some tempering ideas for khukuris pls ignore previous post

Bernard, as the khukuris which HI sells are differentially hardened, all one has to do to make the hamon visible is to use some ferric chloride solution (available from Radio shack or such electronic stores that carry it).

As to what a khukuri hamon looks like, I cannot say as bringing out the hamon on my khukuris has not been a priority. I may consider it for some.

Also, the method by which the kamis harden the edge is not the same as what the Japanese swordsmiths do in that the kamis do it by simply pouring water from a teapot onto the hot blade. I would think that it would be difficult for the kamis to achieve anything close to what you've pictured.

Hope this helps. Experts, any more advice or pictures?

Harry

[This message has been edited by Kozak (edited 06-10-2000).]
 
I doubt if we ever see anything like that coming out of BirGorkha.

Where's the pix of the hamon on your Everest Katana, Harry. That's what you can expect from BirGorkha.

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ
 
It's the steel -- 5160 is notorious for not showing much of a hamon no matter what you do to it.

It's there ... it just doesn't show.

-Cougar :{)
 
Really impressive! Can anyone tell us how that kind of tempering is done? I'm curious how they get the little "dips" (don't know the proper term) along the temper line.
 
Well, briefly, the katana is coated with clay, thick at the spine and thinning out toward the edge and the edge is left bare. Then it's heated red hot (and you pray the clay doesn't crack and fly all to pieces) and quenched (and again you pray the clay doesn't fly all to pieces). The clay insulates the spine so it cools slower than the edge. More at www.swordforum.com

Khukuris are treated differently -- the blade is heated red hot and the kami artfully pours water from a kettle on the edge and not on the spine. There are some pics in the HI archive.

-Cougar :{)
 
Whoops -- forgot to answer the question! The clay is formed to a wavy edge, deliberately -- it's not just decorative; the hamon line is a weak point and making it wavy makes it less likely to break. It's kind of like making a joint to be glued wavy to give the glue more surface to grip -- the same principle.

-Cougar :{)
 
I've just learned a few new things from a book about forging katana. Clay is used not only to slow a katana's cooling process in water, but sometimes it speeds up by spoiling small vapoured water (steam) bubbles to stick around the blade.

Hamon is made by quenching, and is varied by types of steel the bladesmith had taken. Core steel, edge steel, and glue used to merge them. Remember, a bladesmith didn't buy steel but they melted sandsteel themselves until at least hundreds years ago.

I'm in the second of the two books, "honing and carving the blade". As I read through, their technique seems further higher than I thought. Though Japanese bladesmith had enjoyed good literacy and were able to write books about katana, Nepali kamis work and know-hows may be as much inside their brains. I really desire to READ how kamis make khukuris, especially masters.



------------------
Did you enjoy today?
\(^o^)/ Mizutani Satoshi \(^o^)/
 
Thanks, guys, for the info. Cougar, I was especially impressed with the explanation of the wavy lines. It seems to me that blade tempering must be an art unto itself!

[This message has been edited by Steven F (edited 06-13-2000).]
 
Of great interest to me was the fact that Bura and a couple of other of the master kamis were quite familiar with the clay wrap process (they called it wrapping the blade in "mud")when I was talking to them about making katanas but I did not see them using this method in the shop. Maybe I should ask for a trial run and see what they come up with!

------------------
Blessings from the computer shack in Reno.

Uncle Bill
Himalayan Imports Website
Khukuri FAQ

[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 06-13-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Bill Martino (edited 06-13-2000).]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top