The Hamon Thread

I got a polish delivery the other day. I now have 1500 SC, chrome ox powder, tin ox powder, cerium oxide and ffff pumice. Just no time to get back into that kitchen knife I reground.
 
How do you do a clayless hamon?

Hoss


I interrupt the quench so the thicker areas don't transform to martensite, while the thinner areas do. The other way is to watch for decakescence, and quench after the edge reaspches temp, but before the thick parts do. It's a real hit or miss proposition.
 
Water or brine quench for three seconds then into warm oil (so the blade doesn't crack) will also give some awesome activity!

Sent from my LGL62VL using Tapatalk
 
That is very cool! Is the fade an effect from the method of polishing?
 
Not really hamon because this was obtained by interrupted edge quench in water.

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That looks nice. I think part of the look is in a decarb layer ... which is perfectly fine on the upper bevels.
 
I have heard that the effects you get from natural finger stones only really work with tamahagane and don't work too well with modern tool steel.

-Jeff F
 
I have heard that the effects you get from natural finger stones only really work with tamahagane and don't work too well with modern tool steel.

-Jeff F

I was wondering about that. I have a small selection I got off of eBay a couple years ago. Maybe I'll try them out and see what happens, and post the results here. I have a hitachi blue blade almost ready for polishing.
 
I've discovered what I believe to be a new method. I will call it the "Kuraki" method. It's not for advanced hamon polishers. Only a beginner should use this method. Someone more experienced and set in their ways will be afraid to attempt it, but someone new with no experience will be able to go all in. It's very simple:

1- covered pan full of vinegar and dishsoap
2- set stove top to "6" (it doesn't matter how hot your stove gets, all that matters is that it's set on 6, if you don't have a setting "6" then you cannot use this method)
3- place knife in the pan and cover
4- Go watch the Super Bowl and forget all about it.
5- Realize what you've done after it's etched so far it feels like a topographical map and is severely pitted
6- Resand from 500 grit to 1200 grit
7- Be too disgusted with yourself to etch again and just polish it and put the damn handles on.

I'll post pics tonight after finish sanding the handles.
 
John that sounds like what I'd do. I just etched my first blade in FC just to make it black yesterday. Well wouldn't you know I made the 3" PVC pipe 24" deep and went to pull the knife out after a minute the hook I had bent on the end of the wire snagged or something and I dropped the dang thing and to the bottom it went. I don't have any pliers or tongs long enough to reach the bottom, finally got it out after 25 min with a coat hanger. Well it's black alright. No need for a second dip...
 
I forgot a Blade overnight in white vinegar. I bet the pearlite etched 1/2 way through the blade.
 
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