hamons and etching?

[ryan9977]

ok ....so when you make a hamon on a knife and you etch it...and then polish it you ahve alot of contrast....what are u actually seeing in the steel....what do the different colors represent...from the whitish colors to the darker grey shades.....could anybody explain this mettalurgy phenomenon to me.....ryan

 

[TekSec]

I believe this would be the different rate of etch between the different hardness of metals (i.e. martensite, austentite, etc. formation).

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

I'm still at work, but a short answer:
The different structures and hardness will etch and polish differently. The togishi will use a variety of stones and polished to accentuate the difference. There are also a couple crystalline structures involved in the hamon itself. Because of these things the hamon looks white, the Ji (blade surface) gray, and the Ha (edge ) looks dark.
Stacy

 

[ryan9977]

thanks for the brief explanation stacy....ryan:thumbup: