Blackwood is for Sissies?

It takes a He-man to bid slam without Blackwood?

Q 2
A K 5
J 10 9 7 6 4
K 3
K 10 9 8 2 J 6 5
Q 6 4 3 J 9 8 7
2 A
8 7 4 A 9 6 5 2
A 4 3
10 2
K Q 8 5 3
Q J 10Vul: N-S

EastSouthWestNorth
Pass 1 Pass 1
Pass 1 NT Pass 3
Pass 4 Pass 4
Pass 6 All pass
I picked up this hand for the reason indicated above. I had just finished an entry where I stated that I commonly saw two "violations" of Blackwood, one being to shun it when there isn't the slightest reason not to take a slight detour on the way to slam, and the other is to use it when it simply won't tell you what you need to know. I don't dig North's heart bids, particularly the second -- on a three-card suit -- which could be passed, but that's incidental here and didn't turn into a problem.
This hand is another illustration of the value of no trump over a minor suit, even on a super fit, i.e., when there are no singletons or voids (in which case, if you're strong enough for 3 no, you may well have slam on a superfit). You can't get beyond five diamonds for a simple 600 points. But in no trump you have all sorts of opportunities for an overtrick. True, they are not certain. But they are there.
[years later: I don't know what I was thinking here. If West gets off to a spade lead, declarer knocks out the A of diamonds and spades are continued, yes, declarer could hold-up a round of spades and then knock out the A of clubs for an overtrick. But would you? Would you jeopardize an assured contract for one overtrick on the gamble that the right hand holds the ace of clubs? I surely wouldn't. And don't know why I'm suggesting, by the bye, that here's another aspect of this hand to consider. Maybe I just felt that there's not enough to discuss here.
[Nor can I fathom what I meant by "all sorts of opportunities" for only the above scenario offers an risky-to-attempt overtrick. Heart leads are even worse. You knock out the ace of diamonds and get a second heart lead and knock out the ace of clubs and you don't even get an overtrick!]
In any event, the hand is worthy of this category if of nothing else. If South had felt slam was in the offing, it would certainly have done no harm for a hand with only one ace, to take a short detour to 4 no and learn, sonuvagun, we're missing two aces. And so, stay with the field.