Titanium Dao-Updated

David Stifle said:
Sam, it was a pleasure working with you on this sweet little blade. Thanks for giving me the chance to learn something about this cool steel. As far as a hamon, yes, there was one, but as I polished the blade it vanished. I didn't try FC simply because I didn't think it would work, but now I wish I'd tried it anyway. I might still wipe the blade down with it, just to see if there is any effect at all. I doubt it, but one never knows. I'm not as young as Lorien is in the tree cutting video, and I don't want to cut down huge trees like he did, but my own tests with the sword shows it can cut seasoned dry oak firewood with ease, and it still retains a shaving sharp edge. I honestly think you are onto something great, and will always support your efforts to spread the word about beta-ti.
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Great times! Hearing the observations of blade-makers like you who will screw around with a billet of this stuff, as well as feedback from the folks who have one of these forged beta ti pieces, really helps to advance the use of this family of alloys for cutting implements. Plus it's always good to know you're not crazy.

Storm Crow: I like the eccentric style of Dave's swords as well, they're often so colorful and odd, it's hard to believe he didn't climb down from some Southeast Asian island mountain temple smithery with this stuff. I knew if he got his mitts on one of these billets it would be good.
 
Mecha said:
Great times! Hearing the observations of blade-makers like you who will screw around with a billet of this stuff, as well as feedback from the folks who have one of these forged beta ti pieces, really helps to advance the use of this family of alloys for cutting implements. Plus it's always good to know you're not crazy.

Storm Crow: I like the eccentric style of Dave's swords as well, they're often so colorful and odd, it's hard to believe he didn't climb down from some Southeast Asian island mountain temple smithery with this stuff. I knew if he got his mitts on one of these billets it would be good.
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You guys see why I love this guy?:D No one else could say I make odd swords and get away with it, And make you like it! :)
 
David Stifle said:
You guys see why I love this guy?:D No one else could say I make odd swords and get away with it, And make you like it! :)
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I can't think of a more complimentary adjective. :thumbup:
 
I thought I'd bring this back for a moment to share the scabbard and some new info on the steel. As I began my final post HT grind, I noticed this blade shows a lot of activity, lots of swirls, layers, and banding. I believe this blade has a genuine hamon on one side of the blade, and there is a clear, super bright layer of alloy banding running down the center of the other side. It appears to be a quench line. All in all, a very interesting steel and blade.
 
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Can it be anodized like regular Ti? I wonder if that would make anything else show?

Awesome sword!
 
Beautiful work David. Can you clue us in on the construction of the scabbard? What materials did you use and the weight?
 
Thank you, and sure, I'd be glad to tell you how I do it. The scabbard is make of two pieces of ebony. I make my scabbards by gluing leather to one side, and cutting out the space for the blade. When I get to where the blade fits snugly, I glue the other side up, and I have a perfect fit. I have found that gluing leather to wood works as well, if not better, than gluing two pieces of wood together. I finish up by tying decorative cording/knotting around the scabbard. It looks nice, and tightly binds the construction together. The sword plus the scabbard weighs 2.75 pounds.
 
WOW. You know, that reminds me a lot of a Gunto. Beautiful work. That thing will last quite a while with no rust. I want one.
 
David Stifle said:
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This is a mind-boggling moment in the making of beta titanium swords, Dave. Now that you've show that a true hamon can be revealed in a differentially-hardened sword of this alloy, it must be taken into account for all of them! It's just an amazing advancement.

I like your scabbard too. The whole thing is really nice, thanks a million for all your work, great insights and stoic badassery with this project!
 
Mecha said:
This is a mind-boggling moment in the making of beta titanium swords, Dave. Now that you've show that a true hamon can be revealed in a differentially-hardened sword of this alloy, it must be taken into account for all of them! It's just an amazing advancement.

I like your scabbard too. The whole thing is really nice, thanks a million for all your work, great insights and stoic badassery with this project!
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The potential of this steel is still in the infant stage, and that's why it's fun to play with, everything you do to it is new and exciting. I can't wait for you to do you first edge quench, Sam. I foresee a blade with magnificent figure in the near future.
 
Zemapeli said:
WOW. You know, that reminds me a lot of a Gunto. Beautiful work. That thing will last quite a while with no rust. I want one.
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You could toss this sword in the ocean and come back for it hundreds of years later, and there would not be any rust on it. It would also have it's original edge. It's not immortal, but it's about as close as any steel known.
 
David Stifle said:
You could toss this sword in the ocean and come back for it hundreds of years later, and there would not be any rust on it. It would also have it's original edge. It's not immortal, but it's about as close as any steel known.
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The metal of the titans! This stuff is alloyed mostly with niobium which makes it especially resistant to the elements. It's technically not even steel since the base metal is titanium rather than iron. However the titanium in this sword is also alloyed with a small amount of iron, and some steel uses titanium as an alloying element.

Oh ya Chief, I'm going to zero in on this hamon business like a martensite-seeking missile! :thumbup::D
 
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