I didn't mean to imply that stock removal is any less valid than forging/smithing a blade, but I would be even more impressed with the blade if it is a forged blade.
The skill shown by the bladesmith is tremendous, but if it is stock removal, then he started with a flat piece of steel. If otoh, he started with a piece of square or round bar, and forged it down to the right shape/size and then mostly polished it, that would be another order of magnitude of skill, at least in my opinion.