1095 Katana WIP (as usual)

[Sam Salvati]

Got the 1095 katana I had worked down from the big 3/8ths barstock from Aldo (thanks to Dick Sargent at Peter's Valley for letting me use the hammer) all ground, just have a little touch up work to go then it is ready for heat treat.

It is not really as shiny as it looks in the first picture.

Stats so far:
overall length: 34"
blade length: 27 3/4"
width at ha-machi (shoulder): 1 1/2"
width at yokote (tip): 3/4"
thickness at base of blade: a hair over 3/16"
thickness at yokote (tip): 1/8"

Straight now, gonna let it get all it's curve from the quench.

 

[Will Leavitt]

What??? you don't have pictures of that all clayed up yet? sheesh.... Can't wait to watch this grow... are you going to do a traditional polish or one of the hybrid ones?

 

[Sam Salvati]

Not even thinking of the polish yet Will ! I am going to build a 55 gallon drum heat treating forge with the cash when I get my next paycheck so I can finally start getting some of these blades done! Going to do a nice wavy hamon , I don't know much about polishing though, I was thinking of sending it to a friend of mine who is a proffessional togishi (sword polisher), to see what he thinks and maybe polish it if he thinks it is up to scratch.

 

[Will Leavitt]

HT the whole thing in one shot? Lazy.... all you have to do is continuously move it in the heat of the smaller forge for like 14 hours until it all comes up to temp for the quench....

Well fine about the polish.... err handle? scabbard?

This have anything to do with the book I sold you?

 

[Sam Salvati]

You know Will, when I was normalising it I was running it back and forth through my new forge, which did quite a good job of doing just that, but I like the "Ron Popeil" approach, set it and forget it . It will be traditionally mounted, maybe the way I was gonna do that tactical katana I was working on before I buggered it up. Traditional type scabbard as well.

I enjoy looking at that book very much, it gives alot of insight and ideas!

 

[john0270]

I heat treated a longish blade today, 18", and my forge chamber is 8", I did build a tunnel out of left over firebrick's and insuwool on the backside of the forge, basicaly the part that was passed through never lost any heat.

 

[Sam Salvati]

John, that is a great idea! Karl Anderson had mentioned he used a plain steel pipe and it achieved similar results. I do get a bit of cool down on the out end.