Without access to electron microscopy, mass spectrometry or modern tools for metal work, how were the craftsmen of medieval Japan able to create the legendary katana, the samurai sword? This program studies how this razor-sharp weapon was made and visits fifteen modern swordsmiths as they take fifteen months to transform iron ore into a new samurai sword. Letterboxed; DVD includes audio description for the visually impaired. Director John Wate; narrator Rob Tinworth. WGBH Educational Foundation. Closed captioned.