Hamon analysis

Kevin McGovern

Kevin McGovern

Joined
Jul 31, 2015
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3,118
The blades below were heated to 1475, held for 10 minutes and quenched in 130°F canola oil. The steel is 1095. The spine had been clayed where indicated with thinned furnace cement. On the left side of the drop point and the right side of the kwaiken, the line is more distinct, but both sides appear to have less hardened areas near the ricasso. Unless that area is just not sanded enough. ( I just belt sanded to 400 and quick FC etch to see what I had). I had the blades side by side in the oven. Could this account for the different appearance on one side of the blade? They were about three inches apart. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.
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You etched too early. You have way more to grind before revealing what you have. You need a smooth surface, not gator skin. I don't etch until everything is done. You can see a hamon with 40 grit after heat treat in the right light.
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Maybe I'm not understanding what you are saying. Are you talking about removing the heat treat scale? I ground off all the carb and took it up to 400 grit it was clean bare steel at 400 grit. Then i did a quick etch in FC. There are some courser scratches that the FC highlighted, but I was just doing a quick clean off to see what I had, but I was past the scale. I could see something there after cleaning it up, but what I see now with this initial etch has me worried. I don't want to go through final sanding and then find out my hamon is messed up, requiring me to reheat treat a blade that is now thinner then I am would normally do and crack it. Make sense? I know you gentlemen are light years ahead of me, having followed your work. I appreciate the input.
 
The scale is the black flaky stuff. The white etch at the top of your blade is decarb. It can be 0.010" thick. Use a fresh 120g blaze.
 
Here's a 52100 blade that isn't fully through the decarb. This gets mistaken for a hamon quite often.

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[/url]IMG_0097 by Wjkrywko, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
Ah. I see now. I didn't think I would have to go back to 120 grit. I started at 220. I will give it a go. Thanks.
 
Its alot to grind through honestly. Especially after a lot of thermal cycles. It is also the reason I give myself a tiny bit more meat prior to claying and quenching.
 
Thanks for the tips. I went back to a fresh 120 then a 220 then hand sanded up to 600. This is after etch. I think i can get more definition with progressive sanding/ etching. But this is much more what I am looking for. Again, thanks all.
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That's lookin better. FWIW I sand up to about 1500 to 2k before etching. Every last scratch has to be gone or it will muddy up the look. Then I polish the oxides with silicon carbide powder abrasive.
 
going up to that grit will remove the oxides., re-etch, polish, etch... polish until you have what you're looking for
 
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