouth.
"Soft bread is good, too.
It is.
It's as good as the stuff we used to eat at home. ......
 This is Diana. If you're a countess, you've probably eaten soft bread every day of your life, and you can trust Deanna's assessment. I'm not sure what to make of it.

"Eizo......
 Nilda, who has taken a bite of the bread, says to me with a strange intensity.
"What the hell?
 Nilda says with a strange intensity.
Who are you?
"I'm just a blacksmith.
"How can a mere blacksmith live in a place like this and have the skill to bake soft bread?
 Everyone but me nodded at Nilda's words.
"So you're a blacksmith who can do many things.
"So what's that all about ......?
 Nilda was clearly taken aback. But if you say in detail that you actually have a cheat, there's no way they'll believe you.
You'll have to live with that for now.
"Mmm ......
 Of course, there is no way I can convince them of that, but when Nilda saw that I had no intention of explaining, she went straight back to eating.

 The next day, I started to work on the other parts of the sword. Specifically, the flange, hilt and scabbard.
 Normally, there would be specialized craftsmen for each of these. In my case, I can make them with cheats and make them practical, but I wonder what they do in the north. It may be necessary to visit the north.

 The first step is to make the metal collar, which is the important part that connects the sword guard, hilt, blade and scabbard. This is the golden part at the base of the blade when the sword is drawn.
 A small piece of sheet metal is broken and shaped to fit the blade. There are other processes such as brazing or using copper, but in my case, I use a cheat and make it with steel.
 This part is combined with the flange and scabbard, so even though I use a cheat, it is a very careful part. When the shape of the blade is ready, it is hammered with a hammer in a cold state to tighten it and push it up to the base of the blade. The final position of the blade is decided and it is polished with a file.
 The metal collar is sometimes engraved or wrapped with gold for decoration, but this is enough for now.

 Next is the sword guard. These, too, come in a variety of shapes, some with holes for Kougai and Kozuka, but since these are not included in the mounts and can be made by the government if necessary, I decided to make them round and without elaborate decoration.
 If this is the case, it is relatively easy to make. In my case, I have the strong advantage of being a cheat, but basically, all I have to do is to make the sheet metal round and make a hole for the metal collar. However, it's too much as it is, so I made it thinner so that it can be trimmed. If necessary, the engraving can be done by the government, and the decoration will be easy.

 Then there is the handle. I made a hole in the wood where the stem would be placed, and made a hole in the handle to match the mokugaku hole. Then, leather is wrapped around the stem in a diamond shape, and a part made of steel is fitted to the head of the handle to hold the end of the wrapped leather.
 This process would normally be wrapped in shark skin or wrapped with braided cord, but both are hard to come by around here, so this is my own arrangement.
 If the northern craftsmen had access to such materials, this work might have been an outrage, but I hope they will forgive me for laughing at the results of the southern craftsmen's efforts.

 Finally, I had to make the scabbard, but it was getting late in the day. Aside from the metal collar and the sword guard, the hilt took longer than expected because it is not my specialty even if I could use my cheats.
 Still, I wanted to see what it looked like, so I put together the metal guard, sword blade, and handle. After inserting the metal guard into the metal metal collar and placing the stem into the hilt, I fixed the metal collar with a nail made of wood.
 When assembled, the sword took the shape of a sword that had been pulled out.
"Oh, ......!
 Nilda exclaimed. With this kind of reaction, I'm sure she'll be satisfied with the finished product. With this in mind, I placed the sword under the altar and began to clean up the workshop.