Hamon disappeared

[JeffreyFogleboch]

Hey guys I recently forged and differential my heat treated a wakizashi...after quench it was ground to clean steel and etched and a hamon was shown. After tempering (400) I ground just enough steel away to remove previous file marks and convexed my edge. Now I can't see any hamon at all...I left it in a bath of vinegar in an hour and that just did weird things as did wiping diluted FeCl3 on it. I am going to try hot lemon juice (as I usually do) but I am getting worried. If the hamon is not there what happened to it? I barely ground any steel away


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[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

You need to completely sand the blade up above 1000 grit and then try to develop the hamon with FC and other acids.

If that does not show anything, you may not have had any hamon in the first place. There is a layer of decarb that follows the clay that will look like a hamon until you sand it away.

 

[JeffreyFogleboch]

Thank you Stacy. I'm going to sand it clean again and try one more time with the acids before I come to my final conclusion.


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