im a hamonholic

[Kevin R. Cashen]

...I wondered how you kept such a girlish figure, Kev!...

They haven't yet developed a material with the tensile strength to pull my waistline in against its will

...I agree, Tai. Just like anything else, the transition line we speak of can be appealing or detracting, just the same as the right blade with the wrong handle material - over even the right handle material, but the wrong sense of scale.

Like a damascus pattern that is just too busy for the blade it was used on:barf: One can turn diamonds into rind stones by the overuse of them. I think the pitfall of mosaic and canned damascus is the uninhibited use of them.

There is mystic power in these things though, as I have mentioned it is the power it has over the human mind.

I once asked my wife if they developed a chemical that would wipe out every mosquito on earth* but in the process it would take all the butterflies as well (if you lived where we do you would understand about the mosquito thing). Although a very pragmatic woman Karen replied "absolutely not". Mosquitoes have killed more people than almost any other creature yet I believe most of us would gladly endure the little blood suckers if we could enjoy more butterflies and yet they really do little more for us than offer us unparalleled beauty. Something inside the human psyche needs beautiful things as much as we need air food and water.

*ignoring the effect on the food chain in this hypothetical.

 

[Tai Goo]

... some good "hamonology" here...

 

[Sam Salvati]

With an affinity for a closeness to metallurgical perfection as much as possible as you have Kevin, A good way to explain it might be you might not appreciate a rose as much, even though they are beautiful to look at, if they smell like poo?

 

[Tai Goo]

I'm thankful that I'm willing to let that slide under certain circumstances, and still enjoy the activity in a partially-hardened blade, but I'll admit - a knife that is made by me that will be used will be made to the best of my ability with FULL martensite.

Yeah but,... pearlite is so much more beautiful than martensite.

Why not skip the quench altogether and just work harden the edge real good? It looks especially good on African stuff.

Pearlite is beautiful!

 

[Tai Goo]

Oops! There goes another royalty or legal fee. Hey I need to do some research, it may not be claimed yet and I have been so often accused of using techno-babble that I could copyright it as my own. Then whenever somebody out there is misusing techno-babble I could get some money from it.

Yeah but,... the "Chashenites" might pinch a fit...

"Molecules" are everything!

Molecules are beautiful!

...except martensite molecules. They're fricking ugly! LOL

 

[Kevin R. Cashen]

Yeah but,... pearlite is so much more beautiful than martensite. ...

Indeed, it is a treat to the eyes! Perhaps the most interesting to observe at high magnification.

 

[Kevin R. Cashen]

Martensite is less striking to behold:

 

[Kevin R. Cashen]

But by far the ugglier is martensite that has been voliated with fine pearlite:

both seem to detract from each other when mixed in this way. Often the results look like somebody allowed cattle to relieve themselves on a large putting green that then died

 

[Tai Goo]

But by far the ugglier is martensite that has been voliated with fine pearlite:

both seem to detract from each other when mixed in this way. Often the results look like somebody allowed cattle to relieve themselves on a large putting green that then died

Yeah,... and that's your fricking hamon! LOL

 

[Kevin R. Cashen]

...Why not skip the quench altogether and just work harden the edge real good? ...

Believe it or not I often think that is a legitimate question. Depending upon our priorities, why bother with heat treating at all? If you have a most beautiful piece that could be warped or changed in heat treatment, why risk its aesthetics? Imagine the cost savings in just eliminating the heat treatment altogether! It has been proven for centuries that soft iron is more than capable of dispatching the enemy on the battle field, so why do we torture ourselves going so far above and beyond that in treating our steel?

 

[Tai Goo]

Believe it or not I often think that is a legitimate question. Depending upon our priorities, why bother with heat treating at all? If you have a most beautiful piece that could be warped or changed in heat treatment, why risk its aesthetics? Imagine the cost savings in just eliminating the heat treatment altogether! It has been proven for centuries that soft iron is more than capable of dispatching the enemy on the battle field, so why do we torture ourselves going so far above and beyond that in treating our steel?

Look at the points on some of the African Mangbetu sickle knives, looks like they hold up pretty well!

A little carbon facilitates the work hardening process...

... might be our ace in the hole, in the stock reduction vs. forging debate...

All the pretty colors,... Pearlite rocks!

 

[Joe Cabaup]

Believe it or not I often think that is a legitimate question. Depending upon our priorities, why bother with heat treating at all? If you have a most beautiful piece that could be warped or changed in heat treatment, why risk its aesthetics? Imagine the cost savings in just eliminating the heat treatment altogether! It has been proven for centuries that soft iron is more than capable of dispatching the enemy on the battle field, so why do we torture ourselves going so far above and beyond that in treating our steel?

Happens all the time for the movies and stage. Beautiful blades made of aluminum or low carbon stainless steel.

For me, the whole beauty and aesthetics experience is different; as I think it is for many of us here. When I see a beautiful knife I think "Does it cut?" When I see a beautiful motorcycle I think "How does it ride?" When I see a hand carved set of bagpipes I think "How do they sound?" Function and performance is a big part of what I look for. It's the difference between a beautiful knife or meaningless eye candy.

 

[Tai Goo]

Happens all the time for the movies and stage. Beautiful blades made of aluminum or low carbon stainless steel.

For me, the whole beauty and aesthetics experience is different; as I think it is for many of us here. When I see a beautiful knife I think "Does it cut?" When I see a beautiful motorcycle I think "How does it ride?" When I see a hand carved set of bagpipes I think "How do they sound?" Function and performance is a big part of what I look for. It's the difference between a beautiful knife or meaningless eye candy.

When I see a beautiful woman, I think,... does she ______... ?

 

[Dan Zawacki]

Believe it or not I often think that is a legitimate question. Depending upon our priorities, why bother with heat treating at all? If you have a most beautiful piece that could be warped or changed in heat treatment, why risk its aesthetics? Imagine the cost savings in just eliminating the heat treatment altogether! It has been proven for centuries that soft iron is more than capable of dispatching the enemy on the battle field, so why do we torture ourselves going so far above and beyond that in treating our steel?

That may be all fine and great for flashy stuff like most swords being made nowadays, exotic show knives and other high end stuff...

But could you imagine the reputation that would quickly wrap itself around someone who makes user grade knives who just stopped heat treating his blades? With the abuse and misuse being poured on knives nowadays, he'd either be a god to his customers, who can't seem to break one of his pointy prybars, or he'd quickly and utterly fail when his knives won't keep and edge for longer than a few minutes.

 

[Tai Goo]

That may be all fine and great for flashy stuff like most swords being made nowadays, exotic show knives and other high end stuff...

But could you imagine the reputation that would quickly wrap itself around someone who makes user grade knives who just stopped heat treating his blades? With the abuse and misuse being poured on knives nowadays, he'd either be a god to his customers, who can't seem to break one of his pointy prybars, or he'd quickly and utterly fail when his knives won't keep and edge for longer than a few minutes.

You could always just hit the edge with a file and cut with the burr,... don't tell me that isn't lethal!