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Hey everyone! I thought I would share my latest failure, because ... well because there's always something to learn from failure. Besides, I'm still somewhat pleased about this blade, and I wanted to share. This all started when I decided to slice a piece of Campo Del Cielo meteorite, a fairly common iron-nickel meteorite, with your typical widmanstatten and neumann bands, kamacite, taenite, plessite, and the odd troilite inclusion (Group I: 6.68% Ni, 0.43% Co, 0.25% P, 87 ppm Ga, 407 ppm Ge, 3.6 ppm Ir) Cutting that ended up ruining a bandsaw blade by the way, but ultimately I ended up with a couple of flat pieces that I could integrate into a larger billet. Here comes my first mistake in this project. From left/right to center: 15n20 (1/4"), meteorite (~1/4"), wrought iron (~1/2"), 15n20 (1/16th), 1095(1/4" x 2). Let's skip why I would use so many different materials in the first place (let's say i'm experimenting) and move on to forge welding. This billet will be drawn out and cut in two halves. Each half will be twisted (one clockwise and one counter clockwise) and then flattened to eventually serve as a san mai cladding layer. Did you catch the issue? Why on earth would I put the most valuable material, the meteorite, near the *outside* of a twist? Spoilers: by the end of this build, there will not be much meteorite left on this blade, and most of it will be invisible. We're getting ahead of ourselves tho, let's catch up... we're forge welding. ... and drawing ... and cutting the billet in halves ... and having a peak, because we can't resist. We never can. I wasn't sure exactly what of the meteorite's visible features would survive the forge welding heats. I knew that the widmanstatten bands wouldn't but I was hoping for ... something. I wasn't disappointed. What looks like little fractures here are actually taenite crystals, which are found at the meteorite's grain boundary. They survived! At that point I'm ecstatic, this is going to look awesome right?! (spoiler: these will basically disappear). But for now, we're twisting. And flattening the twisted bars... (yes, I had a peek at the pattern again) Ok, I'm about to make my second really dumb mistake. Here I have a 1/4" piece of 1095 to serve as the blade's core, and a couple of pieces of thin 15n20 (1/16") to serve as a contrasting layer (and maybe to limit carbon migration? who knows). Except these aren't 15n20, they're actually 1095, which I'm only going to find out once I etch the final blade. I'm literally about to forge weld 1095 to itself for no good reason. Whoohoo! This is the resulting san mai billet (ok, technically this is 5 layers, not 3... I'm sure there is a name for that... then again do those 3 x 1095 layers really count as 3? and what is the meaning of life?) We're ready to forge the blade proper. Cleaning up the forge scales... Shaping... More shaping... Heat treating... This is where I'm going to lose some of you I'm sure. No clay, no differential heat treatment, no water quench, just a simple Parks 50 quench. Once you see the blade I think you'll agree there would have been no point in attempting a hamon: no room for it, and a blade that's way too busy already. After cleanup, polishing and etching. This is as-etched out of the ferric chloride tank, before cleaning up any oxides. Notice the lack of a contrasting layer next to the 1095 core? Yep, those "contrasting layers" were not 15n20, they were 1095, and they're indistinguishable from the core (save for a very faint weld line). I can't believe I picked up the wrong steel... I really suck. And here you can see the consequences of my very first mistake in this project. After so much profiling and sanding, and because the meteorite was on the outside of the twisted billets, there are very few areas where the meteorite is still visible: The irony is there is plenty more meteorite left than in these spots, but most of it sits right between the cladding and the core... And... as you can see, the taenite has been thinned out to oblivion, too It is still visible under the microscope, tho: Now for the mistake that really sealed this blade's fate: Yep, these are two very visible delaminations between the core and the cladding (and more of them on the tang). What happened is that I ran out of propane pressure during this forge weld, and I lost temperature at the worst possible moment. I worked as fast as I could and I thought I got away with it, but I didn't. At this point I'm heartbroken I pick myself up, telling myself that I made other mistakes anyway and this is really good practice for the next blade, so I decide to finish it anyway. The original plan, because of the meteorite, had been to inlay "Star Iron" in gold on the tang. Instead, I go for "Shimatta" in copper ("damn it" in Japanese). This was a really fun project. I feel silly for making so many mistakes (including some I have not mentioned here) that should have been easy to avoid, but I learned my lessons: - In a twisted billet, put the interesting material near the center - make sure to use the steel you mean to (duh) - make sure there is enough propane for forge welding, when in doubt, assume there isn't. I will eventually do another one of these, hopefully without the above issues. In the meantime, this will hang on the mistake wall as a reminder that I should really think before I act. Cheers!

