Kakita Blade

Kakita Blades are made by the finest master smiths the Kakita family have to offer. The blades will be made with exceptionally fine steel, and their durability and flexibility can withstand the passing of a thousand years. Since Doji Yasurugi crafted his five blades the Crane smiths have been perfecting and making innovations to the manufacture of swords. They use only steel of the Hida family, claiming that the steel they produce is better than any other within the Empire. The Kakita Blade is better than other blades in a couple of ways. First it is lighter than normal as it is both thinner and more flexible. Second the blade has fine lines of bluish damascus running down the cutting edge, causing the entire blade to shine with a slight tint. Third the blade is only given to a samurai who has proven their honor and courage, and rarely given to any non-Crane. (Crane p. 58)

Making of the Blade
The Kakita smiths regard their work as an art form, and approach the making of a new blade as a ritual. Days are spent in preparation, purifying the workspace and meditating on the form of the new weapon. After the appropriate amount of time has passed a group of smiths will approach the forge and work wordlessly during the entire process. They claim a misspoken word can alter the purity of the blade. When completed the blade is tested against a massive stone that stands in the mountains above Kyuden Doji. If the blade manages to carve a wedge of the stone with a single stroke it is considered acceptable. It is believed that the blade of Kakita Toshimoko was the first blade to be tested this way, over six hundred years ago. The blades all have individual names, and no more than two are made each year. Failing the test against the stone means the blade is destroyed and returned to the earth as dust and slag. (Crane p. 59)