-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Finding Sword Blanks / Parts / Information on???
- Thread starter ktmcse
- Start date
Triton
Gold Member
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2000
- Messages
- 35,941
Well for a general start on forging and so forth I'd pick up "The Complete Bladesmith." by Dr. Hrisoulas. I believe I've heard of a book called "The Craft of the Japanese Sword" as well that might focus on what you are interested in. I'm sure someone can set me right if I have the name wrong.
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2000
- Messages
- 941
For Japanese-style stuff, I would suggest against the Complete Bladesmith. Craft of the Japanese Sword would be a helpful reference, and if you want to start on a katana project, perhaps you should consider buying a Hanwei PK (or the newer model) or a Shinto in Shirasaya. For production fittings, there are a few different sources, though I am personally hesitant to consider any of them very reliable in service. You can look to Fred Lohman Co. at http://www.japanese-swords.com He also sells a variety of other items that are helpful in completing a sword project.
If you want to make your own blades, the biggest first step is to begin studying. You don't need to know all the nuances of every school of swordmaking, but it is important to understand the shape and dimensions that swords came in. There are a lot of misconceptions floating around about those sorts of things, so it's always a good idea to discuss or actually examine old swords. Learn basic mount styles and the overall construction of tsuka (sword handles) (there's a pic that does a nice job of showing that on Fred Lohman's site).
Always feel free to check over here or at SFI or somewhere with any questions you may have. That's what we're here for.
If you want to make your own blades, the biggest first step is to begin studying. You don't need to know all the nuances of every school of swordmaking, but it is important to understand the shape and dimensions that swords came in. There are a lot of misconceptions floating around about those sorts of things, so it's always a good idea to discuss or actually examine old swords. Learn basic mount styles and the overall construction of tsuka (sword handles) (there's a pic that does a nice job of showing that on Fred Lohman's site).
Always feel free to check over here or at SFI or somewhere with any questions you may have. That's what we're here for.
Robert,
I am curious as to why you do not reccomend the complete bladesmith. I am currently reading through this book and find it to be a very good intro into bladesmithing in general. It also has some good information regarding japanese blades and their construction. If this book isnt any good or misleading for someone interested in creating japanese-style blades may I enquire as to why?
Fleadh
I am curious as to why you do not reccomend the complete bladesmith. I am currently reading through this book and find it to be a very good intro into bladesmithing in general. It also has some good information regarding japanese blades and their construction. If this book isnt any good or misleading for someone interested in creating japanese-style blades may I enquire as to why?
Fleadh
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2000
- Messages
- 941
Well the book as a whole for knifemaking I think is great, but there's a lot of misinformation in the Japanese-style section. I won't try to correct everything, but here's a few examples:
The diagrams for lamination techniques (pages 156-159) aren't very accurate.
Mentioned many times is the term "yakiba" as the temper line. This is not the correct terminology. Yakiba is actually the hardened area from the edge to the hamon.
None of the "more common shapes and cross sections" in the diagram on page 162 are accurate at all.
The 2 mounted Engnath knives on page 166 and 167 are not mounted as tanto properly. Also notice how all the hamon in those pieces are really dark? That's from over-etching, you don't want the hamon to be really dark.
On page 166, it may have just been a simple slip in interpretation, but pure clove oil is not desirable for traditional pieces.
That's just skimming stuff off the top of my head (and finding the pages in the book that apply). I don't think it's intentionally misleading, but it's not what I would consider a very good source of information for that stuff. I rather enjoy the book overall, but the Japanese section isn't very good.
So mind you I'm not trashing the book, but it's not a very good source of information that the thread originator was looking for in my opinion.
Addendum: I also want to clarify that not all the information in the section is bad...but the bad information--especially the shapes and cross sections--tends to offset the good. It doesn't give a very good example of a finished piece, and it can give beginners a false sense of what is "correct." That's why I don't suggest it, when there are much better references available.
The diagrams for lamination techniques (pages 156-159) aren't very accurate.
Mentioned many times is the term "yakiba" as the temper line. This is not the correct terminology. Yakiba is actually the hardened area from the edge to the hamon.
None of the "more common shapes and cross sections" in the diagram on page 162 are accurate at all.
The 2 mounted Engnath knives on page 166 and 167 are not mounted as tanto properly. Also notice how all the hamon in those pieces are really dark? That's from over-etching, you don't want the hamon to be really dark.
On page 166, it may have just been a simple slip in interpretation, but pure clove oil is not desirable for traditional pieces.
That's just skimming stuff off the top of my head (and finding the pages in the book that apply). I don't think it's intentionally misleading, but it's not what I would consider a very good source of information for that stuff. I rather enjoy the book overall, but the Japanese section isn't very good.
So mind you I'm not trashing the book, but it's not a very good source of information that the thread originator was looking for in my opinion.
Addendum: I also want to clarify that not all the information in the section is bad...but the bad information--especially the shapes and cross sections--tends to offset the good. It doesn't give a very good example of a finished piece, and it can give beginners a false sense of what is "correct." That's why I don't suggest it, when there are much better references available.
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2002
- Messages
- 89
This is why I really like this forum, the tips you are always giving let all the ones that know a little and want to know more about swords satisfied...
