Salt pots are the ideal, or use a steel like Hitachi white/W2 with low temps and short soaks in a forge or kiln. Use a thin layer of clay, and let the steel do it’s thing. With W2, I use 1440f to get a whispy white. Hitachi white, I think I did 1425f. The vinegar brings out the white in the transition, while the lemon juice darkens the hardened steel. If I do too many lemon etches, a quick dunk in the vinegar brings it back out. I find pumice “takes away” less white when polishing compared to the 1500sic powdered abrasives.
This is Hitachi white which was clayed, but I decided to go clayless, so I chipped the clay off. There was a bit of residue, but I didn’t scrape it off. The clayless hamon followed the residue but has the cloudy appearance. 1425f, into DT-48. I could never get a proper pic of the hamon. Probably the best i’ve done.
Or maybe this one: this was clayless with just the offset d-grind started. W2, 1450f on this one into DT-48.
IMG_5926 by
Wjkrywko, on Flickr
IMG_1597 by
Wjkrywko, on Flickr
My clay application typically looks like this:
IMG_0713 by
Wjkrywko, on Flickr
Edit, pics messed up. Carver is Hitachi white, chef’s knife is W2.