My accidental Ashokan acquisition. What seems to be Paul Champagne tamahagane billets

Justin.Mercier

Justin.Mercier

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Oct 21, 2006
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So, as last year at ashokan, more of Paul Champagne's estate was being liquidated in the tailgating area. I picked up myself a Yoshindo Yoshihara book, and a 5 gallon pail of Parks 50. Later, after I had hit an ATM to pick up some cash for a metal lathe I was purchasing from another person, I wandered back to look over some of the other stuff for sale. There were two large billets of something forged to about 18 x 1.75 x .5 inches. I looked at the side and i could see a forge weld lines down the side, so I picked them up curious and asked how much they were. I was told 10$ each so I handed over my last $20 bill and walked away.

Later, while still carrying them around and watching some of the demos going on, I had some people else ask what I was lugging around, so I told them I had picked up the two bars from over in Paul Champagne's stuff. One of the people immediately offered me 50 bucks for one of them... which instantly set me on guard, suspicious. I turned them down and continued to watch the demos. Later they came back to me and offered 50 bucks for half of one of the bars, at this point I refused again asked them why they were so 'casually' persistent. It was at this point I was informed "you know, Paul never made damascus, but he was renowned for his bloomery steel and tamahagane, you've probably got two sword billets of his home made steel"

Today after I got home from work I sanded a section of one of the bars to 320 and dropped and smeared a little puddle of ferric chloride on it. This photo is what I see, not the best photo but it was the best I could get before the battery died in my camera. It does look like I may in fact have two very large billets of his home made steel. I was completely ignorant of what I was buying, and now, to be honest, feel kinda bad that I paid so little.

steel.jpg

billets.jpg
 
You should feel bad... really bad... repent and give me one... it's the only way to restore balance.


Rick
 
The sad thing is that I asked her what they were and she said ,"Don't know - $10". I set them down and looked at some water stones instead. Wish I had taken a second look. There was a long bar of surface ground steel there ,too. Same answer when I asked about it. Didn't buy it either. Now I am wondering if it was a sword billet that had been drawn out and cleaned up.
 
hehehe, I told you it was his tamahagane. Your the only guy in the world that will ever have the chance to make a blade from Paul Champlain tamahagane. Make something pretty bud. :thumbup:

I wonder if she knows where he got his ore... :confused:
 
These may sit around for some time before I both drum up the courage to use them, and feel that I've got the necessary skill to do them justice as well.
 
Justin, you did good. Take all the time you need. There was an enormous amount of care put into making that. Paul was a very meticulous maker. I'd say it fell in the right hands.
Aldo
 
so what are you going to do with them? would seem a huge waste to just sit in your rougue's gallery or parts on pens :) .
 
They'll be turned into swords, as they were surely meant to be in the first place. It may be a while though, since i'm only starting my first sword this month. That and i'll need to use someone's press or hammer to draw them out, not going to ruin the steel by heat cycling it as many times as would be needed to do it by hand
 
Dan Seaver said:
hehehe, I told you it was his tamahagane. Your the only guy in the world that will ever have the chance to make a blade from Paul Champlain tamahagane. Make something pretty bud. :thumbup:

I wonder if she knows where he got his ore... :confused:
Click to expand...

I know this is an ancient thread, but I've been thinking about my old best friend recently. He got his ore from the shores of lake champlain, and other lakes in the adirondacks. I helped him collect quite a few 5 gallon buckets of "black sand" from various beaches up there.
 
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