- Joined
- Jun 24, 2013
- Messages
- 4,162
Hi guys.
Background:
I got 2 fake Katana like objects and always knew that they are not worth very much.
Their shape is like a regular Japanese Katana down to the tang and some inscriptions. The steel seems almost stainless and rubbing it with cloth and oil leaves the cloth always a bit dark (does that mean its soft?) It seems like folded steel forged around a uniform steel core (edge and spine aren't folded). No idea why they go to such lengths to make fakes, but what do I know?
Plan:
Anyways since I don't want to hang any fakes on my walls I plan to make something more useful out of them and maybe even learn a few things about knife making in the process. I plan to do a few stock removals later this year and believe that cutting and reshaping these swords into Tantos will help me to become more familiar with my electrical hacksaw, belt-sander and manual files.
Questions:
Whats the best way to go about it? Make a Tanto from the tip or the butt end? From the tip I can reuse the existing point, from the butt I can reuse the existing tang. I remember reading about it some 15 years ago and only remember that one way was better than the other. Which one and why, I don't remember
How aggressively can I electro hacksaw it? Is there any danger of ripping the different structural sections away from each other? Don't want to create any gaps between solid spine and folded sides for example.
How high are the chances that fakes are actually heat treated? ( I think the curved blade shape suggests it is)
What steel could it be and what are the odds that the steel(s) in the blades is suited for a heating to non-magnetic and quenching in oil? If it is I would try that too, starting with a few small left over pieces of course. Would normalizing the steel undo the original curve in the blade? That would be kind of cool to see.
Is there anything else which is obvious to you and I am missing?
Thanks in advance for your help!
:thumbup:
JS
Background:
I got 2 fake Katana like objects and always knew that they are not worth very much.
Their shape is like a regular Japanese Katana down to the tang and some inscriptions. The steel seems almost stainless and rubbing it with cloth and oil leaves the cloth always a bit dark (does that mean its soft?) It seems like folded steel forged around a uniform steel core (edge and spine aren't folded). No idea why they go to such lengths to make fakes, but what do I know?
Plan:
Anyways since I don't want to hang any fakes on my walls I plan to make something more useful out of them and maybe even learn a few things about knife making in the process. I plan to do a few stock removals later this year and believe that cutting and reshaping these swords into Tantos will help me to become more familiar with my electrical hacksaw, belt-sander and manual files.
Questions:
Whats the best way to go about it? Make a Tanto from the tip or the butt end? From the tip I can reuse the existing point, from the butt I can reuse the existing tang. I remember reading about it some 15 years ago and only remember that one way was better than the other. Which one and why, I don't remember
How aggressively can I electro hacksaw it? Is there any danger of ripping the different structural sections away from each other? Don't want to create any gaps between solid spine and folded sides for example.
How high are the chances that fakes are actually heat treated? ( I think the curved blade shape suggests it is)
What steel could it be and what are the odds that the steel(s) in the blades is suited for a heating to non-magnetic and quenching in oil? If it is I would try that too, starting with a few small left over pieces of course. Would normalizing the steel undo the original curve in the blade? That would be kind of cool to see.
Is there anything else which is obvious to you and I am missing?
Thanks in advance for your help!
:thumbup:
JS
Last edited:
