wakazashi done!!!

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

It has been a while comming,but I just finished doing the maki on this sword.Here are a bunch of photos for you to look at.Blade is san mai,with a core of 14 layers of 52100 and a twist san mai in 15N20,1095,and 5160.Nickel between core and san mai,and in the twist,too.I first etched it black and it looked real good;but when I finished the final polish before assembly,it looked so good bright polished that I left it this way.I have made three saya for this wak.One is rayskin and lacquer,one bocote,and one shira saya.Lots of lacquer work to go on these.
Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy the photos.

Photos split into multiple threads.
These photos:
#1 7 2 - pards ready to go
#3 - in the wrapping jig
#4 - Omote Menuki
#5 - Ura Menuki

 

[fitzo]

It's a beauty, Stacy! Thanks for sharing. I like the wrapping vise, too!

 

[indian george]

Looking good:thumbup:

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Thanks guys.

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

Here are the rest of the pictures,for those who only saw the first thread.

 

[jhiggins]

That's a fine one, Stacy! :thumbup: I love the tsuba.

 

[blgoode]

Damn!!! Clean shop too

 

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

The outside forge shop is usually so messy I wouldn't show it to anybody.(maybe a "Worst looking shop thread"?) The outside wood shop isn't much better. Those pictures are in the inside clean workroom.It has cabinets on three walls to store handle materials, supplies,jewelery,and knives.It also has the computer,and the treadmill (under the first two pictures).The other inside shop is my jewelery,woodcarving,and knife work shop.It has a jewelers bench,a painting/finishing bench,a faceting (gem cutting) bench,and an 8 foot long knifemaking bench.The knife bench is also the woodcarving bench.It has its own vacuum removal system in the work drawer to suck away chips,filings,sanding dust,smoke (wood burning pens),etc.There is also an industrial sewing machine and a Tippman Bosstitch hand stitcher,as well as all my reference and other books.The floor is stacked with boxes and work trays (filled with blades,handles,etc..These are tool trays that I carry out to the outside shops with knife projects in them).The rest of the floor is assorted piles of supplies. There is usually (but not always) a narrow path through that room.