<entry id="2223785" stat="A" corpus="jmdict" type="jmdict">
<ent_corp type="jmdict">jmdict</ent_corp>
<ent_seq>2415360</ent_seq>
<k_ele>
<keb>玉鋼</keb>
</k_ele>
<r_ele>
<reb>たまはがね</reb>
</r_ele>
<sense>
<pos>&n;</pos>
<gloss>traditional Japanese steel made from iron sand (esp. for use in swords)</gloss>
</sense>
<info>
<audit time="2008-11-21 00:00:00" stat="A">
<upd_detl>Entry created</upd_detl>
</audit>
<audit time="2023-03-05 15:40:59" stat="A" unap="true">
<upd_name>Brian Krznarich</upd_name>
<upd_email>...address hidden...</upd_email>
<upd_detl>Just saw a random youtube video (why do katanas use tamahagane?).  (The answer focused on maintaining tradition, and its ability to be worked by hand. Anything called "katana" today apparently *must* be made with this steel).

Wondered what the kanji was.

removed "black sand"  (appears incorrect)

Reworded since I was editing.

Left as "iron sand" (and not ironsand as headed in wikipedia, as most reverso matches for 砂鉄 are translated "iron sand", and 砂鉄 is already under "iron sand" here).

Most wikipedia discussion revolves around a history of sword making, though of course at times steel could be used to make other things.  Old gloss also mentioned swords, this feels uncontroversial.</upd_detl>
<upd_refs>Why katana are made from crappy steel?
(among other things, "in japan, katana are considered works of art, and traditional materials must be used in making them")
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BYdbStLBNk0

Japanese wikipedia lists 砂鉄, which is iron sand or ironsand.
English wikipedia entry on tamahagane does not contain the word "black".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamahagane
Tamahagane (玉鋼) is a type of steel made in the Japanese tradition.[1] Tamahagane is used to make Japanese swords, knives, and other kinds of tools.

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%8E%89%E9%8B%BC
玉鋼と日本刀
[current major tamahagane manufacturer]たたら製鉄で作られた鉄は元来は様々な用途に使われてきたが、靖国および日刀保たたら以降はほぼ日本刀製作専用の鋼材となった[注釈 10]。

Definition of "Black sand" is apparently "sand that is black in color"(has a whole wikipedia page too).  ironsand is black, but other black sands do not apply here.</upd_refs>
<upd_diff>@@ -12 +12 @@
-&lt;gloss&gt;steel made from iron sand or black sand (used in sword blades)&lt;/gloss&gt;
+&lt;gloss&gt;traditional Japanese steel made from iron sand (esp. for use in swords)&lt;/gloss&gt;</upd_diff>
</audit>
<audit time="2023-03-05 20:24:41" stat="A">
<upd_uid>jwb</upd_uid>
<upd_name>Jim Breen</upd_name>
<upd_email>...address hidden...</upd_email>
<upd_refs>GG5</upd_refs>
</audit>
</info>
</entry>