JPH Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 (edited) Hello: Well RPFS is now over for the year and I am finally able to get back to work... Now I hope the photos come through I do have a new Sony camera so here goes... Finally after more than 18 months or so of various experimenting and techniques I got my "Nagi-Dachi Tachi" finished to where I am no longer ashamed to show it ensuite with the siya. This sword has been called an "abomination" by Japanese sword collectors..Funny thing is..I never said it was suppose to be anything than it is...And that's a sword. The blade...is huge...at 34", kobuse construction, using 1095 mixed with refined meteorite and wrought iron. The laminate is then wrapped around a wrought iron core and then finished forged. There's around 2200 layers by my estimation so C content is pretty much homogenous. Ok I made expensive 1055 The two Bo-Hi are hand scraped with the Naginata Hi being the biggest PITA . Straight (sugaha) Hamon, as this was the most "effective" visiaully on a "working blade" at least to me..besdies this is all that's really needed.. Tsuka is in a "bat" themed motiff. Blued steel tsuba, fuchi and kashira. Tsuka length is 15".. The Tsuka is covered with tiger ray Samegawa and black and gold silk ito. A silver and blued steel twin bat menuki is under the ito. Overall length is 50" The Siya is covered on the top third by matching tiger ray samegawa with a horn Koiguchi and a horn "ferrule" that makes the transition from the ray skin to the black lacquer over the gold leaf. The 22K gold leaf process I finally figured out after numerous failures. Boy were those a glorious mess...Talk about disappointments...but now I think I got it....A horn kojiri brings it all to an end... Hope these photos work... these are from like I said my "state of the art" Sony camera and I dunno...still they have to be better than my old ones... All in all this one finally is where I like it.. JPH Dang!! OK I have tried like 6 different things and I can't get the pics to load so let me see if I can do this... http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc78/Jhrisoulas1/005.jpg http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc78/Jhrisoulas1/006.jpg http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc78/Jhrisoulas1/001.jpg For some reason they wouldn't upload from my computer...could the files be too big?? Edited June 5, 2009 by JPH If you wish to know the price of freedom..Visit a Veteran's Hospital...I am humbled by their sacrifice... Why is it when the Mighty Thor throws his hammer he is dispensing Justice and fighting Evil..BUT..when I throw my hammer I wind up in a mandatory 16 week anger management course??</p> I came into this world naked, screaming and covered in someone else's blood...I have no problem going out the same way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarrisonF Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I do not think it worked lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted June 5, 2009 Author Share Posted June 5, 2009 HE: Yeah...I know...what can I say?? I am a 19th Cent man just now getting into the 20th Cent so i am still 100 years behind.. Looks like the links worked... Sigh JPH If you wish to know the price of freedom..Visit a Veteran's Hospital...I am humbled by their sacrifice... Why is it when the Mighty Thor throws his hammer he is dispensing Justice and fighting Evil..BUT..when I throw my hammer I wind up in a mandatory 16 week anger management course??</p> I came into this world naked, screaming and covered in someone else's blood...I have no problem going out the same way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Hey, Jim, looks good to me! You should be able to use those link codes, entered just like that, by clicking on the little image box in the posting window, the one between the green plus sign and the envelope with the plus sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim P Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 Wow,............. abomination? Looks fantastic to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEzell Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 The blade...is huge...at 34", kobuse construction, using 1095 mixed with refined meteorite and wrought iron. The laminate is then wrapped around a wrought iron core and then finished forged. There's around 2200 layers by my estimation so C content is pretty much homogenous. Ok I made expensive 1055 Now I need to clean the keyboard of nose beverage.... I'd really like to see a close up of that steel, I bet it's prettier than 1055. Awesome sword Jim, well done. I think it's graceful, in a savage way. George Ezell, bladesmith" How much useful knowledge is lost by the scattered forms in which it is ushered to the world! How many solitary students spend half their lives in making discoveries which had been perfected a century before their time, for want of a condensed exhibition of what is known."Buffonview some of my work RelicForge on facebook Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Erwin Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 I like it! Looks like something a warrior would love to carry. Beau Erwin www.ErwinKnives.com Custom knives Bcarta Composites Stabilized Woods Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdsmith02115 Posted June 5, 2009 Share Posted June 5, 2009 That whle package is just nice. Very attractive and skillfully done. Bravo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 Hello: Ok I will see what I can do as far as a CU..give me a little while..I will see what I can do..the Hada is visible so is the Hamon..but it is not in any way, shape or form a "traditional" polish..Heck..it's not even a traditional sword in the sense of the word.. Still, all in all..I am no longer hanging my head in shame when I show it...I think the whole package gives the right "visual impression"..and it cuts wonderfully... So let me see what I can do photo wise... Be back in a bit JPH If you wish to know the price of freedom..Visit a Veteran's Hospital...I am humbled by their sacrifice... Why is it when the Mighty Thor throws his hammer he is dispensing Justice and fighting Evil..BUT..when I throw my hammer I wind up in a mandatory 16 week anger management course??