240 Gyuto with Hamon

haburn

haburn

Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
223
Here is a 240 that I just finished up for the store. Any feedback/criticism would be appreciated - it's always good to know what people like or don't.
1095 and African blackwood dovetailed to cocobolo all hand finished.
Thanks guys!

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Its a beauty. Ive seen your knives for a while, and I like everything but the heel :)
I know that a lot of users love that heel, due to their cutting style. I think you are very talented mr. and this one was a beauty :)
 
Thank you for the honest feedback. Judging by some of the knives you own as seen in other forums you have very classy taste.
 
Hey Ian,
I don't want to hi-jack your thread but I am curious what oivind doesn't like about the heel. I think it looks fine.
Tim
 
Very nice all around.
 
I know a lot of users love a curvy heel like this one.
However Im not a user that love curvy heels :S
Im more into this kind of heel: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7098/6937377912_c17733b5b8_b.jpg

However there is nothing wrong with the heel, it might even give some users a better grip.
Regarding the rest of the knife: I love it. The profile is really great, so is the handle. And the hamon is insane good looking.

But Im no expert, Im just not used to heels with curvy lines. Then again: Ive never tried one. I wish I could afford a new knife, and Haburn would be on that list.
I haven't tried the type of steel either :S Sorry.
 
And I wish Ian would use his name on the makers mark. Ian Rogers is a really cool name :)
I however don't know the story of haburn :)
 
oivind_dahle said:
And I wish Ian would use his name on the makers mark. Ian Rogers is a really cool name :)
I however don't know the story of haburn :)
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By the way, that DT is sooooo nice.
As for my makers mark, it's my middle name and also my mother's maiden name. It's my way of saying thank you to her.
 
Nice.
You should post it on your website. The story :)
For a lot of users buying a knife is also about buying a piece of handcrafted art with some history in it :)
Love this knife Ian. The hamon is really great :)
 
Love the hamon... if you don't mind me asking about the HT... did you use clay or quench only the section that's hardened?
 
hogworthy said:
Love the hamon... if you don't mind me asking about the HT... did you use clay or quench only the section that's hardened?
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Thank you. I used clay. I don't think it would be possible to get a wavy hamon by quench only. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.
 
Thanks... I was going to start messing around with some satanite coatings for HT. I know everyone has their own little secret recipes and mixtures, any advice before I warp a blade doing something stupid??
 
haburn said:
Thank you. I used clay. I don't think it would be possible to get a wavy hamon by quench only. Somebody please correct me if I'm wrong.
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I do clay less quenches on some knives. They can be really spectacular, like whispy clouds. The whole blade is quenched, but the temp and time/interrupting the quench is more of an art than a science.
 
hogworthy said:
Thanks... I was going to start messing around with some satanite coatings for HT. I know everyone has their own little secret recipes and mixtures, any advice before I warp a blade doing something stupid??
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Normalize before austentizing. Keep the pattern the same on both sides. You WILL warp blades doing this. You will have to learn to straighten blades right out of quench and during temper.
 
Really... good to know!

I should put together a jig, or do you straighten by hammer? Wouldn't the blade be very brittle after the quench?

Do you have any examples of knives that you have used the temp and time/interrupt method on? And do they tend to warp as well? Or is it the pull and flex of the exposed steel that warps it during a clay quench??

This is all really good info guys, thanks a lot.
 
No hammer. Some guys use a jig. I typically bend the knife against the edge of my bench. The steel is quite pliable the first 5-10 min after quench. You can get it pretty straight in that time. Once it starts to stiffen in hand, stop, as it is becoming brittle. This is when I do a snap temper to relieve stress. I use a temp about 50f below the projected tempering temp. (300f for 15n20, 325 for 52100, 300-325f for O1, 375 for W2/W1/1095, 350f for Hitachi White. This way, I can check hardness, and adjust final temp as needed. Depending on the steel and the knife, I aim for Rc61-63 for a final hardness. Right after temper, the steel is a little pliable. You have 3 or 4 minutes to do some adjusting. Repeat until straight. This is easier on lower Rc knives, as most steels are more pliable once you pass 400f, but that would be too soft for most kitchen knives.

I wish I had some pics of a time temp kitchen knife, but my camera memory card failed. I am doing a Hitachi White fighter now, and should be finished sanding it this weekend. I'll post a pic of that when finished. Look up Nick Wheeler as he has some amazing examples of this technique. It works better on thicker blades as geometry has a large impact on the outcome.

The warping is from the different phases of the steel. The hardened area is martensite, which distorts the grain during quench, the softer areas are perlite, which has a different shape to the grain. Unless each side transformed exactly the same, there will be an imbalance in the grain structures side to side. The more even you get it, the less warp there will be. Thicker knives are less likely to warp. I haven't done a straight kitchen knife with a hamon yet.
 
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