Koa Fighter

Karl B. Andersen

Karl B. Andersen

Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Messages
5,666
A knife I just finished for a good customer.
1095 and 420 Stainless Steel San Mai/Harpoon Fighter.
The handle material is some exquisite stabilized Koa.
The two-part guard is hot-blued "crushed" Ws Damascus.
I love the way all these material came together.
Next. :p







 
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Extremely nice.....really like the way you 'turned' the Damascus for the guard. :cool:
 
Beautiful knife!!
Perhaps it is the wrong section of the forum for asking; if you don't mind, how do you ht that steel combination?
 
This is a very appropriate forum for asking that question.
A collector/buyer should know how his knife is made.

I treat this just like it's 1095. The 420 stainless, which is not hardenable at the temps I'm using, will act very much like, and have the same effect as, the clay on a knife made when creating a hamon.

Good question. :thumbup:


stezann said:
Beautiful knife!!
Perhaps it is the wrong section of the forum for asking; if you don't mind, how do you ht that steel combination?
Click to expand...
 
Eh eh :) Thank you Karl... it looks like i'm becoming your oversea disciple, for sure a great fan!!
I will try your san mai combination because the visual impact is amazing!!! Of course there are canister welding requirements i need to set up, but i was wondering if that double line is a beautiful carbon migration artifact or an extra SS layer?
 
stezann said:
............but i was wondering if that double line is a beautiful carbon migration artifact or an extra SS layer?
Click to expand...

Another great question. :thumbup:

Your assumption is correct - it is a "carbon migration artifact".
We are welding together a carbon rich 1095 to a carbon deficient 420 stainless steel. Keep in mind that carbon wants to equalize while at welding temps. I have ideas that the sparkly portion began it's life as 1095, but the 420 'sucked' the carbon out leaving behind a majorly carbon deficient zone - which will be mostly iron - on the top skin of the 1095.
The dark line above it is where the 420 now has some "stolen" carbon - and along with it some manganese - which makes it etch a lot like the 1095 BELOW the sparkly layer.
Keep in mind this display is actually only a few thousandths thick, but shows as lines when we grind across the depth.

And the undulations along the length of the San Mai are the remnants of my press die "bites". I do not cut or "ladder" these in, they are a natural display of what goes on in most steels when going through drawing dies.


 
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