Japanese Hamon techniques

S

Samuraiboo

Joined
Feb 9, 2006
Messages
11
Hi everyone

I've got a question. I have been able to get the martensite edge on my knives for awhile now. Just like a Japanese blades. My question is this, how can you bring out that edge clearly without spending all the money on polish stones? I have come close but can't quite get it to stand out as much as I would like.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks
Brad Hicks
Iron Dragon Forge
 
There is a thread from literally yesterday that discusses using pumice for polishing hamon.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1049715-Using-Pumice-to-Bring-out-Hamons!-Pics

Most use a combination of sand paper, etching with various substances, and polishing to remove/refine the oxides produced from the etch to make the hamon stand out. There are many different methods, and it ultimately takes experimentation to find what works best for you. Makers use pumice, rottenstone, polishing powders, etc. for polishing.

My personal approach uses hand-sanding to 2000 grit, etching in a dilute ferric chloride solution, and polishing using iron-oxide dispersed on a WD-40 soaked shop towel wrapped on a sanding stick. I use red rouge for the iron oxide source. The WD-40 helps break it down and disperse it into the surface of the towel.

Here are some of my results on W2:

IMG_0356_zps40b29eb2.jpg


IMG_0756.jpg


--nathan
 
Beautiful blade! And I thank you for the tips! I realize that I am WAY under what I should be polishing with! The finest grit sandpaper I have is 600 right at the moment. I'm gonna have to shell out for some quality paper and more supplies! Thanks so much!

Brad
 
Not too fast. Nick Wheeler was just discussing how he has found a clean 500 grit to be fine for great hamon activity. I would say go up to 600 grit cleanly with all lines uniform and in the same direction. Then "polish" with a somewhat worn 600 grit paper before going into your etching/polishing. I bet you can make it work. My suggestion is to be systematic about it and record what you do so that you can modify/experiement until you find your best approach.

I do like the look of a high-grit sand, though.

--nathan
 
Ok... I could do that easily enough. And I like a good polish as well. If I had the polish stones I could probably make it work with little effort! My studies of the Japanese method are just too far out of my reach at the moment! But my reality of no job and little money tend to make me think outside the box! I Appreciate your tips!
 
Google and the search engine here are your friend. This has been discussed a billion times. A search would open alot of doors for you.
 
Search for "hybrid hamon polishing" and for the Nick Wheeler vids. There is a ton out there, this has been one of THE hot topics on knife forums in recent years. You'll even find me blabbing about it if you dig around.
 
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