Let's talk hamons for a bit...

Phillip Patton

Phillip Patton

Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Jul 25, 2005
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Specifically, I'd like to know what you who are more experienced than I, think about 1095, and W2.
Which makes a better hamon, and if they require different techniques (heat treating and polishing), and if so, what?
I'm very tempted to get some of the 1095 that Mace and/or Aldo has available, and I'm wondering if I should just hold out for more W2.

Thanks in advance,
 
I have been getting good hamon on 1095 and the polishing is not too bad. Got it down to about 30min/blade to get hamon to show. I mostly heat the edge and do a edge quench according to typical 1095 heat treat. I sand to about 1000, etch with dilute ferric chloride and rub with a metal polish. Usually have to do the acid 3 times.

hamon1.jpg
 
Don Hanson and Matt Lamey would be two guys I would talk to. They seem to be able to get wild hamons with pretty much any plain carbon steel. Kevin Cashen can help you out too.
 
I get pretty much the same results with both 95 and W-2. Don Fogg uses 1095 most the time and gets outstanding results.
 
Don't do any soak at critical temp (which you really ought to do with W2) and quench in a fast oil.

If there's enough difference in thickness from spine to blade I've gotten some pretty wild effects without clay... I NEVER edge quench, always a full quench. With 1095, the transformation 'nose' is just too hard to beat otherwise...
 
Both steels will produce a killer hamon.

1095 will have around twice as much manganese as W2, but still low enough to make it shallow hardening, this is what you want for active hamon. 1095 will sometimes harden up under the clay a bit because of the higher mang. HT will be pretty much the same for both but the W2 will need a higher tempering temp.

Aldo/Mace's 1095 looks like very good stuff.
 
Don's right about the mangenese content being the difference maker. Tha shallower hardening the steel is,which is controlled by the manganese in simpler steels, the better hamon you can develop with proper care. It is possible to normallize 1095 enough that it is shallower hardening than normally treated W-2, but I don't know if, or how, that effects hamon development. It looks like you've got your process for W-2 dialed in great! Don Fogg uses 1095, like Ray said. I think his hamons are just as much a product of his heat treating process and polishing process as they are of the steel he uses.

Todd
 
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