Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1314457
The Fine Ar t of the Samurai Sword B Y M I C H A E L C H AT F I E L D T aum Dell'Armo calls his "8 Samurai" The Most Exclusive Art Club in the World. And he's no doubt correct. Dell'Armo, of Carmel Valley, a retired adver- tising agency executive, has mastered several martial arts disciplines, including Iaido-Jitsu, a form that utilizes the sword—the Samurai W[SVH-X´WEWXIITPIEVRMRKGYVZI±*SVXLI½VWX 15 years, you're considered a beginner," he says. An inveterate collector, Dell'Armo began accumulating sword components. Legend has it that the curved, razor-sharp 7EQYVEM[IETSR°SVOEXERE°[EW½VWXJSVKIH by master swordsmith Amakuni around 700 AD. Today, Dell'Armo says, "only a handful of master sword makers are recognized by the Japanese government. They may produce no more than two a month." With that exclusivity in mind, Dell'Armo hit on the idea of creating a series of custom swords, limited to a run of eight. "I work with each client to develop a theme carried out using only genuine antique—a min- imum 150 years old—Samurai elements. Each owner receives a bespoke 75-page book on the piece's creation and a gold ring containing a piece of steel from the blade." Dell'Armo is displaying some of his collection at Anne Thull Fine Arts at San Carlos and 5th in Carmel through December 31. SHORTCUTS NEIGHBORS Taum Dell'Armo is a master of several martial arts methods and collects Samurai swords. He creates custom swords for clients using antique components. 68 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 1 Photo: Kelli Uldall