Japanese Steel - Wako

Japanese: 和鋼 - わこう

Also called "wahagane". Steel made using the ancient Japanese tatara ironmaking method. The large lump (weighing 3-4 tons) removed from the furnace is called "kera", a conglomerate of steel of various qualities, and when it is crushed and sorted it is called "tsukurihagane". It is an extremely pure steel containing 0.9-1.8% carbon and less than 0.05% silicon, with little sulfur or phosphorus, and was mainly used to make swords and other weapons. Note that tsukurihagane was called "tamahagane" (steel) after it was used as a raw material for crucible steelmaking at the naval arsenal during the Meiji period.
→ Related article: Tatara (bellows) | Japanese iron

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

〈わはがね〉とも。日本古来のたたら製鉄法で造った鋼。炉から取り出した大塊（重さ３〜4t）は【けら】といって各種品質の鋼の集塊であり，これを破砕，選別したものを造鋼(つくりはがね)という。炭素0.9〜1.8％，ケイ素0.05％以下を含み，硫黄，リンなどの少ないきわめて純良な鋼で，おもに刀剣類を製した。なお造鋼は，明治時代に海軍工廠のるつぼ製鋼原料に用いるようになってから玉鋼(たまはがね)と呼ばれた。
→関連項目たたら（鑪／踏鞴）｜和鉄

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