- Joined
- Oct 27, 2010
- Messages
- 8,721
This little hatchet followed me home about 18 months ago. It was a $3 flea market purchase, unmarked and broken haft. It seemed in reasonable shape and the price was right. All the back story of the BIG SURPRISE this little hatchet holds is found here...
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...t-today-BIG-SURPRISE!?highlight=hamon+hatchet
So, this little thing has a hamon! For some reason or another I decided it should have been stuffed into the back of a junk drawer unfinished. Likely due to cleaning house, or even more likely the wife got tired of looking at it. So, immagine my surprise when I find it again while searching for something else! I pulled it out and decided to finish it.
I did a quick once over with 600# and then did a few rounds of vinegar etches, 20 minutes each. Take it out, scrub and wash, return to vinegar. This was to set the overall tone for the head, a nice even grey patina. I did some light buffing with 2500# to remove the active rust, then set up for etching the hamon.
I use 1:9 ferric chloride to water for my etching. Normally you would do a suspended soak but I don't have a safe set up for that with a hatchet. I took a scotch brite backed dish sponge and cut a couple 1" squares from it. Soaked them in my ferric mix and saturated the bit allowing it to work for 30 seconds and then scrubbed for 10. Soak for 20 seconds, scrub for 5. Soak for 10 seconds and scrub for 5. Then a series of short soak and scrubs with greater pressure to remove the outer layer and give a nice even tone.
Neutralize with amonia! Wipe it clean and neutralize again! Wash either with the hose or use the garage sink, any ferric will stain anything it touches. Saturate with oil.
I used Never Dull wadding, but Flitz is popular too. Polish the bit until a good line forms along the transition. I paid extra attention to removing the straight temper line with the polish so as to show the hamon better. This is a user grade finish so the whispy white ashi lines and smoke like structures are not going to be polished out if they are even there.
I did not finalize the edge yet, I want to see how this thing looks in daylight! So to recap; sand, sand, sand, etch, buff, etch, buff, etch, wash, ferric, buff, ferric, buff, ferric, buff, ferric, buff, neutralize, wash, polish, buff, polish, polish, polish.
Here are the results so far...
Right side
Left side
Now I just need to find a good haft for this thing and attempt to hang it myself. Don't know what length or style yet, but it weighs 1lb. 6.5oz, so maybe a fawns foot boys axe handle? Or maybe a 17" straight?
Thoughts and opinions? All are welcome and encouraged.
-Xander
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...t-today-BIG-SURPRISE!?highlight=hamon+hatchet
So, this little thing has a hamon! For some reason or another I decided it should have been stuffed into the back of a junk drawer unfinished. Likely due to cleaning house, or even more likely the wife got tired of looking at it. So, immagine my surprise when I find it again while searching for something else! I pulled it out and decided to finish it.
I did a quick once over with 600# and then did a few rounds of vinegar etches, 20 minutes each. Take it out, scrub and wash, return to vinegar. This was to set the overall tone for the head, a nice even grey patina. I did some light buffing with 2500# to remove the active rust, then set up for etching the hamon.
I use 1:9 ferric chloride to water for my etching. Normally you would do a suspended soak but I don't have a safe set up for that with a hatchet. I took a scotch brite backed dish sponge and cut a couple 1" squares from it. Soaked them in my ferric mix and saturated the bit allowing it to work for 30 seconds and then scrubbed for 10. Soak for 20 seconds, scrub for 5. Soak for 10 seconds and scrub for 5. Then a series of short soak and scrubs with greater pressure to remove the outer layer and give a nice even tone.
Neutralize with amonia! Wipe it clean and neutralize again! Wash either with the hose or use the garage sink, any ferric will stain anything it touches. Saturate with oil.
I used Never Dull wadding, but Flitz is popular too. Polish the bit until a good line forms along the transition. I paid extra attention to removing the straight temper line with the polish so as to show the hamon better. This is a user grade finish so the whispy white ashi lines and smoke like structures are not going to be polished out if they are even there.
I did not finalize the edge yet, I want to see how this thing looks in daylight! So to recap; sand, sand, sand, etch, buff, etch, buff, etch, wash, ferric, buff, ferric, buff, ferric, buff, ferric, buff, neutralize, wash, polish, buff, polish, polish, polish.
Here are the results so far...
Right side
Left side
Now I just need to find a good haft for this thing and attempt to hang it myself. Don't know what length or style yet, but it weighs 1lb. 6.5oz, so maybe a fawns foot boys axe handle? Or maybe a 17" straight?
Thoughts and opinions? All are welcome and encouraged.
-Xander
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