Steel and Stillness

I once purchased a samurai sword, the fifth most effective weapon in history.

And not long ago, I found myself in a rabbit hole where I learned that in Japan, a few master craftsmen still carry on the ancient tradition of forging these blades.

But as the need for swords faded, many of them turned their skills to something else:

making culinary knives.

At the suggestion of a friend some years ago, I recall watching Cooked, a documentary where Michael Pollan explored the history and science of food. He described how cooking and sharing meals is one of the most human things we do.

And that’s why I find the story of the samurai sword so beautiful.

A craft once designed for war, meant to take life, to seperate, has been transformed into a tool used to nourish and bring people together.

“The greatest victory is that which requires no battle." - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

It reminds me of something we forget: we, too, can be repurposed.

And we aren’t bound to the stories we’ve been handed or the damage we’ve caused.

We can become something new. Something useful. Something that brings joy and connection.

I believe we are all so much more
than lumps of flesh
grinding our days away…
you paid your cost
what you were
is what brought you here
and now it’s time to move along

-Franco Amati

-Jonathan the craftsman