Great Blacksmith - Ookaji

…They are also called swordsmiths or sword craftsmen. Blacksmiths (smiths) originally referred to metalworkers, including casters, and those who worked in ironworking were called o-kaji (master blacksmiths), while swordsmiths were called ko-kaji (minor blacksmiths). In the past, it seems likely that these two professions were carried out simultaneously. …

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Okaji" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…刀匠，刀工などともいう。鍛冶(鍛冶屋)はもともと鋳物師らをも含む金属加工者を指し，製鉄に従事するものを大鍛冶というのに対し，刀鍛冶を小鍛冶と称している。古くは，この両者は兼業していたものであろう。…

※「大鍛冶」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報