W2 Pure ashi hamon

PaulDiStefano

PaulDiStefano

Joined
Nov 14, 2016
Messages
636
I forged up this little hunter to do some hamon experimenting. Instead of placing clay on the spine that connects to the upper portion of the blade, I only put ashi clay lines. There was no clay on the spine or connecting line to line. Just on each side of the blade there were single lines running perpendicular to the spine down the blade. If you have no idea what the heck i'm describing because I have no idea how to lol, just look at the black lines. The clay pretty much follows the pattern exactly. Its also got some alloy banding from the ferric etch I gave it.(Sorry about the oil in that picture)
The blade actually reminds me of a striped fish. When you move it around the ashi changes from white to black like the reflection off striped scales

Handle is black paper micarta and fabricated pearl which I originally bought to use as spacer material but am glad I didn't. I think it looks pretty cool. Its no real MOP but I think it looks nice.
Hope you enjoy looking. I love showing my knives to you guys :)
IMG_1337.JPG
IMG_1335.JPG
IMG_1326.JPG
IMG_1327.JPG
IMG_1328.JPG
IMG_1329.JPG
 
This one really does it for me! That profile, the coke-bottled faux MOP handle and the ashi combined with the alloy banding make it so visually appealing. Beautiful job sir!

"I love showing my knives to you guys"...

I love looking at them! ;)

~Paul
My YT Channel
Lsubslimed
... (It's been a few years since my last upload)
 
Lol I though in the first picture, "oh my god this jerk left charcoal pencil on hos gorgeous blade"

Then I saw the zoomed out shots and now I see that "charcoal pencil" was actually the black vertical banding you were mentioning earlier, and I like it. It looks kind of like the faint stripes on the side of a tiger shark. Up close in the first pic my brain was tricking me and those black lines looked like smudged letters.

Anyway I love the tiger shark look and how it goes with the fainter horizontal banding.

This technique is called ashi? What makes it ashi? The fact black marks are left? The clay process used to make it? The fact they are vertical?
 
coldsteelburns said:
This one really does it for me! That profile, the coke-bottled faux MOP handle and the ashi combined with the alloy banding make it so visually appealing. Beautiful job sir!

"I love showing my knives to you guys"...

I love looking at them! ;)

~Paul
My YT Channel
Lsubslimed
... (It's been a few years since my last upload)
Click to expand...
Thanks so much man. I'll keep posting as long as there are great people like you who are interested :)
 
Lapedog said:
Lol I though in the first picture, "oh my god this jerk left charcoal pencil on hos gorgeous blade"

Then I saw the zoomed out shots and now I see that "charcoal pencil" was actually the black vertical banding you were mentioning earlier, and I like it. It looks kind of like the faint stripes on the side of a tiger shark. Up close in the first pic my brain was tricking me and those black lines looked like smudged letters.

Anyway I love the tiger shark look and how it goes with the fainter horizontal banding.

This technique is called ashi? What makes it ashi? The fact black marks are left? The clay process used to make it? The fact they are vertical?
Click to expand...
Hahaha that made me laugh. You are spot on with that tiger shark idea. Just looked up pictures of them and they look really similar. I think you just helped me name this type of blade finish!!! I'm definitely no expert in the Japanese terminology or technique aspects of knife making but from what I've read and seen when people would apply clay to they're Japanese blades they put a thicker layer on the spine and then very thin ashi or "legs"( is what I heard it translates to) which is just very thin verticals lines of clay on the blade. Like rolling a toothpick in the clay and then touching it flat to the blade. They don't have to be completely verticals but can be diagonal and all different angles to create more refined patterns. I guess they resemble legs coming out of the main body of the hamon.
What I did was not put a thick layer of clay along the back. Just the little ashi lines.
God I suck at explaining things lol I hope that makes a little bit of sense.
 
PaulDiStefano said:
Hahaha that made me laugh. You are spot on with that tiger shark idea. Just looked up pictures of them and they look really similar. I think you just helped me name this type of blade finish!!! I'm definitely no expert in the Japanese terminology or technique aspects of knife making but from what I've read and seen when people would apply clay to they're Japanese blades they put a thicker layer on the spine and then very thin ashi or "legs"( is what I heard it translates to) which is just very thin verticals lines of clay on the blade. Like rolling a toothpick in the clay and then touching it flat to the blade. They don't have to be completely verticals but can be diagonal and all different angles to create more refined patterns. I guess they resemble legs coming out of the main body of the hamon.
What I did was not put a thick layer of clay along the back. Just the little ashi lines.
God I suck at explaining things lol I hope that makes a little bit of sense.
Click to expand...

I think I understand what you mean. I am somewhat familliar with uneven clay patterns being applied to get different hamons and grainy patterns on the blade.

Tigershark is a sick name for a finish. It really does look good. Almost too tactical soundingnfor such a pretty knife though.
 
Lapedog said:
I think I understand what you mean. I am somewhat familliar with uneven clay patterns being applied to get different hamons and grainy patterns on the blade.

Tigershark is a sick name for a finish. It really does look good. Almost too tactical soundingnfor such a pretty knife though.
Click to expand...
It does sound like a tactical type of blade but it suits it so well if I don't use it I feel it would be a shame haha
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top