Knife History of Seven Star Sword

In the early Qing Dynasty, Taoism emerged. Since ancient times, Taoist priests are "seven star sword" for the law ceremony of the magic weapon, and even "seven star sword" for the treasure of the town. At that time, Buddhism and Taoism were both male, and both advocate the rise of martial arts. Thus, Buddhism and Taoism greatly promote the vigorous development of Chinese martial arts. For a time, Buddhists, Taoists and chivalrous sword casting requirements increased, Longquan sword on the natural development, according to the 1994 new Longquan County Journal records:

Qianlong thirteen years (1748), Zheng Yisheng in the town of Longquan East Street store casting sword, with the "steel" method (melting pig iron note cooked iron) sword, the casting of the sword, the steel blade is very good, just did not have a sword, the steel blade is very good, just did not have a sword, the sword is very good. The steel blade is very good, just not flexible. But very sharp

Before and after 1830 (Qing Daoguang years), Longquan Liao Taihe sword store, the sword surface to create a hole embedded copper technology. At this time the embedded copper, can only be embedded in seven stars (the Big Dipper constellation, marking the sword pool seven wells), so-called seven-star sword.

Qing Xianfeng five years (1855), swordsmith Zheng Yishan fourth-generation grandson of Zheng Sangu inherited and developed the Liao Taihe's refining sword technology, in the East Street, Tianfei Gongmen formally opened the "thousands of" sword store. He switched to earth steel forging, following the "water quenching" method, than the old method of refining the sword hard and sharp. But the sword surface is still rough, and easy to break.

Qing Xianfeng eight years (1858) the Taiping Rebellion stationed in Longquan ten days, need to replenish a large number of swords and knives as weapons for officers and soldiers, so the "thousands of" sword store, should be overwhelmed. In addition, the thousand size of the sword, many also for the decoration of the Buddha.

In the early years of Guangxu, Zhou Guohua, Zhou Guorong, Zhou Guogui three brothers to worship the thousand-size sword store Zheng Wenxuan (Zheng Sangu's son) as a teacher, full of teachers, Zhou Guohua in the "thousand-size" sword store next door to the opening of a separate "ten thousand-size" sword store.

Twentieth year of Guangxu (1894), Lishui Bihu master blacksmith Shen Tingzhang moved to Longquan, in the county west street opened "Shen Guanglong non size of the sword store", to the five sons of the Huanwen, Huanwu, Huanzhou, Huanqing and Huanquan attentively taught the art of casting swords, known as "casting swords home Shen Wenwu Zhou Qingquan". 1919, the "thousand size" sword shop next door alone, Zhou Guohua. Zhou Qingquan". 1915 February 20 to December 4, in San Francisco, Panama World's Fair, "Shen Guanglong non size" cast Longquan sword was listed as a prize-winning crafts, famous in the world.

This period, the craftsmen began to test in the blade embedded in the better quality of Jian steel (Fujian produced soil steel), to a certain extent enhanced the toughness of the sword body, but can not change the curve, no flexibility. Modeling, there is an ordinary single sword double blade (divided into long blade, short blade two kinds), there are also male and female double sword (double sword **** installed a scabbard). Decoration, the sword surface engraving map gilt copper, that is, in the sword surface first engraved pattern, and then put on the copper sheet, after heating the copper into the engraved marks, then the pattern of inlaid copper that becomes. However, can only set a simple pattern pattern.

Scabbard copper process, since Jiang Yuanda (originally from Wenzhou) copper store in 1924, chiseling cloud hooks, ancient money and other patterns, while the hilt of the sword on the hanging color taping, the appearance of the sword more beautiful than in the past.

In 1927, the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar, an army from Fujian into Zhejiang, through Longquan, a battalion has a Liu gun chief (commonly known as the gun chief, the Department of firearms management staff a class of characters) asked Shen Guanglong sword store can not be forged with steel sword. He said: "cooked iron forging sword can be quenched with water, pure steel can not be quenched with water, or brittle easy to break." Shen brothers busy asking him to teach, he said: "gun inside the machine handle, spring and other small parts of the machine parts I can quench, but the large parts can not". Also said, in order for the sword to glow, you have to use more than the body of the sword hard steel on the sword surface "to raise the light". Shen family Huanwen, Huanwu, Huanzhou three brothers heard, immediately began to test.

