 According to the OED online entry for "sand-iron", Jedidiah Morse (1761–1826), writing in "The American universal geography" (new edition, 1796 (2 vols)), stated that Jared Eliot (1685-1763) invented sand-iron, or the making of iron from black sand, in 1761.However, Japanese craftsmen have been using sand-iron, known as "tamahagane", in sword-making for at least 1200 years.The crafting of sand-iron in "tatara" smelters, made of brick and clay, is still practiced by Japanese craftsmen today.