Is this real hand made hamon?

[Xuco]

The sword seller claims its damascus steel with hand made hamon, can you guys tell me if this looks like a real hand made hamon? and can you tell if this is damascus folded steel? it has the pattern that kinda looks like damascus but its really light color.

 

[liamstrain]

Hard to tell for sure. Depending on the steels used for the damascus, and if there was any etching done after the fact, how "dark" the damascus is (and how much contrast it shows) will vary quite a lot. Some are nearly invisible.

The hamon looks to me more like a san mai cladded layer (sandwiched steel with a different core steel than the damascus outer cladding). This is fine, but is not really hamon, which is a structural change in the steel due to differential hardening. But it is hard to tell from these photographs.

 

[cpio]

Where did you buy that katana from?

 

[Kohai999]

That is not a high quality sword.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[Chris Pierce]

That is not a high quality sword.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

I don't know a thing about swords. How can you tell?

 

[Xuco]

bought it off ebay

 

[BePrepared]

bought it off ebay

Indication one that it's mediocre at best

 

[Infi-del]

Does that thing have a micro bevel?

 

[Kohai999]

I don't know a thing about swords. How can you tell?

Hamon and steel grain formation/patterning....this is only in the context of nihonto.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson

 

[BePrepared]

there are several low end blades with real Hamon. The Musashi DH blades have real hamon but they're still only moderately decent.