Master Sword Maker in Longquan

It is said that Longquan in southern Zhejiang has more than 3，000 craftsmen involved in sword-making. The industry generates tax revenue 200% more than that produced by the industry of celadon， another nationally famed product of Longquan. Of all the artisans in the sword-making industry of Longquan， 56-year-old Chen Ajin is the only officially recognized national arts and crafts master.

I first met Master Chen at his sword studio. The front room presented an antique motif. A meeting room behind this displayed some paintings and handicrafts， making it look like an antique shop. It was here that I interviewed him. He told me about his past.

Chen Ajin was not born into a family of sword makers. He is from a family that had nothing to do with swords but everything to do with poverty. At the age of 13， he became an apprentice at a black-smith workshop in Longquan. The first thing he did every morning was to carry water from distance， one of the many daily chores he did during his apprenticeship years. The physical labor helped give him a strong build， which is a must for a blacksmith.

He became a qualified blacksmith in less than three years and started his own business in a 3-square-meter workshop and made farm tools. By 1975， he was already an experienced blacksmith. That year， he was employed by Longquan Sword Factory which wanted to train a new generation of sword masters. The factory had many masters who had worked in famed private sword-making businesses before. Chen Ajin was assigned to work under the guidance of Ji Xiaobao.

The diligent and hard-working young blacksmith learned fast and worked very hard. Masters loved the young man because he was modest and willing to ask questions. At that time， the factory practiced a wage system that provided a basic monthly wage plus a piece rate. Chen wanted to earn money. One month he was entitled to a total income of more than 400. At that time， it was more than the salary of a CPC county chief. The whole factory was astonished by the young craftsman’s efficiency and productivity. Though the factory did not dare to give him so much at that time， Chen became famous among his colleagues. From then on， the factory had an unwritten rule that his swords were all free of quality inspection.

Today， Chen Ajin runs his own sword studio. In the back of the studio is his workshop where he and his disciple make swords almost manually. He uses the air hammer to lengthen iron pieces， but all other steps are manual. He believes in manual work and he believes in his own hands. This kind of belief is deeply rooted in all the sword makers in Longquan who either have ancestors who were blacksmiths or used to make a living as blacksmiths themselves.

I went to see Master Chen make swords one morning. I arrived at his workshop at the appointed time. The noise of hammers was audible from afar. The hearth was burning with charcoal; all the tools were arranged in shipshape order. The master and the apprentice were totally absorbed in the work. They seldom spoke. The young apprentice was using a large hammer and the master was using a small hammer， pointing where to hit the next hammer. There was a tacit understanding and harmony between the two in working together.

Chen now has this apprentice working with him. The young man came and volunteered to be his disciple. Chen Ajin does not teach by giving verbal instructions. He is a doer. He seldom says what to do or not to do. He makes swords and his disciple helps and watches and learns. This was the way Chen Ajin in his youth learned how to make swords from his master. And this is his way to teach. A talented disciple can easily figure out what to do and learn all the techniques through a long period of working together with the master.

I watched and listened to the monotony of the hammering away， feeling as if I had been back to an era of primitive agriculture. Part of the essential routine work that sword makers do in Longquan is to turn solid iron into solid steel. They stick to the ancient way to make steel. The bar iron is heated and hammered and reheated. This process is repeated until the ideal steel is ready. Traditionally， to make one kilogram of steel this way， one needs three kilograms of iron. Beside the hearth were thick heaps of iron shavings that fell off.

Now Chen is a wealthy master sword maker. For many young people， this is a way to follow. But the work looks boring. That is probably why the master’s son is not very enthusiastic about learning his father’s art. I did not see the junior around that morning.

Though sword making in Longquan originated and made its national reputation in very ancient times， the present sword making in the county traces back about four generations ago， at a time when the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was coming to an end. Some old sword makers have vanished for various reasons and some precious techniques disappeared with them. It is now a great concern to keep the traditional art alive and carry it on from generation to generation.□