</p> I came into this world naked, screaming and covered in someone else's blood...I have no problem going out the same way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 (edited) Ok.. Let me see if this works close up 1 OK that one didn't work so back to the original plan http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc78/Jh...s1/DSC00014.jpg Ok that one worked....one of these days I will get the hang of this JPH Edited June 6, 2009 by JPH If you wish to know the price of freedom..Visit a Veteran's Hospital...I am humbled by their sacrifice... Why is it when the Mighty Thor throws his hammer he is dispensing Justice and fighting Evil..BUT..when I throw my hammer I wind up in a mandatory 16 week anger management course??</p> I came into this world naked, screaming and covered in someone else's blood...I have no problem going out the same way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smith Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Jim wow I love it. I can hardly wait until my Ko-Katana is fully polished and mounted. I hope it looks half as good as yours. John W Smithwww.smith-forge.orgFire and wind come from the sky, from the gods of the sky. But Crom is your god, Crom and he lives in the earth. Once, giants lived in the Earth, Conan. And in the darkness of chaos, they fooled Crom, and they took from him the enigma of steel. Crom was angered. And the Earth shook. Fire and wind struck down these giants, and they threw their bodies into the waters, but in their rage, the gods forgot the secret of steel and left it on the battlefield. We who found it are just men. Not gods. Not giants. Just men. The secret of steel has always carried with it a mystery. You must learn its riddle, Conan. You must learn its discipline. For no one - no one in this world can you trust. Not men, not women, not beasts.[Points to sword]This you can trust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matt venier Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 As far as I'm concerned you've just given "abomination" A whole new definition! That's stunning! Where did you get that chevron patterned wrapping for the tsuka? Matt There's no kissaki like an O-kissaki!http://www.venierdesign.com/Venier_Design_Inc./Welcome.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Stephens Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Jim -- That is really nice. I didn't know you made Japanese blades. Most of yours that I've admired in the past have been European blades. Your work is always inspiring. Thanks for sharing this. --Dave -----------------------------------------------"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly." -- Theodore Roosevelthttp://stephensforge.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neil gagnon Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 beautiful blade i love how you used the dark gray with black colours in your theme. I am currently working on a similar project myself, not very fun trying to quench a blade that size and heattreating it. Hard on the nerves, I only hope mine turns out half as good as yours. Thank-you for posting the abomination, catchy name. "One who is samurai must before all things" Keep constantly in mind, by day and by night. the fact that he has to die... -Dai Doji Yuzon- 16th Century http://sites.google.com/site/canadianliveblade/home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted June 6, 2009 Author Share Posted June 6, 2009 (edited) Hello: Well I am glad ya all like it..it was a long haul and a lot of frustration on the siya... That gold leaf was a real pain to figure out as I made quite a few mistakes and ruined three siyas...My biggest learning experience (remember experience is what you get when you don't get the result you wanted) was in using a primer under the sizing for the gold leaf. That set me up for a major dissaster. What happened was that the sizing wasn't able to penetrate the wood, it just "sat there" on top of the primer and all was well and good for a while .I was ignorant of this fact...untl it was much too late... The gold leaf went on like a champ, so did the lacquer. I had no clue at all that anything was amiss until everything was dry..Until then... oh man it look gorgeous.. Well once it was dry and I started to handle it a bit to put on the kojiri the whole lacquered area of the siya started to "move" and well it just slipped off thanks to the sizing foul up....and I lost like 3 day's work and a lot of 22K gold leaf..sigh..What a sticky, gooey mess... So I called my "fine arts" siya and tsuka buddy Randy down in Phoenix with my problem and he said the primer messed me up..so I put the sizing down on bare wood, said a prayer to every Diety I knew of (and a few I made up) and did it all over again..and it worked... Matt: On the Black/gold ito...I got that from Michael at www.shadowofleaves.com look under the "swordmaking supplies".. He has a whole lot of ito as well as matching sageo. Speaking of which mine for this sword just came in yesterday (Got to get that on this...that way it will be all done!) from him and he gives excellent customer service and has a lot of fun stuff...I get alot of ito from him. Yeah the nihonto folks hate me...they say I am "tainting the art".. Uhhhhh..ok...but I never said it was anything but a sword..Some folks need to either get a sense of humor or a life... Sheesh!! If they think this is bad..wait untl book 4 comes out... On the colour scheme..I have a half dozen or so of these tiger ray skins laying around here waiting to be used.....These are HUGE skins..like 14" x 24-26" or so...I figured that with a bat theme the colours should go well...Being that bats are 1: Good luck ( I need all of that I can get) and 2: They like the dark...and it worked..FINALLY...took me a while to get it where I was happy with it. My friend Randy Black was a great help with this... On me and Japanese styled blades.. Dave you are right I usually don't do these but I need to for