Spain

[Drunk Monk]

Now 99% of the swords of Toledo are wallhangers, the kind of faux crap sold everywhere, in cigar shops and head shops and curio stores.   Most of it is Marto forge, which is crap. But there are a few swordmakers that maintain Toledo's grand tradition that dates back to 500 BCE.  Muella forge is known for their huge knives of pattern-welded steel.  Then there's Mariano Zamorano, Toledo's certified living treasure.  We found his shop, but it was closed.  I never made an appointment like it said to do on his website, so we headed off to find lunch (found this crazy Euro place with nomalicious salad, salmon and pizza).  When we swung back, Zamorano's was open!  Master Zamorano must have recognized a kindred spirit, despite my crummy Spanish, as he personally took me on a tour of his shopand let me shoot pix where photography was forbidden.  He is the 4th generation of swordmakers in his family and the shop has stood in that location for over a century and a half.  And it looks just like the Armoury used to - piles of dusty blades and sword parts on cluttered workbenches, one huge dirty grinder room, a wall of magnificent blades displayed somewhat haphazardly.  I was honored to meet Zamorano and I wish my Spanish was stronger so we could have really talked.  Toledo gift stores are filled with treasures, not just swords, but signature Damascened metal work, particularly jewelry and small boxes, gorgeous stuff in their detail.  We all wished we had bought souvenirs there (later both Stacy and Tara got Toledo jewelry which was available all over Spain).  The best part was many of these gift stores had salas de armas - rooms dedicated to swords.  Sadly, they never permitted photography.  I was in this one that was a basement hall that was easily 40 feet long, with walls packed full of sword racks - hundreds if not over a thousand blades.  I would have loved to take a selfie in there.  90% was crap, but I could sniff out that top shelf 10% quickly.  Unfortunately I spent my time unwisely and didn't manage to get to the military museum until after it closed (although I'm told it's mostly modern stuff in there - I'm consoling myself with that thought, although surely there must be examples of Toledo swords there too). 

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World news

Toledo’s last swordmakers refuse to give up on their ancient craft
Famed since Roman times, the Spanish city’s artisans are all but extinct. But a reprieve is at hand from the TV and film industry
04:00 UTC Tuesday, 24 August 2021
Its sturdy presence has threaded through more than 2,000 years of history, fuelled by fans that were said to have ranged from the Carthaginian general Hannibal to Roman legions.
These days, however, the longstanding tradition of swordmaking in the Spanish city of Toledo has dwindled to just two artisan swordmakers – the last living link to a tradition that stretches back millennia.
“Swordmaking is deeply connected to the city,” said Antonio Arellano of Artesania Arellanos. “If we were to lose it, it would be a tremendous loss for the city.”
As the reputation of Toledo’s swords swelled centuries ago, so did the fortunes of the city. The industry transformed the city’s narrow, winding streets, dotting them with hundreds of blacksmiths who turned Toledo into one of the world’s pre-eminent centres for swordmaking.
Coming from a long line of ironworkers, Arellano began crafting swords 30 years ago. The tradition had already been through several overhauls as swords were eschewed for munitions. No longer were clients made up of nobles and swordsmen looking for the best blade money could buy; instead, the market centred on tourists eager to take home a piece of famed Toledo steel.
Even so, the sword’s place in history was enough to secure the continuity of the craft. “When I started, Toledo was a hotbed for swordmaking – all of the historical centre and the periphery were full of workshops,” said Arellano, who at 69 is the last master swordsmith in Toledo.
In recent years, however, the number of local swordmakers has begun to decline as they found themselves in competition with mass-produced swords, the bulk of them made thousands of miles away in Asian countries. Arellano’s handmade swords, which can take up to six weeks to create, were largely spared.
What was left of the sector was slashed by the pandemic. “It was a big blow,” said Arellano. As global travel came to a halt, the crowds of tourists that had long thronged through the city’s steep streets disappeared. “I’ve lived through lots of tough moments and we’ve always come through, but this feels more serious.”
The alarm bells began to sound earlier this year in Toledo after Mariano Zamorano, the city’s other master swordsmith, announced his retirement at the age of 70, after the owner of the building where his workshop was located decided to sell the property.
Zamorano’s family stepped in, taking over the storied family business with the aim of setting up a new workshop in the city in the autumn. “The process continues,” said Santiago Encinas of Espadas Mariano Zamorano.
The artisanal methods of swordmaking are time-consuming and costly; steel is heated in an open flame before being stretched, shaped then hammered and polished. On average it takes 15 to 20 hours to complete a sword in this way, costing an average of €400 to €500, said Encinas.
He brushed off reports of the tradition’s demise. “It’s true that it is a product that doesn’t have as much demand and, as there is less demand, it’s only logical that there isn’t space for everyone,” he said. “We’re the ones that are here now, but we’re not going to be the last ones.”
His confidence was echoed by Arellano, whose son is planning to take over the business when he retires. In his case reprieve has come from an unexpected source; the revived interest in history has prompted a cascade of orders from TV series and theatre productions seeking to create historically accurate sets.
Most recently, Arellano signed a deal with a theme park that depicts historical events, where he will forge and craft swords in front of a live audience.
The interest hints at what will ultimately keep the tradition of Toledo’s swordmaking alive, said Encinas. “It’s a symbol, it will always be a symbol. It is a tool of history that people find very attractive.”