Doug Webster

Boring my ass. This is great stuff. I visited Galena about 24 years ago when I was a deckhand working for Yutana Barge Lines. Beautiful country, beautiful axes.

Here's a strange hamon starting to reveal itself after 3 cycles of etching and polishing. There looks like a secondary hamon near the blade edge. I am not sure if I like this or I should try again.

Nice. The handle is some pretty wood.

Jim your work calms my soul.

Thanks for the feedback. Here's a quick pic after removing the clay. I used Waltre's method; quenched 4 seconds in 125 F water then into 300 F canola for 10 minutes then tempered on a BBQ at 400F. Still have some warping and wished I had drilled the mekugi peg hole before hardening.

This has been a valuable lesson. Thanks Alann and Joe. Good luck with your next blade Paul

Last night after weeks of work I water quenched my first Katana. This morning I was convinced I would find a cracked piece of 1075. To my surprise we have a solid, hardened blade. I can't stop smiling. I stand on the shoulder of giants who shared their wisdom and knowledge. I want to say thank you!

I was given two dogs head hammers for Christmas. One I returned because it just felt completely wrong. The second is now my favorite and the only hammer I will use for blade work. The hammer I kept has a nice angle of attack and a perfect fitting handle. It's marked Waters from Canada

I'm digging that stash of files. Would you be willing to sell a couple.

This is an interesting video on recalesence. I don't understand the metallurgy science but it helps me understand better what steel is doing during annealing. Question is when would you quench for the perfect hamon? https://youtu.be/33neAGXxZ94

Wow! Nicely done sir.

Thanks Wes. I wasn't sure how the nakago thickness would change edge to center. I am almost done with draw filing my first katana. In the picture I have drawn in my file lines and now it makes sense. The blade thickness of the two red dots are the same, 3mm. Makes sense now.

I know, old topic but I do have a question about the ha machi. Is this typically forged in with a hammer or hand filed? Seems to me if hand filed the edge width would be thinner at the machi then the rear of the nakago.

Thanks for the feedback. I first water quenched the tang of the rasp to test the metal before forging. Whatever steel it is, hardened well and had decent grain structure. Tsuka and Saya are carved from Yellow Poplar then stained and laquered. This tanto is a practice lesson for my next project which is a katana made from 1075.

After a lot of inspiration from Japanese bladesmiths on this forum and other resources, I decided to make my own reproduction of a Tanto. This was my third and only successful attempt at water quenching. This knife started as a ferriers rasp, 1095 I believe. No hamon appeared after quenching. I also made three dismal failed attempts at a habaki. Forged a carving knife to make the saya and tsuka. Still need to complete the fuchi and koiguchi.