Hamon questions!!

S

Shawn7656

Joined
Feb 15, 2012
Messages
370
I was wondering if it was possible to get a hamon (or a hamon-looking design) on a blade without etching it, and definitely not during the heat-treat process, as I'm not a knife maker.

I guess I wouldn't be against an etched hamon (just have a negative feel because I used to be into swords a lot), but I was hoping maybe a sharpening method could produce a similar look? I know the point is to change the hardness of the metal near the edge with clay during the HT, but I think it gives blades a really nice look too.
 
I heard some ppl do it chemically, I met someone who put a nice patina on an old bowie and mirror polished the hamon look. It was interesting
 
you can force a patina with some careful work with a toothpick and vinegar, create a nice even line. aside from that I cant think of another way to do so.

Edit: I take that back, you can use whats called "explosion" welding which is basically a 2" layer of c4 under two million pounds of pressure. When exploded forces are now molten metal pushed together. This process is done for different kinds of metal mixes, mainly for refineries and power plants. It's incredibly costly but (for lack of a better phrase) Hella cool.
 
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Will vinegar work on stainless though? I tried mustard (left it on for a day) and it barely did anything :(

Although explosion wielding sounds cool, I don't have the money or materials :D. Thanks for introducing it to me though haha
 
Shawn7656 said:
Will vinegar work on stainless though? I tried mustard (left it on for a day) and it barely did anything :(

Although explosion wielding sounds cool, I don't have the money or materials :D. Thanks for introducing it to me though haha
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On stainless, vinegar's not likely to do anything at all. Nor mustard, of which vinegar is the ingredient doing most of the work.

(and the 'explosion welding' does sound impressive; don't think there are any DIY-at-home kits for that, though. At least, I hope not. :eek: )
 
Lol I thought so. Does anything work on stainless?

I've got a lil Ka-Bar folder I've been using for my EDC when I'm working but I was thinking of making it a bit more interesting looking
I can't find out what model it is, so here's a couple pics with hopes someone identifies it! (sorry they're off my cell. I'm too lazy to break out the real camera)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/29446716/IMG_20120318_191931.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/29446716/IMG_20120318_191957.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/29446716/IMG_20120318_192014.jpg
 
You might do a BF search on 'ferric chloride'. I've seen that discussed here, fairly often, for darkening stainless steel. It's a chemical etchant, so it needs to be handled with care.
 
If you want to etch stainless, just go to a local radio shack and pick up some ferric chloride, they should have 16oz bottles of it and dilute it with 2-4 parts water.
 
That knife won't have a hamon, its might darken the whole blade from etching but that's it.
 
the point here is to etch differentially to make a fake hamon.

ferric chlorride is one way to go, put some nail enamel on the blade making a "hamon" pattern, put the blade in ferric chloride until you reach the desired effect, remove the enamel, put it back some times to get a lighter patina on the previously masked part of the blade.

you could try by applying ferric chloride on the blade with a q-tip but the result won't be as "sharp" imho.

another way could be to sand blast it with a hamon pattern, i had a japanese cleaver that came that way, there was a "fake hamon" sandblasted on the blade. it was a pita to remove btw.

here is the knife new

33.jpg


i'll upload a pic of mine polished and used with some patina when imageshack wants me to access my images ... but to make it short the sandblastin mimics a clad saber ground kasumi finished knife while the knife is solid carbon steel and full flat grind
 
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i have seen fake hamons done on carbon steel (wall hanger) swords that have been chrome plated but i doubt it would work on a stainless blade. i know a member that does plating and i'll see what he can do.
 
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