this is the tanto-sized version of the mountain kotanto pattern... Satoyama are the managed forest areas that border the cultivated fields and the mountain wilds in Japan. Historically they provided fertilizer, firewood, edible plants, mushrooms, fish, and game, and supported local industries such as farming, construction, and charcoal making. Balancing the interaction of wetlands, streams, forests, and fields is an important component of the satoyama landscape and allows for sustainable use of the rich resources they offer. About the Tools for Satoyama Project (more: islandblacksmith.ca/2016/03/tools-for-satoyama) The Tools for Satoyama project is inspired by this mutually beneficial interaction between humans and the natural world, a robust way of life that sustained both for centuries. Among the goals of the project are contributing to the growing awareness of the satoyama concept, sustainable practices, thoughtful approaches to intentional living, and related historical learning. The four styles of kotanto knives designed for the project are named for the four main areas found within the satoyama landscape: stream, field, forest, and mountain. In addition, the forest and mountain models also come in a full sized tanto configuration. Some of the core characteristics of the knives produced for this project are the reclaimed and natural source materials, use of traditional techniques, and a humble and simple style of carving and finishing. About the Mountain Tanto (more: islandblacksmith.ca/2016/04/making-a-mountain-tanto) The wider profile of the mountain style tanto is inspired by a kamakura sword and has a more deeply curved tip (fukura-tsuku) and shorter drop point. The simple and humble mounting style is inspired by the age-old style of farming and foresting tools traditionally used in managing satoyama lands. Project Overview Video

Furusato (故郷, pronounced “foo-roo-sah-toe”) means home place or hometown and contains the ideas of being rooted or grounded wherever one may sojourn, and a confidence and longing for return. "When difficulties come, I remember my home place…Someday I shall fulfill my task. And, then, return to my home place. To the green mountains and clear rivers of my home." Takano Tatsuyuki, Furusato Materials for the wabisabi aikuchi style koshirae mounting include Tshikalakala (Wenge) wood for the kataki tsuka and saya, Hounoki (Japanese Magnolia) wood and cow horn for the ireko saya, copper bus bar for the habaki, buffalo horn for the mekugi, and pieces of shed antler for the kurikata and tsunakuchi. The tsuka and saya are finished in a thin layer of kijiro fukiurushi (wiped lacquer) made from natural source urushi lacquer. One of the most technical challenges of this project was creating the ireko saya (入れ子鞘, nesting scabbard) lining within the tight constraints offered by the original block of wood. A refined detail that is normally hidden from view, the ireko saya protects the blade from the hardwood. A focal point for the koshirae is the unique antler crown kurikata which is reminiscent of a mushroom contrasting against the dark wood of a tree. Specifications 長さ/刃長 Nagasa: 7 sun 3 bu 5 rin (227mm) 元幅 Motohaba: 7 bu (21.25mm) 重ね/元重 Motokasane: 2 bu (6mm) 反り Sori: uchizori 中心/茎 Nakago: 3 sun 2 bu 3 rin (98mm) 柄長 Tsuka: 3 sun 7 rin (93mm) 拵全長 Koshirae: 12 sun 9 bu 5 rin (392mm) 形 Katachi: hira-zukuri, iori-mune 刃文 Hamon: suguha 帽子/鋩子 Boshi: ko-maru 中心/茎 Nakago: futsu, kuri-jiri, one mekugi-ana, signed near the tip 銘 Mei: hot stamped katabami-ken kamon 拵 Koshirae: aikuchi, issaku more photos and info here: http://islandblacksmith.ca/2019/08/furusato-tanto/