In the months that followed, lessons were learned from countless failures, and the test was finally successful. In the past, ripe iron quenched in water was easy to become curved, and earth steel quenched in water was very easy to break. Therefore, the ancient sword can not be curved. And pure steel technology to change the new method of quenching, the sword body is both sharp and can bend and stretch, and then use hard steel "to raise the light" sharpness of the green and cold flashes. From then on, Shen Guanglong sword store made by the sword, gradually formed a "sharp", "tough", "green light" three major features. The Shen family has always kept this secret, because Shen Huanwen's wife leaked, "quenching" and "raise the light" two technology spread to other sword store.

In any case, this is a big leap in the sword exercise technology. In terms of shape, the sword's body was changed from "the same width and narrowness" to the "calamus leaf" type, which was suitable for dancing. In terms of decoration, one side of the sword body was changed from seven round stars to seven five-pointed stars, which were arranged more appropriately, and on the other side, "dragon and phoenix auspiciousness", "mandarin ducks playing in the water", "white cranes flying", "fairies coming down to earth" and "fairy" were also created. The other side also created "dragon and phoenix auspicious", "mandarin ducks playing in the water", "cranes flying", "fairies descending to earth" and other auspicious patterns. Scabbard copper is added to the "gossip" and other traditional beautiful patterns. During this period, the whole set of sword production technology has made significant progress. After the founding of new China, the party and the government attaches great importance to the restoration of traditional handicrafts production. 1950, Longquan Xinhua Street, No. 21, "Shen Guanglong" sword store to resume business. At this time, although the Shen Guanglong nonprofit sword quality, but because our country is in a period of economic recovery, people's lives are still in a state of poverty, and thus the sword sales are not much, Shen Guanglong family rely on the production of the sword can not make a living. Therefore, they also produce some handmade agricultural tools, while planting a few acres of farmland, living a hard life.

In 1956, Longquan's sword-casting artists formed the Longquan Township Treasure Sword Production Cooperative Group, which was subordinate to the Longquan County Ironware Society, with an address at No. 21 Xinhua Street. At that time *** there were seven old artists, casting the sword Shen Huanwen, Shen Huanwu, Shen Huanzhou and their apprentice Ji Yangchun, making the sheath of Ji Huorong, copper wrapped Jiang Hua, Kong Qingbiao, Zhang Baohua, with Shen Huanzhou as the leader of the group.

China after three years of economic recovery and land reform, the suppression and purging, social stability, people's lives began to improve, the sword market began to recover, the sword artisans have a guaranteed livelihood, the enthusiasm for production is very high. Cooperative group set each family's strengths, out of their gratitude to the party and the new China, therefore, during the eighth congress of the Chinese ****production party, cast a silver shining long-front sword, dedicated to chairman mao. Later, Chairman Mao remitted 200 yuan to the Longquan county government, which passed it on to the sword production team, giving the artists great encouragement.

Since then, Longquan's sword production, with the sword production team as the mainstream, began to flourish. In order to make it easier for customers to use and keep Longquan swords, and also for advertising, the group asked Chen Qikai to write the book, and Shen Huanwen to provide the information, which gave birth to the first instruction manual of Longquan swords ever.

Later, the sword production group and the iron society, the state-run iron factory after several separations, mergers, and finally in September 1963 established the Longquan County sword production cooperative, by Shen Huanzhou as the director of the board of directors, Ji Yangchun and Jiang Huawei members of the board of directors. At this time, the annual output of 420 swords. 1965 in order to expand the production of swords, the factory moved from 21 Xinhua Street to 74 Hualou Street.

