- Joined
- Apr 6, 2018
- Messages
- 3
I made an in depth hamon etching guide, for anyone that's having trouble with their etch. Hamon etches were giving me headaches when I was first doing them, so I hope this video can help anyone in the same situation.
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How To Hamon etching guide
- Thread starter HelixKnives
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
- Messages
- 5,686
Thanks for putting this together. I hope folks learn from it.
As a brief addendum to this - I always point out to folks that you can't etch and reveal a hamon that's not there.
As a brief addendum to this - I always point out to folks that you can't etch and reveal a hamon that's not there.
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2018
- Messages
- 3
I saw a guide on Blade forums a long time ago, the guy used felt pads used for furniture legs.
Thank you, I will probably do one in the future but I am not as versed in that part like some other makers I have seen. I experiment with different clay patterns but the end result is usually a crapshoot.
Some guys cut a template out of card stock or something so the pattern matches on both sides of the blade. Flexible cutting board material may work as well. Make the template the portion of the blade you want hardened (ie the edge area) so it leaves the portion where the clay goes open. Apply clay, remove template, clean template, put on the opposite side and repeat. This would give you matching clay on both sides. Saw it on FB or a Youtube video somewhere IIRC?
Great tutorial though! Hoping to play with hamons soon! I have some 1200 grit AO and 1200 grit SC powder I will play with. I was able to use SiC powders, mixed with mineral oil, backed with fine grit sandpaper on a cork or leather backer like a makeshift fingerstone to bring out temper lines on differentially quenched kitchen knives before. It also gives a faux kasumi type finish, too! Harder steel is lighter color and shinier, softer steel is more matte. Works great on San Mai blades, too!
I polished this one to 2000, etched multiple times, cleaning the oxides off, and then used the 1200 AO powder/oil on papertowel to polish the oxides a bit more. It's a 52100 core, rebar clad blade. Got a ghost hamon, too!
Great tutorial though! Hoping to play with hamons soon! I have some 1200 grit AO and 1200 grit SC powder I will play with. I was able to use SiC powders, mixed with mineral oil, backed with fine grit sandpaper on a cork or leather backer like a makeshift fingerstone to bring out temper lines on differentially quenched kitchen knives before. It also gives a faux kasumi type finish, too! Harder steel is lighter color and shinier, softer steel is more matte. Works great on San Mai blades, too!
I polished this one to 2000, etched multiple times, cleaning the oxides off, and then used the 1200 AO powder/oil on papertowel to polish the oxides a bit more. It's a 52100 core, rebar clad blade. Got a ghost hamon, too!