What have I been up to? Well, I'll tell you anway.

Count, I'm working my way into carving slowly. It's challenging! Especially the finishing part. I just came in from 4 hours of jeweller's saw and needle file work...
 
Salem,
I have a technical question regarding how the blade reacted to the heat treat. First though BZ on the knife and Thankyou for taking the time to show us how it is done. The tech question is this- katanas when heat treated always curve up from the spine (Engnath). Why did your integral curve away from the spine?
Mac
 
That came out absolutely beautifully! Given how big it is, its graceful lines make it
look almost dainty in your hand. Personally, I don't think this one would be improved
by additional carving. The clean simplicity of the keyhole handle with the jawdropping
hamon is perfect the way it is.

I do hope you can get Coop to photograph it. It and you deserve the photos.
 
Looks great Salem. :thumbup: I'd love to see the next one with some sort of pommel. Carving is nice but very time consuming as you said, especially in steel.
 
Mac, that's a good question. In water you get sori, or a saber-type curve to the blade. In oil, you get reverse sori, or a recurved blade. I used Parks 50 to quench this in, so I got reverse sori. It's almost as fast as water, but nevertheless differently affects cooling and transformation rates throughout the steel. This in combination with the clay, and the cross sectional differences in thickness from edge to spine results in a different compromise in shape after Mf is reached.

If you want a more complex metallurgical explanation than that, I'd go ahead and search for it on this forum. I've seen it typed up but I'm not sure you'll find it that much more illuminating than what I've just said!
 
Just got back from being away for a week to see this progress. Truly exceptional work Salem! Very nice job. I am in awe of your craftsmanship.

BTW, last week I spent time in Tim Hancock's shop retrofitting his press to be automated and a new feature that eliminates stop blocks completely. Then spent a few days at Travis Wuertz shop as well. Send me a PM if you want to talk press details. Good luck with your build.

Eric Fleming
www.flemingknives.com
 
Eric, thanks for checking back here. That sounds like an amazing trip, visiting the Hancock shop and the home of the TW90 in one swell foop! I will definitely be taking advantage of the offer to talk press details, but perhaps in a year or two when I've had ample opportunity to use the basic configuration I'm building now, and have become acquainted with just what I want in a "next level" press. If that makes sense.

Doing away with stop blocks sounds like something I'll really want to do after a while!
 
Salem, thanks for taking the time to share the process- it's really inspiring to see you working your way through things that are not only new to some of us but to you as well! That takes an admirable type of chutzpah.
It's been great riding along!

Andy
 
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