Okay, this probably earns me a slapdown, but...

Kalindras

Kalindras

Joined
Aug 24, 1999
Messages
933
I'm finally getting around to actually MAKING the set of shuriken I promised my friend about two years back...:o

So, anyway, he's hoping to make a nice display out of these, which could also be a wonderful advertisement for me, among the local MA crowd...so I'd like to make these pretty for him. So, I have a few questions...

1) Can you differentially temper 1095? And if so, can you put a hamon on an object without a specific "spine?" I mean, I wouldn't expect it to be a perfectly defined line, but I think it would really look nice if you could bring up even a wandering hamon.

2) Independent of that, what would be the best way to etch designs into these? My initial thought was to coat them in wax, and then maybe trace traditional designs into them with a pin, to do a relief etching...thoughts?

3) On the same bent, short of using Damascus, would there be any good way to etch 'grain' into them? Much like I saw on a cheap piece several weeks back at a dealer's, wherein the blade was obviously NOT Damascus, but had been etched to duplicate the pattern? Only is there a way to NOT make it look just terrible?

Obviously, I wouldn't want to do all of these things to each piece, but I was considering either etching a series onto them (I'm making him a set of 5), or doing them as a sort of 'Steel Sampler,' where I did different techniques to each of them. Again, thoughts?

I appreciate everyone's time and input. TIA!

:D
 
Damascus is what it is. There are no shortcuts that I know of to get the same effect. Fingernail polish is a good etch resistant. I don't see why you couldn't get a hamon on the thing. I also don't see why you would want to.
 
Do the clay coating technique to get your Hamone line.Yes the fingernail polish makes a great resist.If you will etch the blade after you rub it out you can then rub it again with very fine paper and get the steel grain to show,without the blade just being gray.There is lots of different little tricks to do this kind of stuff and the best way to find what you are looking for is to experiment on some scrap pieces and see what you get.
Bruce
 
1095 takes a hamon beautifully. The reason that Peter said he wouldn't know why you'd want to is because it's not the best idea for a throwing object. A hamon shows extremely hard (also brittle) steel on the cutting edge, and a very soft spine, or in this case core. That makes it very easy to break off points. Toughness is first priority for a throwing knife or quality shirukin, which I think is something of a contradiction in itself. Shirukin were usually junk steel that one would throw handfuls of at an opponent to discourage them from chasing you, rather than the deadly-accurate precision throwing scalpel that Hollywood has led us to believe. They were often rusty, too, as rust in that case acts as a poison in a time that had no treatment for tetanus. They evolved into the ideas that we have for them now in fairly recent history. I've heard many rumors to the contrary, with talk of "Skullsmasher" shiruken, made to dehorse a man, and many specialized throwing weapons, but I have yet to see many of these outside of "American Ninja" flicks, and none from the period that they're supposed to be from. I'd be interested in seeing contemporary examples, though, so anyone, please feel free to prove me wrong.
 
Yeah, I'm aware that shuriken were small, usually considered disposable. Ordinarily, I wouldn't even think of bothering with any sort of embellishment on something like this, but since they're a special set for a friend, I figured I'd see what my options were.

He's already told me that they'll spend most of his life in a case on his mantle, but he does intend to throw them at least occasionally. I figured I'd have them treated to the high 40s--somewhere around springs or throwing knives. Whaddaya think...too low? Too high? I plan to have either Paul Bos or Lee Oates do the treat on them, so I'm sure they'll know more about it, but I didn't want to sound like a TOTAL idiot...just the normal idiot that I always am will be fine, I think...:D

The sunburst sounds good, and I was thinking about maybe getting some ideograms done, too...
 
Gus, quite a nice look can be had by masking off the center in an irregular pattern and giving a good etch. Then adding a larger area layer. Etching again. And so on. Imagine an island with water lines receeding down the shore. Gives a nice traditional look. Each separate mask can be inscribed with any pattern you desire. hope this helps mike
 
Paul Bos only heat treats air hardening steels, I don't think he does 1095 anymore.
 
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