Back to some projects that were on pause for a few months while I relocated my workshop...here's the first: The inome (pronounced “ee-no-may”, 猪の目, eye of the boar) name comes from the pierced heart-shape designs on the decorative o-seppa (washers) on either side of the tsuba (handguard). This lovely motif is ubiquitous in Japan, seen often in architecture, furniture, and sword mountings. In this context, the inome symbol conveys the idea of the always forward-moving wild boar of Japan’s forests and mountains, never giving up or retreating. This tanto was forged from an antique horse-drawn carriage spring in 2016, was used at several demos as an example of the forged surface as it comes out of the fire, made a cameo in a short film in 2017 as one of the filing stages, was finished with geometry inspired by a visit to Japan in 2018, and is the first of my blades to incorporate antique sword parts in its mounting. Here's where we are headed... Materials for the chisagatana style koshirae mounting include Japanese hounoki wood for the handle and scabbard, copper bus bar for the habaki, reclaimed brass doorplate for a seppa, buffalo horn for the mekugi and kurikata, and an iron spike salvaged from thirty feet under the Pacific for the tsuba. The centerpiece of the mounting comes from an outdoor antique market in Kyoto, a gold-accented Edo-era fuchi made from nanako-ji (魚子地, fish roe) textured shakudo (a traditional alloy of gold, silver, and copper). The tsuba sits between two Showa-era zouheitou (officer’s sword) o-seppa with pierced inome (猪の目, eye of the boar) motifs. The saya is finished in black sabi-nuri (rust texture) style ishime-ji (stone surface) made from natural source urushi lacquer and ground tea leaves, and the koiguchi band is also antique. The blade is 8.75″ long, overall length is just under 13.5″, and the overall length of the koshirae is just over 15″. Specifications 長さ/刃長 Nagasa: 7 sun 3 bu 5 rin (222mm) 元幅 Motohaba: 9 bu (27mm) 重ね/元重 Motokasane: 2 bu 3 rin (7mm) 反り Sori: uchizori 中心/茎 Nakago: 3 sun 6 bu (109mm) 柄長 Tsuka: 3 sun 2 bu 5 rin (98mm) 拵全長 Koshirae: 12 sun 6 bu (382mm) 形 Katachi: hira-zukuri, iori-mune 刃文 Hamon: suguha, with ubuha 帽子/鋩子 Boshi: ko-maru 中心/茎 Nakago: futsu, kuri-jiri, one mekugi-ana, signed near the tip 銘 Mei: hot stamped katabami-ken kamon 拵 Koshirae: chisagatana, issaku (with the addition of four antique parts) Material: Reclaimed carriage spring steel, Edo-period gold and shakudo nanako fuchi, antique brass koiguchi and Showa-era zouheitou o-seppa, ocean-salvaged iron spike, copper bus bar, brass doorplate, buffalo horn, Hounoki, leather, natural urushi and tea leaves ...and here's where we started... Forged to within ~1mm of the final shape (including bevels) and filed only around the profile. This tanto was used at several demos as an example of the surface as it comes out of the fire. Using water on the anvil during the final stages of forging keeps the surface clean and smooth. Smoothing the surface with sen (scraper), files, and draw-filing in preparation for application of clay for yaki-ire. Habaki forged to shape, fire soldered, fit and cold hardened by hammering, and finished using hand files. ...on to the koshirae (mounting) next... A custom made tang shaped punch is used to create the opening in the iron tsuba and it is shaped, textured, and rust patinated before carefully hammering in copper sekigane (責金) to protect the blade. The rust patina is polished using an antler tip, boiled in water to convert red iron oxide to stable black iron oxide, then given a thin layer of natural fukiurushi lacquer and baked to cure. The weathering process used during forging, called yakite or yakinamashi, involves oxidizing the surface using high heat and an oxygen-rich charcoal forge blast, periodically dipping quickly into water and wire brushing to reveal naturally occurring hard and soft areas of the iron. The exposed high areas of harder iron that remain after wear and weathering are known as tekkotsu (鉄骨, iron bones) and compliment the hammer textured (槌目地, tsuchimei-ji) surface. The habaki is patinated using a blend of copper salts similar to rokusho. When just the right shade is reached, old and newly crafted parts begin to work together as a team. After carving, the leather wrapping is secured to the tsuka using nori-urushi, a mixture of natural urushi lacquer and sokui (rice paste glue). The wrapping is fit between an Edo-period fuchi in shakudo and gold and a newly carved and lacquered horn kashira. The horn kashira has a tenon made from horn that fits into the wood core of the tsuka and is attached with sokui. After carving the inside to fit the blade the halves are rejoined with sokui and the scabbard is shaped with kanna and smoothed with fine rasps. An antique koiguchi band is fit while carefully preserving the natural patina of the centuries. A horn kurikata is shaped and fit to the saya using a carved sliding dovetail. The joint between the halves is reinforced with washi paper and sokui along both sides. The first layer of natural fukiurushi seals the wood and prepares the surface for the following layers. A second layer is used to adhere finely screened ground tea leaves and allowed to cure. A third layer saturates and seals the tea and is filed down to create the desired surface texture. After wiping clean (shown above), the rough filed lacquer with tea showing through the surface resembles a true sabi-nuri (rusted steel surface), similar to an old cast iron tetsubin tea kettle. A fourth and final layer of very thin black urushi is wiped over to seal and darken the surface. The black fukiurushi highlights the combination of smooth peaks and pitted valleys and turns the look to ishime-ji (stone surface). A look at all the koshirae parts before assembly (with the exception of the kashira already glued in place). Once all the parts are made and fitted the blade can be taken through the final polishing stages using Japanese waterstones. Several fine natural stones make up the last steps, right down to small fingertip-sized stone flakes with washi paper lacquered to the back for strength. ...on to assembly next...

