Quick hamon question

[Bühlmann]

Does the hamon line go all the way through the thickness of of the steel?

Like can I heat treat and then grind bevels and still get a hamon line to show?

 

[Skiller1nc]

Yes. But thinner cross-sections pre heat treat tend to yield a hamon that more closely matches the clay and has more activity. Too thick and the steel has too much thermal mass, then combined with the clays thermal mass and the whole thing cools too slow.

 

[Nick-D]

Yes. But thinner cross-sections pre heat treat tend to yield a hamon that more closely matches the clay and has more activity. Too thick and the steel has too much thermal mass, then combined with the clays thermal mass and the whole thing cools too slow.

Yeah the thicker cross section takes much of the activity and definition away. I like to have the hamon just below the pre heat treat bevel, I've found it gives good definition.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Yes and No.
The transition is sort-of all the way through, but the visual effect is mainly at the surface. The best way to see this for yourself is to clay up a bar of .125" steel and HT it. Temper and then grind it into a chisel grind with one side beveled and grind the other side flat. You will see much more activity on the flat side than the one you beveled.

When doing a hamon, I like to take the bevels to about 80% before HT.