Some people who found out about my work on social media asked me, "How much do your works cost? sometimes.
When I tell them that it's about $16,000 about half of them say that it's not affordable. (And the other half immediately lose touch with me).
Why does one piece cost as much as $16,000?
The reason is that a lot of effort and money is spent to complete the work.
First, it's an expensive material.
A special iron called "Tamahagane" is essential for my work.
It is a very high quality iron, and it is a rare material that can only be made using ancient Japanese iron making techniques.
In addition, my work requires a large amount of charcoal.
Secondly, it takes a very long time to make.
It takes me about a year to complete my work.
This is because it takes more than just one piece to complete a work.
I believe that it takes at least four works to complete one work.
Making a work of art is not about "success" and "failure,"
but about "how to complete a great work of art".
Quality is the most important thing.
And the production of Japanese swords requires the work of skilled sharpeners.
Craftsmen are also needed to make the scabbards and fittings.
Only after their work, my work is complete.
The total cost of all these is about $5,000.
But if the quality is not good, it will be discarded.
Even after I've paid the craftsmen $5,000.
I hope you can understand.
I have been training under my mentor since I was 18years old and have acquired this skill.
And now I am independent and pursue quality without compromising my work production.
The more I pursue the quality of my work, the more difficult my life becomes.
Still, I am proud of my work.
I believe that if I could lower the price of my work, it might be easier to sell my work.
However, lowering the price of my work means lowering the quality.
I can't do that.
Today, I continue to create my work, hoping that one day it will reach someone.
Thank you for reading my long text.
Kunizane