Hi, I'm new here and new to knife making. I had been considering having a go at making knives for some time so a couple of months ago I jumped into it. I'm absolutely hooked! I've used O1 for these blades and recycled/native wood for handle scales. These are my first three knives. My first attempt is a general purpose hunter or camp knife with a 4" blade and recycled Teak handle. The next two I built simultaneously. The largest one I built for my workmate who wanted something to stick wild pigs. It's a 7" blade again with Teak handle. The smaller tanto style knife is a utility/EDC with 4" blade and recycled NZ native Matai wooden handle and sheath. I've already gained a lot of valuable information from the forums here, so thank you all very much.

Nearly finished with the rail clip tanto. Been a fun build utilising some new techniques and materials. The blade was a practice piece that turned out quite nice so I had to finish it lol. The fittings are made of salvaged copper pipe that I cut into sheets and hammered to shape. The fuchi and kashira are both one solid piece, no soldering. The materials used include a mokume tsuba, embossed leather inlay in lieu of ray skin, brazed copper habaki, copper fuchi and kashira, nylon cord, brass seppa, bamboo mekugi, handle body is a formed polymer product (experimental) and the blade is made from a rail clip.

A true and accurate understanding of the past is an important step towards a good future. 温故知新 (on ko chi shin) is an expression that most directly translates to, "study the old to know the new". This blade began as a reclaimed piece of a damaged antique sword and was carefully hand forged in a charcoal fire, smoothed with files and a sen scraper, differentially hardened using traditional water quench yaki-ire, and polished by hand with natural Japanese water stones. Materials for the chisagatana style koshirae mounting include Japanese hounoki wood for the handle and scabbard, copper bus bar for the habaki, reclaimed brass from the original mount for the fuchi and kojiri, forged brass kick plate for the kashira and seppa, black lacquered samegawa and kangaroo leather for the tsuka, lacquered steel for the mekugi, buffalo horn for the koiguchi and kurikata, and an iron spike salvaged from thirty feet under the Pacific for the tsuba. The saya is finished with ishime-ji (stone surface) made from natural urushi lacquer and tea leaves, the kurikata was carved from reclaimed horn button rescued from a vintage coat, and the sageo cord comes from an outdoor antique market in Kyoto. Specifications 長さ/刃長 Nagasa: 11 sun 3 bu (341mm) 元幅 Motohaba: 8 bu 5 rin (25.5mm) 重ね/元重 Motokasane: 1 bu 5 rin (4.2mm) 反り Sori: uchizori 中心/茎 Nakago: 3 sun 6 bu (109mm) 柄長 Tsuka: 4 sun 5 rin (123mm) 拵全長 Koshirae: 18 sun (545mm) 形 Katachi: hira-zukuri, iori-mune 刃文 Hamon: hoso suguha 帽子/鋩子 Boshi: yakitsume 中心/茎 Nakago: futsu, suriage, one mekugi-ana, mumei 銘 Mei: mumei 拵 Koshirae: chisagatana, issaku 3.03022 cm = 0.1 shaku（尺） = 1 sun（寸） = 10 bu（分） = 100 rin（厘） More photos and info: islandblacksmith.ca/2017/08/on-ko-chi-shin-tanto/

