Hardening technique (?)

stephensee

stephensee

Joined
May 17, 2002
Messages
353
Hello everybody,

I've read the excellent article (profusely illustrated with entrancing photos) on HI website with master kami Nara Bishwakarma making a khukuri from start to finish (http://khukuri.theshoppe.com/kami.html),
and I'm very surprised with the process of tempering of Nara to make the zone hardening with slow water quench (he use a tea pot!!!).
To my knowledge, there is no equivalence in Europe of a such hardening technique.
My HI khukuries are hard workers, so I know by my sweat that they are very robusts, but are they all hardening with a "tea pot" like with master kami Nara? And if they are, could someone describe to me this process with much details?


Thank you,
Stéphensee.
 
This is the standard technique used all over Nepal and at BirGorkha. It is an art that is learned from experience. There are some threads which describe the process but I'm not sure where they are.
 
OK bill. If one day you (or another "khukuries aficionados" of this forum) find some threads which describe the process of the "Tea pot Art", I would be very interesting to read them.

Regards,

Stéphensee.
 
If I can get over for Christmas I'll try to get a video of Bura doing the job along with an explanation.
 
Hi, Stephensee:

Acutally the european equivalent (perhaps frm which this technique is derived) is water quenching or oil quenching. When making a weapon such as a sword, the whole thing was quenched because the smiths knew that the thinnest parts of the blade (edges and point) would cool rapidly and gain their crystalline (martensitic) structure.

The kamis, however, are making khuks as tools, and perhaps (i'm guessing here) noted that the hardening of the whole blade (from tip to cho) was either unnecessary or compromized the tip (i.e. tempered tips are brittle, and much more likely to break).

So, with the zone quenching and hardening, they only temper the sweet spot (intended striking area) of the blade, and leave the tip softer (and more impact resistant).

Basically, zone hardening and full hardening are the same procedure and technique, with the technique varying to fit the tool's intended purpose.

Keith
 
stephensee I don't think I've welcomed you to the Cantina so Welcome to the Casino!!!!:)

DanK a forumite recently returned after a long absence has probably the best explanation about the hardening technique used by the Nepalese kami's anyone has come up with to date.
Dan could explain it much better than I can, but here's my feeble attempt.
Dan IIRC says that by pouring on the water in slow stages the steel is heat treated and tempered at the same time. As the steel is cooled by the water it is in turn heated by the hotter steel still above the hardening zone. The whole process is both the heat treat and temper all rolled into one so the word "hardening" is the most descriptive of the process.
You might use the search feature with hardening or heat treating or temper as the search words and with DanK as the post author. Try both in the current forum and the Himalayan Imports Archive as I'm not sure where the posts are located.
It's definitely an interesting topic never the less.:)
 
Thank you very much for welcomed and good help Keith, Yvsa! A video of Bura doing the job... what a dream Bill!
I will use the search feature with hardening or heat treating or temper as the search words and with DanK as the post author, Yvsa.

Regards,
Stéphensee.
:p
 
Since I'm so poor in photography I'm going to hire a local professional to do the taping. I may hire a professional translator, too, to help with commentary.
 
Making a photo reporting or a video of a khukri being forged and finished from begining to the end by Bura and others Kamis... Woww!!! :)
 
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