5160 Hamon Claims

[David Stifle]

I keep reading posts where guys (many of whom are overseas guys) claim they have achieved a hamon with 5160. I was certain this was impossible, yet a few respected makers also claim the same thing. So, my question. Is it possible to get a hamon on 5160?

 

[running bird]

You will get what looks like more of a temper line, you won't get the very fine details as with something like 1075 or w2.

You can certainly do it just don't expect anything fancy. Some people like straight hamons with no waves or fine detail.

And this is all just based off of the composition of 5160. You'll never really know until you try something. Maybe these makers that claim they have gotten a hamon with it actually did. Maybe they've practiced on 5160 and have done it so many times that they figured out some way of doing it. I have seen a hamon on 80crv2 (similar steel to 5160, but not completely the same), it was a very simple one but it still had some detail.

 

[kuraki]

I think it's people who equate hamon to a temper line. Whether by intentional obfuscation or simply being ignorant of a difference. Either way, "pics or it didn't happen" certainly applies to such a claim in my opinion.

1084 is even lower alloy than 5160 and will only give a temper line in my experience. Too much manganese. Aldo's 1075 gives great effect because it's low manganese, like 1095. It seems like .4% is the magic barrier. Anything greater and hamon activity is diminished to a temper line.

 

[12345678910]

If they have no certifications on origin and composition, then there's no assurance it's 5160

 

[kuraki]

That's a good point too. If it does develop a true hamon, that's almost a guarantee it's not 5160.

 

[lanternnate]

My guess would be they're talking temper line not hamon, and a good chance they are getting it by doing an edge quench rather than claying. I've edge quenched 1080 for a temper line which gives a temper line, but not a real hamon.

 

[David Stifle]

I tend to agree that if they got a hamon, then the steel isn't 5160. I may be utterly wrong, and often have been, but I have never seen any hamons on a known piece of 5160. As always, though, I stand ready to learn.

 

[BluntCut MetalWorks]

Hamon can be done by cooling or heating. Slow-cooling part of the blade matrix mostly transformed to pearlite. In heating mode, put carbon in solution (aust matrix) only for the intended harden & blend part of the blade. For flash heating, a high power inductor would heat fast and uniform than a dual-in-line flame/torches. Add appropriate mass/metal to area you want to remain pearlitic and partialy aust+pearlite. Obviously heating way required more precise ht params, especially for producing a good edge to goes along with eye-candies/hamon.