Hello, I want to share my new project. It will be a tanto style knife. I am not an expert in Japanese blades, only basic knowledge. However, I like the aesthetics and elegant design of those weapons so I decided to make one myself. I hope that real experts won't have a heart attack after seeing my version The blade is forged from NCV1 steel. Differential hardening was successful- the edge is hard and the spine is much much softer. I hope there will be a hamon visible.

This is the second installation in my series of themed tanto, The Yuugure Kotanto. Here's the story: Yuugure means dusk or twilight, and this is what I tried to model the blade after. The saya has a dark black, ishimeji (or "stone") finish with blackened and brushed copper cladding. It reminds me of the night sky when the last orangey hues of the sunset are just beginning to fade away. The copper can appear very dark black or a bright orange depending on the angle it is viewed at, this coupled with the rough texture of the ishimeji creates a really interesting aesthetic. The habaki, seppa, fuchi, and kashira are all blackened and brushed copper, giving them a dusky, aged feel. The tsuka has a white samegawa wrap and was lacquered over with natural urushi. After the lacquer cured, I lightly sanded the nodes of the samegawa so that it looks like little white stars are peeking out from the black background. I would like to add that the kings node is featured on this cut of same! The entire blade is secured within the tsuka with a single, dark katalox mekugi. The blade itself has a wispy hitatsura hamon with some excellent activity. The mounted blade can be displayed on the dark black, matching wenge stand. The stand is all made from the same cut of wenge, so the color and grain pattern match throughout the stand. Also included is a small wenge mallet and a tapered brass pin for knocking out the mekugi and dismounting the blade. Some info on the blade: OAL: 9" from the kashira to tip of the kissaki Saya + Tsuka dimensions: 10"x7/8"x1.75" Blade Width: 1.3" at widest point Blade Thickness: 1/8" at the munemachi with a distal taper to the end of the kissaki Hamon: Hitatsura with great activity Blade Polish: Light etch mirror polished to 2000 Mountings: Habaki, Seppa, Fuchi, Kashira, Tsuka, Saya, Mekugi Mounting Materials: Walnut, Katalox, Copper, Samegawa, Urushi, Iron Oxides Blade Material: 1095 with a differential quench in brine The blade has a single katalox mekugi and can be completely dismounted for easy maintenance and sharpening. The blade has been honed to 6000 grit on waterstones and is very sharp. I'm asking $SOLD for it and it ships free in the contig. U.S. First to ask gets it, shoot me an email at YozakuraForge@gmail.com or PM I'll be more than happy to answer any questions you all have and would love to see your comments on the blade Thanks for looking -Grant

Haven't posted on here in several years, but I thought this might be a fun blade to jump back on here with. This tanto was made from an Enfield Mark III barrel with a mild steel core forge welded into it. The idea was to mimic the kobuse forge welding scheme used in many Japanese swords. It was kind of an interesting process getting the hot core down the barrel during welding. If I did it over again, I might have done a few things differently in the forge welding process, but it seemed to work out okay. I did a video on my Youtube channel. I can add the link if anybody's interested in seeing it.

