help!

I

irishman

Joined
Oct 10, 1999
Messages
8
i have an old wakazashi bought at an auctiion for $20. i can fix it upto look good but one thing, there is a bend in the middle of itabout 20 degrees, that's the easy part. i can fix that but i would have to re-heat-treat it and since the blade is already curved redoing the proper process would curve it too much! how can i straighten it out so i can do everything right without messing up the edge?

please help!
irishman (really scotsman but that name was already taken
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yeah, i agrrscottish irishman, (couldn't help myself)
first, if the blade is carbon steel, disasemble it. now, forge it back to straight, regrind the flats, and polish to 600grt. now visit www.knives.com under engath you'll find a link to his instructions on re heat treating the blade. re polish to 600grt. don't buff, japanese swords look better with a satin finish that shows off the temper line. know reassemble and enjoy.

[This message has been edited by magnum .44 (edited 10 October 1999).]
 
you dont have to reheat treat to get the bend out....find a BIG vise....use three pipes about one inch in diameter...put the middle one at the bend and the other two as far away as possible on the opposite side...and slowly squeeze the vise down on the blade...you will have to go a little pass straight...and you might have to do it a few times back and forth.. thats what the bladesmiths do..trust me...

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http://www.mayoknives.com




[This message has been edited by tom mayo (edited 10 October 1999).]
 
The japanese do final corrections to profile and straightening blades using a large block of hot copper and a brass hammer. Check out "The craft of the japanese sword" for pics of a japanese bladesmith doing exactly that.
Toms advice, as always, is also good. You want to make sure that you don't heat the edge up if you can avoid it, and don't heat the spine more than 400f or so.

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Oz

"When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt."
- Henry J. Kaiser
 
I once saw a french knifemaker straightening his tempered blades with a special hammer. One end of the hammer looked like a chisel (like the ones used for working stone) and was formed by 2 convex surfaces. The warped blade was placed on an anvil (hollow side up) and carefully (using light blows) straightened.
 
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