石榴籽·同心圆 | 保安族：保安腰刀，铁与火的传奇

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锻打、淬火、开刃……炉火与铁砧的碰撞，锻造一把保安腰刀。

Forging, quenching, and sharpening... The collision of the furnace fire and the anvil gives birth to a Bao’an broadsword.

在中国的甘肃省积石山县，有这样一个因刀而声名远扬的民族——保安族。他们世代锻造的保安腰刀，是中国少数民族三大名刀之一。

In Jishishan, an ethnic county in northwest China’s Gansu Province, there is an ethnic group known for their renowned sword-making craftsmanship -- the Bao’an people. The Bao’an broadsword, an heritage passed on by generations of Bao’an craftsmen, is considered one of the three famous blades of China’s ethnic minorities. 

保安腰刀的制作工艺十分复杂，不同于普通刀具，一把保安腰刀的制作，少则需要40多道工序，多则要经历80多道工序。保安腰刀种类繁多、各具特色，其中最著名的要算折花刀了。

The craftsmanship of Bao’an broadsword is highly intricate. Unlike ordinary knives, the production of a Bao’an broadsword involves more than 40 steps at the minimum, and can require over 80 steps at the maximum. These broadswords come in various types, each with its own unique features. Among them, the most renowned is the twisted pattern broadsword.

从外观上看，折花刀或许“貌不惊人”，但它的品质关键在于刀刃。把钢和铁置于火中，烧红后如拧麻花般反复拧转，烧化一次便拧一次，达到右拧八转，左拧七转。钢与铁揉出的花纹成就了折花刀刚柔相济、纹理奇特的特质，而且每一把折花刀刀身上的花纹都是独一无二、不可复制的。

At first glance, the twisted pattern broadsword may appear unremarkable, but its quality lies in its blade. The process involves heating steel and iron in a fire until they turn red, and then twisting them like a twisted doughnut. After each heating, the materials are twisted, with eight twists to the right and seven twists to the left in total. The resulting patterns, formed by the fusion of steel and iron, give the broadsword unique combination of strength and flexibility, as well as distinctive texture. Furthermore, the pattern on each twisted pattern broadsword is one-of-a-kind and cannot be replicated.

如今，保安腰刀已走上从家庭作坊向专业工作室的转型之路，也由原先的纯手工操作逐渐向半机械化发展。以前数月乃至一年才能制作出一把保安腰刀，现在可能只需要几天的时间。

Today, the forging of Bao’an broadsword is shifting from home workshops to professional studios, changing gradually from purely manual operations to semi-mechanized production. In the past, it would take several months, or even a year, to produce a single Bao’an broadsword. However, now it is possible to complete the process in just a few days.

保安腰刀的制作工艺已经传承了数百年，在一代代匠人手中，赓续着铁与火的传奇。

The techniques of forging Bao’an broadsword have been passed down for centuries, carrying on the legendary fusion of iron and fire in the hands of generations of skilled craftsmen. 

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