Hi All, My first knife was not too good (tried to make from stainless, screwed up HT), but my second one I'm quite proud of. Made by stock removal from an old file (the one I dulled filing stainless....), using only hand tools, except for drilling the two holes in the handle. No Jigs used, mostly filing by hand (and eye) and using grindstones from my lansky-set to smooth the surfaces. HT done in purposebuilt charcoal forge from bricks, quench in sunflower oil. For my next one I hope to start with a bit of forging before I start the filing. video of het treat: 22222625_1617613648262066_7814047959703617536_n.mp4

Seeing as it has been awhile, here is a recent custom koshirae for a small antique tanto blade belonging to a client. Crimson lacquered samegawa handle, fukiurushi horn fittings, a silver mekugi, and polished black lacquer scabbard in a classical aikuchi style. Materials for the custom red and black aikuchi style koshirae mounting include lacquered samegawa over hounoki for the handle, a silver and copper mekugi, and lacquered buffalo horn fuchi, kashira, koiguchi, and kurikata. Overall length when sheathed is about 11.5″. Specifications 柄長 Tsuka: 3 sun 3 bu (100mm) 拵全長 Koshirae: 9 sun 6 bu (291mm) 拵 Koshirae: aikuchi, issaku Material: Hounoki, samegawa, reclaimed buffalo horn, reclaimed copper wire, silver, natural urushi

Hello, Recently, I have been trying to make my own tanto-style knife in the traditional form. Yesterday, I cut out the basic shape of the blade from 12" 1095 steel that is 1/4" thick. Then I refined the blank using an angle grinder and a 12" bastard file. Next, I marked my center line on the edge of the blank and proceeded to my rookie 4"x36" belt grinder. I started by grinding down to just above the thickness of the edge I want and then pulling that grind angle back until the bevel would touch the spine. At least, that was my plan when I ran out of grinder belts. Not wanting to give up, I headed over to my workbench and began to work with the 12" file. Man that is tiring work! Today, I finished (or at least I think) filing the bevels down to almost proper hira zukuri geometry. I also filed the spine of the blade to the pointed geometry it has. Some questions still remain though. How do I make sure that the convex geometry (the niku I think it's called) I filed is the same on both sides? Also, do you have any tips for the heat treat? I plan on doing a hamon (my first :D) and quenching the steel in some warm/hot canola oil. I know you experts might cringe at my rookie work, but I strongly support any criticism. If this turns out to be a failure it will most certainly be a learning experience. Thanks!

I was originally going for a wakizashi but metal wasnt playing nice with the extra length so back in the forge and straightened it out and shortened the blade for a long tanto. Forgot to take pics of forging process but pretty simple. This is it after final shaping of blade and filing out dents and Knicks. Tomorrow begins the terribly slow process of filing in the edge and fattening up that tang and hopefully get started on sanding the blade.

