random hamon experiment

KAWilley, thats a cool blade, really like it, and the hamon is really neat. W1/W2 gives alot more activity as you see. I may bang out a W1 hunter today and try it out.
 
Matt, if you don't mind me asking, what is your etching solution/technique? I've read so many different ones in threads past...
 
What i normally do for a standard working finish is a 400 grit hand sanded finish, making sure ALL vertical lines are gone. I then use a 50/50 mix of FC/water, dunk the entire blade for about 30 seconds, pull out making sure i got a good etch over the entire blade (if there was ANY oil etc. on your blade you will now know).

I go over the "hardened" area with a cotton ball dunked in the FC mixture. Just go back and forth to get a little deeper etch below the line than above.

After that I just rinse, and start the polishing method that I mentioned earlier in this thread.
 
RMLamey said:
Stephen, ive tried various methods with 5160, can always get nice bold lines, but not alot of activity. Would like to hear his recipe if you dont mind sharing.

oh yeah, forgot to add, I generally pre heat or soak the ricasso area a bit simply so it heats a bit more evenly with the thinner section of the blade. I dont find any real change in hamon activity by soaking. I just like to make sure i have enough of the edge at the choil hardened. I hate to see a hardening line drop off while there is still some edge back at the choil, or find one that dips down way too close to the edge etc.... but thats another topic.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I don't have the quenching specific's

the nomalization was done in digitally controlled furnace
2 cycles at 1450
then drop temperature by 25 degree's per cycle until you get down to 1200.
the idea was to normalize to the point that you would lower the hardenability of 5160 and then HT and quench as normal from there
 
Tad, i dont take them too fine before quinch, usually 120 or 180 depending on what belts i have on hand. After tempering I take them back down to 120 and up to 220/400 before I start hand sanding.
 
Matt, I believe, and Don Fogg has somewhat confirmed my thoughts on this with the oil he uses, that a semi slow oil with a shallow hardening steel will make for some AMAZING hamon with or without clay. Fast oils like Park's might tend to make the hamon adhere perfectly to the clay layout but blow out any effects you would try to get with ashi lines and the finer details of the clay application. With the slower oil though, the clay or lack thereof can work it's magic with the shallow hardening properties of the steel.
 
I was doing some experimenting today with the hamon polishing and this is what I came up with. I had this blade sitting around already heat treated. I think the rubbing with the etchant may be key, then the polishing with a cloth by hand for cleaning up, without removing anything. I don’t know but I have never had it look this loud. Thanks
hamone.jpg
 
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