Midway through the introduction to his aluminum sword-casting class, teacher/swordmaker Greg Wenderski holds up a slightly worn-down blade, explaining that he thinks of it as his “hobbit sword.” He ...

GIFU—Toshiya Nakata set himself the task of unlocking the secrets behind the strength of Japanese swords after he became fascinated with their beauty a few years ago. “Japanese swords, made from iron, ...