This is the first installment in my series of themed tanto, The Autumn Grove Kotanto. My inspiration for this blade came in the form of the natural beauty of the forest and the changing colors of the leaves during fall. Drawing on the form of the mighty oak, this blade features a walnut shirasaya with cocobolo spacers that brings to mind the strength and stature of a full grown tree. The copper habaki has a traditional patina created by simmering in a hot niage solution. The speckled, rusty plum patina that the habaki takes on is reminiscent of vivid orange and brown leaves floating down amid the brisk autumn air. The blade itself has a simple yet elegant hamon composed of many ko-gunome waves. The hamon and blade were polished with natural hazuya and jizuya stones giving the hamon a very subtle and natural appearance. OAL: 8.5" from the back of the tsuka to the tip of the blade Shirasaya dimensions: 9.5"x1.8"x.85" Blade width: 1.33" at its widest point Blade Thickness: 1/4" at the munemachi with a distal taper to the end of the kissaki Hamon: Ko-Gunome waves Blade polish: Hybrid polish with hazuya and jizuya stones Mountings: Habaki, Tsuka, Saya, Mekugi Mounting Materials: Walnut, Cocobolo, Wenge, Copper Blade Material: W2 with a differential quench in brine The blade has a single wenge mekugi and can be completely dismounted for easy maintenance and sharpening. I wish I could do the hamon justice with my pictures, but I guess I am just a really lousy photographer haha... It didn't fully show up in all the pictures, but take my word for it, it's there. I'm asking $950 USD OBO for it and it ships free in the US. First to ask gets it, shoot me an email at YozakuraForge@gmail.com or PM I'll be glad to answer any questions you have and would love to see your comments on the blade. Thanks for looking -Grant

San mai of wrought iron shell with 15N20 and 1095 cutting edge. Handle window contains LEGO bricks tumbled at random angles before being sanded down to show their cross-sections. Black cotton ito with 3d printed cast brass menuki. I've been having a lot of fun with these window knives, and have another half dozen in the works.

...this project has been a long time coming but is finally off the ground...some of the background and concept: Satoyama are the managed forest areas that border the cultivated fields and the mountain wilds in Japan. Historically they provided fertilizer, firewood, edible plants, mushrooms, fish, and game, and supported local industries such as farming, construction, and charcoal making. Balancing the interaction of wetlands, streams, forests, and fields is an important component of the satoyama landscape and allows for sustainable use of the rich resources they offer. About the Tools for Satoyama Project (more: islandblacksmith.ca/2016/03/tools-for-satoyama) The Tools for Satoyama project is inspired by this mutually beneficial interaction between humans and the natural world, a robust way of life that sustained both for centuries. Among the goals of the project are contributing to the growing awareness of the satoyama concept, sustainable practices, thoughtful approaches to intentional living, and related historical learning. The four styles of kotanto knives designed for the project are named for the four main areas found within the satoyama landscape: stream, field, forest, and mountain. In addition, the forest and mountain models also come in a full sized tanto configuration. Some of the core characteristics of the knives produced for this project are the reclaimed and natural source materials, use of traditional techniques, and a humble and simple style of carving and finishing. A charcoal forged blade, water quenched with clay, sharpened with waterstones, and finished simply and humbly in the age-old style of farm and foresting tools used in managing satoyama, the borderlands between village and wilds. Project Overview Video (more on the process: bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=34021) Making the Mountain Kotanto: bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=34021 Making the Mountain Tanto: bladesmithsforum.com/index.php?showtopic=34026 Design a Knife: islandblacksmith.ca/design-your-own-knife-tools-for-satoyama

Hey guys I just finished the shobu zukuri tanto up. It is forged from W1 round bar, the Habaki is copper and the shirasaya is basswood with an African Blackwood mekugi. I have learned a lot in making this and had a blast. I'm asking $350 please message me if you are interested! Thanks -Jeff

Hey guys just wanted to share what I have been working on. Forged from 5/8" round W1 With a blade of around 6". Blade style is show zukuri. I know tango are generally Hirazukuri but I wanted to change it up a bit. Please tell me what you think and feel free to critique. The blade is in its rough filed state. I also want to mention that I have not started shaping the tang yet. Thanks for checking it out!

