Hammon etch?

[J adams]

I've had a very successful differential heat treatment on a small file knife. I want to use my Ferro chloride to better display the temper line. Does anyone have good advice on a dilution or time of soak? Thanks

 

[jdm61]

Te late John White taught me to use normal etch solution you would use for damascus which would be 3 or 4 to 1 distilled water to ferric. The way he did it was to do a number of fairly short dips and then rinse with water and polish with whatever yo were suing, bit it Flitz or Simichrome or for a finer finish, stuff like rottenstone. it takes longer, but it really makes things pop.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Use FC diluted about twice the normal concentration for developing a hamon. somewhere between 5:1 and 10:1. Use short etch cycles Etch, rub down with fine grit wet-or-dry paper or steel wool, etch, rub, etch, rub, etc.
100:1 muriatic acid also gives a very nice hamon etch.

Here are some previous threads:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/827831-first-hamon (post #8)

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/712415-Hamon-Formation

 

[J adams]

Stacy your information is greatly appreciated, I wish I could send a pic of this but im a technological dinosaur and not a paying member (yet).
do you have a recommendation on any schooling I could partake in to create a foundation, you seem very knowledgeable, thank you.

 

[Cactus Kid]

JD, feel like chop liver yet? Just kidding of course, since Stacy got all the attention on this

 

[jdm61]

JD, feel like chop liver yet? Just kidding of course, since Stacy got all the attention on this

I'm not sure what Stacy considers short etch time, but IIRC, John White measured in tens of seconds, not minutes and completely rinsed the blade and sprayed it with Windex after each dip. I seem to recall that he was thinking a minimum of maybe 10 etch cycles.