From 1956 to 1966, the period, the cooperative production of the sword, or named Longquan Baojian, or named Longquan ancient sword, the name is not sure; in the process, in full accordance with the traditional forging, shoveling, filing, carving, quenching, grinding, such as 28 manual processes for the production of the dragon and phoenix, seven-star pattern chiseled at will, without a certain standard. And Longquan sword tough and sharp, rigid and soft, cold light, decorations and other four characteristics remain unchanged. Longquan sword market gradually expanded, mainly in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Henan area. However, just into the booming period of Longquan sword, the "Cultural Revolution" began, that is, by bad luck, was treated as the "Four Olds" criticized and sealed, the cooperative stopped production, sword artists were driven to the countryside to make wood knives, hoes. Until the end of 1971, once again re-established the sword production cooperative, and the establishment of the Revolutionary Committee. 1978 was renamed Longquan Treasure Sword Factory.

Because the Longquan Sword is exquisite and famous all over the world, the state included it in the "national gift", so in 1972, Longquan Sword accepted the customization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the sword maker Shen Huanzhou and his heir Shen Xinpei made four high-grade Longquan Sword as a national gift to the U.S. President Richard Nixon who came to visit China, contributing to the restoration of Sino-U.S. diplomatic relations. It contributed to the restoration of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. At this time, the sword society's staff developed to 14, the annual output of 827 swords, than before the Cultural Revolution doubled.

After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, Longquan Treasure Sword ushered in its own brilliant spring, Longquan Treasure Sword rose to be a large collective enterprise under the county, renamed "Zhejiang Longquan Treasure Sword Factory", with a workforce of 43, with an annual output of 3,079 swords, generating more than 50,000 yuan in taxes and profits, and has won the "Longquan" and "Longquan Sword Factory". "Longquan" and "Longfeng seven stars" two registered trademarks. From now on, the full name of Longquan sword is fixed as "Longfeng seven stars Longquan sword", Longquan sword industry has taken a rapid pace of development.

In the early 1980s, Shen Xinpei, a sword-casting technician, developed the "Cloud Flower Sword" and the antique "Fishgut Sword", and Chen Ajin developed the "Flower Horse Sword", of which the "Cloud Flower Sword" and the "Fishgut Sword" were developed by Chen Ajin, and the "Flower Horse Sword" was developed by Chen Ajin. "Cloud Flower Sword" won the International Tourism Commodity Excellence Award in China International Tourism Souvenir Competition, and "Flower Horse Sword" was listed as "Four New Products" in Lishui area. And in the same year the fifth national games held during the national sports equipment exhibition, but also displayed the Longquan sword factory production of long-front sword, short-front sword, cane sword, sword, and male and female sword, as well as imitation of the Ming and Qing Dynasty 18 weapons.

With the rise of martial arts fever, the people's living standards, Longquan sword in the market more in demand, depending on the county sword factory, depending on the handmade production, Longquan sword has failed to meet the needs of the market. Under the situation of reform and opening up, the township, individual sword manufacturers, in Longquan continue to appear. 1984 April, Longyuan Township's "Ten Thousand Swords Factory" was established, employing the original "Ten Thousand Swords Shop" heirloom Zhou Zi Wang as a consultant. Thus breaking the "Longquan County sword factory" in Longquan County, the world", the exclusive production of the situation. This is a milestone in the development of Longquan sword production industry.

Longquan sword history does not exist standardization. But in the modern science and technology in the rapid development of the situation, the Longquan sword production scientific management has conditions. To this end, Longquan Precious Sword Factory in 1987 this year, do a lot of industrial production and management of basic work, accepted the commission of Zhejiang Province Bureau of Standards and Measurement, the development of Zhejiang Precious Sword quality standards, "Zhejiang Q/SG45-84 standard", at the same time, according to the factory's technical and technological level, but also to develop and implement a higher level of technical and technological level, and more than the "ZHEJIQ/SG45 At the same time, according to the technical and technological level of our factory, we also formulate and implement the "Longquan Sword Q/LBJ05-87 Standard" which is more demanding than "Zhejiang Q/SG45-84 Standard". This is the first quality standard ever developed for the sword, so that China's sword production into the era of quality standards.