Hello, everyone! Long time no post--I imagine most of the folks on here won't even remember me, these days . After forging my first knife under the guidance of Tai Goo about 7 years ago, I visited a couple local bladesmiths to help me learn a bit more, but after that, I dove into leatherworking because I was living in apartments and couldn't set up my own forge. Now, though, I have a house, so I built a forge and got myself a fairly wimpy little old anvil. Probably about 5 years ago, now, I visited Cris Anderson with a bar of 1084FG and a plan to make a tanto, and he helped me shape the tip and get a bevel started, which is what you can see in this image: Now that I have my own set up, I was excited to finally get back to work on it! I still have more to do, but here it is with a base bevel down the entire length: Right now, most of the edge is about nickel-thickness, or a little thicker, so I still have some thinning to do on the edge. There is also a bit of a twist at the tang, but I can fix that (I think ): I'm not really going for a fully traditional tanto with this project, but it's a fun thing to play with. When I put the bevel in, it curved quite a bit, as you would expect, and I took about half the curve out of it with a chunk of wood, but I wasn't sure how much to take out of it, at this point. I was planning to try claying it up and doing a differential hardening, despite the fact that 1084FG doesn't take a hamon all that well, and as I understand it, quenching in oil (which is my plan) will have a tendency to cause negative sori and straighten the blade out. With that in mind, I left some curve in it, but maybe my thought process is off? In any case, once I thin the bevels out to where I want them, and take the twist out, I plan to take it to the belt grinder to clean it up a little bit, but I want to get the majority of the shaping done with the hammer, if it all possible. Then, it'll be on to hardening and tempering, a little sanding/polishing/sharpening, and a simple wooden tsuka and saya.

The seed that began this project was the question of what would result if a historical Japanese knife maker working at a time when exposure to the west was very limited was asked to create a western style knife based only on a description. The resulting piece retains the lines and techniques that would have been familiar to the maker, but incorporates the most obvious elements of the foreign style which would have been transmitted in that description. The wide guard and hardwood handle would have been immediately recognizable to a western traveler, but the construction of the scabbard and other fittings are quite eastern. In viewing the final work, it seems that this particular fusion of eras and origins have unintentionally captured many of the influences normally associated with, dare I say it, the steampunk genre... "When we attempt to adapt a new style or design that is foreign to us, we tend to work from our own frame of reference, relying heavily on what we know as a foundation. The most obvious elements that differ from the familiar are the ones that tend to get emphasized and filtered through our own paradigm, often to the point of caricature. Similar to examples of pre-photographic illustrations of strange new animals from other lands, the interpretation is sometimes quite unlike the actual subject." more here: islandblacksmith.ca/2015/12/touzai-fusion-tanto/

Finally dinished this tanto...I reworked the polish and it looks so much nicer now.

Hey guys their tanto is nearly finished...the only thing I need to food run put the lacquer. If you guys could give me any pointers on how to make it better I would appreciate it! Steel is W2 the motohaba is a hair over an 1"the nagasa is about 8.5", saya is curly walnut with glooss lacquer and the mekugi is antler

Hey guys as you know I am working on a shirasaya for the tango I forged. I was wondering how the location of the mekugi ana is determined. I understand that it should be located on the 2nd diamond but I am first making a shirasaya and then full mounts. It will be a while before I gather enough cash to purchase the required materials so I don't understand how to determine the location of the hole. Can I use a regular drill bit or is a tapered one preferred? If so what size and where can I buy it? Thanks. -Jeff

So I have been out of sorts as of late and I have been feeling wore out from working on customer blades and just trying to be happy about what I do. So I decided to do my first, what I want to call a true Japanese katana using no mechanical means at all. So here is the first in a series of videos on the forging of my first Oroshigane / Tamahagane Katana the billet was made for me by Ilya of the Baltimore Knife Works thanks Ilya Forging the Sunobe https://youtu.be/XbYwVvc9g_A Forging the Nakago https://youtu.be/YtkFOLJVmcQ Forging the Mune Part 1 https://youtu.be/2iFweAXn0Tk Part 2 https://youtu.be/JTCZCPc3bj0 Part 3 https://youtu.be/hQbmxIweYY4 Part 4 https://youtu.be/6v-bBIjIirE