Phill Hartsfield El Salvador Tanto (CUTTING VIDEO)

Thanks for sharing Joe! This a style and size that I am being drawn to making more and more recently.
I may need to send you a piece for your input at some point.
 
Excellent video as always Joe!

Thanks for sharing some special pieces of your fantastic collection with us!!!:thumbup:
 
BenR.T. said:
Thanks for sharing Joe! This a style and size that I am being drawn to making more and more recently.
I may need to send you a piece for your input at some point.
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Ben

I love modern interpretations of Classical Japanese style blades

Phill started that and his pieces are the most aggressive cutting tools I've used

His edge geometry and heat treat were out of this world

He had said to me more than once that he was trying to make what he thought the Japanese blade would have evolved to if it was still used in modern combat

Many will always say his blades were rough and maybe even ugly with a buffed 400 grit finish

The pics I took of this blade were after the cutting

You can see the finish showed no signs of wear

Can you imagine cutting with a blade with an art polish

Phills blades were made to use ...... That is there beauty. The way they perform is there art

All I have to say is that if I we're to have to pick a sword off my rack .......and I have many from some of the best makers .....and step on to a battlefield or into an arena I would pick up my last Katana made by Phil for me

It a true battlefield Katana

A bit heavier than my other Hartsfield Katana but made to my specs

It has a 13 inch Tsuka and a 26 inch blade

It is fast and with the longer Tsuka very well balanced

It changes direction very quickly and it is so sharp it would cut the sky :)

I believe it was the last Katana Phill did before starting to work again with his son so it is solely him in the blade

I can remember he was in such a hurry to ship it that it cut him in packaging. When I received it the paper it was wrapped in had Phills blood on it

There is a an old saying that if a blade cuts his maker it can mean a few things

Phill called me and said you Katana is on its way but be careful .......... It's blood thirsty

Ben I really like your work
 
Loved that film, Joe, I was a fan of Phills' for years. I wish I'd kept all I had owned but I still have great memories of Phill and Pat.
 
What a cutter. Thanks for posting things like this JParanee, keeping sword history alive and well, and inspiring blade-makers new and old. I love to see smaller swords doing the work of a bigger blade, as a smaller and more potent sword is the way to go in the post-modern world, I say! :)
 
Mecha said:
What a cutter. Thanks for posting things like this JParanee, keeping sword history alive and well, and inspiring blade-makers new and old. I love to see smaller swords doing the work of a bigger blade, as a smaller and more potent sword is the way to go in the post-modern world, I say! :)
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I say your right :)

As much as I love my Bowies......no Bowie I own can cut as well as this Tanto

I know it sounds strange but due to the edge geometry and weight this think is a little monster

Due to Phills metal lined leather sheathes it draws incredible fast

The Japanese made drawing the blade an art and this setup is like a speed rig

The Wakisashi I have from my other set was a demon to cut with when I used to use it

It's been a long time since I cut with swords

I miss it :)

You can see in the last slow motion cutting in the video I follow the draw cut with my left hand

That's a habit of reaching up while cutting with a Katana to grab the Tsuka with my left hand for the return double handed cut

When using a single handed blade like this Tanto it still follow up and rests in m shoulder

This keep it out of the way and blocks vital areas of my body

I did so much of this when I was young it amazes me even after not cutting or playing with blades seriously in years how it is still committed to muscle memory

Just shows that you can't beat training and muscle memory to carry things

This Tanto cuts better than some Katana I have used
 
Magnificent cutter, Joe. :cool:
SO enjoy your threads, pics and vids, hope you do one on the wakizashi someday. :)
Thanks for letting us look at your treasures.

Doug
 
Thanks for the insight Joe.
 
JParanee said:
You can see in the last slow motion cutting in the video I follow the draw cut with my left hand

That's a habit of reaching up while cutting with a Katana to grab the Tsuka with my left hand for the return double handed cut

When using a single handed blade like this Tanto it still follow up and rests in m shoulder

This keep it out of the way and blocks vital areas of my body

I did so much of this when I was young it amazes me even after not cutting or playing with blades seriously in years how it is still committed to muscle memory

Just shows that you can't beat training and muscle memory to carry things
Click to expand...

It often seems that the most efficient, natural and powerful actions of any "system of movement" dig the deepest and stick around the longest.
 
those are pretty big brained muscles, methinks
 
Joe,

Thanks for posting the video & pics! It's really great to see Phil's work. I'm a huge fan of his. Thanks again so much

John
 
Great back story and very pleased to see this knife with you, Joe.

No better place for it to reside...it belongs in your Hartsfield collection my friend!!!
 
Everyone

Thank you so much

I will try and do more videos as time allows

I have been doing a lot of archery related videos and reviews and they went over very well so I was curious if the knife videos would get the same response

All of the kind words really mean a lot and I have some terrible interesting blades to speak of so I have lots of material :)

I hope this encourages more to step into the video world

They say a picture speaks a thousand words so a video must speak volumes

Now that weather is getting cooler and I am wearing suit jackets and Blazers again I have been EDCing a lovely old school RJ Martin Kwaiken

This might be the focus of my next video

Thank you all again for the kind words
 
Thanks for the pics. The overall profile is beautiful. I've always wondered how he did the A2 hamon.

Tad
 
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