my 4th book. Back when the late Mr. Robert Engnath was still alive he and I were getting deeply into the Hamon effect and how to reliably reproduce it. In fact I did most of his heat treating up until he bought that Johnson furnace (and dropped it onto my foot)... Even after that on the longer pieces I was still doing it. I have all the notes he and I took and when he so suddenly passed..he took a lot of information with him. Well I am not getting any younger, and with that stroke I had (thanks to all the stress I was undergoing in 2007/2008) I figured I better get off my duff and get book 4 outta my head and onto paper while I am still functional and published. So the sections on Japanese as well as European composite blades. Book 4 is not a "beginner's book" so unless you already know a good deal..don't buy it..It will only be a major frustration if you do not already know the basics..besides, that's what the first three are for. Anyway I got to ge get my naginata all packed up and sent out to Brother John for him to HT it for me..For some reason these give me a whole lotta problems... Thank you all for the kind words about the "Sword of Abomination"...I named it "Drunked Bat" due to he irratic Hada. Will be working on a nagimaki inspired Dai-Sho in the next few months after I complete a few more orders... Will try to figure out how to finally post some pics... Oh..something I just thought of..I do not want book 4 to be an "all Jim's stuff" book..if anyone is interested in sending in photos of pattern welded blades, contact me...I will submit them with the manuscript and if they are selected you will get full credit in the book. Like I said contact me for all the details... Back to work for me... JPH Edited June 6, 2009 by JPH If you wish to know the price of freedom..Visit a Veteran's Hospital...I am humbled by their sacrifice... Why is it when the Mighty Thor throws his hammer he is dispensing Justice and fighting Evil..BUT..when I throw my hammer I wind up in a mandatory 16 week anger management course??</p> I came into this world naked, screaming and covered in someone else's blood...I have no problem going out the same way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Smith Posted June 6, 2009 Share Posted June 6, 2009 Nice Jim that sounds like alot of cups of coffee and some asprin along with a few dog beatings. LOL John W Smithwww.smith-forge.orgFire and wind come from the sky, from the gods of the sky. But Crom is your god, Crom and he lives in the earth. Once, giants lived in the Earth, Conan. And in the darkness of chaos, they fooled Crom, and they took from him the enigma of steel. Crom was angered. And the Earth shook. Fire and wind struck down these giants, and they threw their bodies into the waters, but in their rage, the gods forgot the secret of steel and left it on the battlefield. We who found it are just men. Not gods. Not giants. Just men. The secret of steel has always carried with it a mystery. You must learn its riddle, Conan. You must learn its discipline. For no one - no one in this world can you trust. Not men, not women, not beasts.[Points to sword]This you can trust Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted June 10, 2009 Author Share Posted June 10, 2009 John: Yeah it was a bit trying and mote than a little frustrating, since Japanese stuff really "isn't my thing" but I had to do it..I owed it to the late Bob Engnath NOT to take all I know with me to the grave. I still miss that man..he was "family"...When he died he took a lot of knowledge with him and I won't let that happen with me.. That stroke I had, like I said, even though it was minor...(what was I to expect wth a BP of 210/120??) and it really put a light to me to get book IV finished...So the Japanese stuff... All in all, I think I will keep this one the way it is...Now I have a Germanic shortsword to finish up for a client.. Anyway..back to work for me...Oh the nagi is on its way today...heh heh heh JPH If you wish to know the price of freedom..Visit a Veteran's Hospital...I am humbled by their sacrifice... Why is it when the Mighty Thor throws his hammer he is dispensing Justice and fighting Evil..BUT..when I throw my hammer I wind up in a mandatory 16 week anger management course??</p> I came into this world naked, screaming and covered in someone else's blood...I have no problem going out the same way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Pyron Posted June 10, 2009 Share Posted June 10, 2009 ...Now I have a Germanic shortsword to finish up for a client.. Now THAT's something right up MY ally! Oh man I'd LOVE to see that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPH Posted June 11, 2009 Author Share Posted June 11, 2009 Michael: it's just a little three core twist/counter twist interupt...three piece bone grip with bronze mounts..just a little guy...Nothing fancy..soldier grade sorta thing....If ya want I will post pics next week once I get it done... JPH If you wish to know the price of freedom..Visit a Veteran's Hospital...I am humbled by their sacrifice... Why is it when the Mighty Thor throws his hammer he is dispensing Justice and fighting Evil..BUT..when I throw my hammer I wind up in a mandatory 16 week anger management course??</p> I came into this world naked, screaming and covered in someone else's blood...I have no problem going out the same way... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guarnera Posted June 11, 2009 Share Posted June 11, 2009 Michael: it's just a little three core twist/counter twist interupt...three piece bone grip with bronze mounts..just a little guy...Nothing fancy..soldier grade sorta thing....If ya want I will post pics next week once I get it done... JPH Jim, Everything you make is a delight to see. The Japanese sword is no exception. If you really look at Japanese swords there were a lot of variations in the different styles. So who's to say whats right and whats wrong. I think it came out beautifully. Glad to here your OK, and working. Stay well, and god bless. Tony G Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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