Bjorn Gylfason Posted December 19, 2021 Share Posted December 19, 2021 (edited) I've had these damascus rods laying on top of my forge for a couple of months while working on other stuff and finally decided to put them to use. The plan was to make a fancy migration era inspired kitchen knife or two out of them but for whatever reason the edge steel just didn't want to weld to the rest But as the other rods are all 75ni8 and 80crv2 that won't really effect edge strength except those kitchen nerds around here are very particular about having only one kind of steel on the edge. So then this is heading in a completely different direction now I won't be giving up the idea in my head just yet so you will just have to follow along and see if it's going to be a good or as really really bad idea Edited May 1, 2022 by Bjorn Gylfason Blades got a name 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua States Posted December 19, 2021 Share Posted December 19, 2021 Ah, yes. Recreating the the migration era Wakizashi. Found in the Mountains of Ural, it is believed to be an artifact left by a wandering Ronin Samurai in the late 8th century. The theory that it was created by migration era smiths who had travelled to the far east and had seen these small swords is also popular. This will be a cool project. 2 2 “So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.” The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing. Josh http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg J.States Bladesmith | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71 https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Gylfason Posted December 19, 2021 Author Share Posted December 19, 2021 Damnit is it that obvious? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted December 19, 2021 Share Posted December 19, 2021 4 hours ago, Bjorn Gylfason said: Damnit is it that obvious? Yeah. But it's still cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Lester Posted December 20, 2021 Share Posted December 20, 2021 I agree, it's a cool looking blade so why don't you take a run at it and see what you can do? Doug HELP...I'm a twenty year old trapped in the body of an old man!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Gylfason Posted December 21, 2021 Author Share Posted December 21, 2021 A bit of grinding and a lot of filing. And now I'm thinking about adding a fuller or two just because I can. Now as a pure fantasy piece I'm not bound to any traditions and there really isn't any wrong way to make this abomination but am wondering, on traditional Japanese blades, does the fuller stop in front of the habaki or continue under it? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua States Posted December 21, 2021 Share Posted December 21, 2021 (edited) I got curious about this concept and did a little searching in the forums. wakisax - Show and Tell - Bladesmith's Forum Board (bladesmithsforum.com) Edited December 21, 2021 by Joshua States “So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.” The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing. Josh http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg J.States Bladesmith | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71 https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Gylfason Posted December 21, 2021 Author Share Posted December 21, 2021 18 minutes ago, Joshua States said: I got curious about this concept and did a little searching in the forums. wakisax - Show and Tell - Bladesmith's Forum Board (bladesmithsforum.com) Haha this is awesome, there truly is nothing new under the sun 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Gylfason Posted December 31, 2021 Author Share Posted December 31, 2021 Got a little bit done on this today. Ground the fullers in, scraped them and got them sanded to 400 for minimal post quench clean up. Filed the spine and eyeballed the flats for the habaki. So now I think I just need to finish some sanding an drilling a hole in the tang and it's about ready for heat treating 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Gastellu Posted December 31, 2021 Share Posted December 31, 2021 (edited) Nice progress, looking great! On 12/21/2021 at 11:34 AM, Bjorn Gylfason said: on traditional Japanese blades, does the fuller stop in front of the habaki or continue under it? It's a little late now for an answer but all styles exist, from stopping before the habaki to continuing all the way to the end of the tang, so what you did is perfect Edited December 31, 2021 by Francis Gastellu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua States Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 Looking good Bjorn. Go man go! “So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.” The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing. Josh http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg J.States Bladesmith | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71 https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Gylfason Posted January 4, 2022 Author Share Posted January 4, 2022 Lit up the forge for the first time this year and got this heat treated along with starting up some new billets So I guess next up should be making a habaki 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Gylfason Posted March 20, 2022 Author Share Posted March 20, 2022 Getting back to this one. Got the habaki formed around the blade and brazed got a bit of grinding and filing left to get the shape I want but waiting until I get the materials for the guard. Been going back and forth with my ideas for it and right now I'm thinking about a brass and horn sandwich for a little Vendel aesthetic. And sanded the blade down to 1200 grit and gave it a little etch 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Thomas Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 Looks great! Love the mash up of styles Guy Thomas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Colwell Posted March 20, 2022 Share Posted March 20, 2022 I like it. The combination of twisted bars and a wakizashi makes for a nice blade. good work. please visit my website http://www.professorsforge.com/ “Years ago I recognized my kinship with all living things, and I made up my mind that I was not one bit better than the meanest on the earth. I said then and I say now, that while there is a lower class, I am in it; while there is a criminal element, I am of it; while there is a soul in prison, I am not free.” E. V. Debs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikkel Hollnagel Posted March 21, 2022 Share Posted March 21, 2022 Great thread - go go go bjørn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Gylfason Posted March 25, 2022 Author Share Posted March 25, 2022 Got the horn slabs I was waiting for yesterday so started on the guard got it to the shape I want so next will be finish filing the habaki and bevel the corners of the guard pieces. I think I'm going to make some decorative washers for the guard pins on the blade side and possibly some filework just to fancy it up a bit. While I was waiting for materials I built this simple jig to be able to get more consistent twists on these small bars. Works perfectly though I need to practice a bit more with it hence the interrupted twist rods need some straightening before being squared up again haven't completely decided what I'm going to make with these rods except that it should be single edged and large 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua States Posted March 27, 2022 Share Posted March 27, 2022 On 3/25/2022 at 9:07 AM, Bjorn Gylfason said: possibly some filework just to fancy it up a bit. Always my tendency as well. Every time I see a plain surface, I think "oh look, another canvas" “So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.” The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing. Josh http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg J.States Bladesmith | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71 https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Gylfason Posted March 28, 2022 Author Share Posted March 28, 2022 Weeeeell, this project is kind of getting out of hand Those bars I twisted last week and I had thought I was going to make a single edged viking sword from got squared up Edge bar is just straight 240 layers Everything ground and mating sides squared better on the belt grinder Waiting for the forge to heat up And everything seemed to have taken and tapered out a bit for a tang After grinding a bit on it to see how well the welds took I felt like it would be a good idea to cleft weld a bit of mild steel on the tang to have enough material that could also easily be peened... Well there's plenty of material alright At this point I was thinking a fantastical two handed viking sword with a slight forward sabering fit to slay trolls but a friend saw it and immediately said nagamaki So after laying them side by side I realize this really should be a set. Instead of grinding tomorrow I'll be curving the blade a bit towards the back and drawing the tang about 5cm longer as there is plenty of meat in it yet. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua States Posted March 29, 2022 Share Posted March 29, 2022 The saga continues! “So I'm lightin' out for the territory, ahead of the scared and the weak and the mean spirited, because Aunt Sally is fixin’ to adopt me and civilize me, and I can't stand it. I've been there before.” The only bad experience is the one from which you learn nothing. Josh http://www.dosgatosdesignsllc.com/#! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdJMFMqnbLYqv965xd64vYg J.States Bladesmith | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dos.gatos.71 https://www.etsy.com/shop/JStatesBladesmith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Gylfason Posted March 31, 2022 Author Share Posted March 31, 2022 Still a lot of grinding to do. Did a light etch to better see where to grind more and get rid of as many weld flaws as possible before moving on to the hardening. So far it seems like I should end up with a pretty solid piece 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Gylfason Posted April 2, 2022 Author Share Posted April 2, 2022 And it survived the quench without falling apart, warping or doing anything too weird Going to make the guard in the same sandwich style as the waki do will have to order some larger brass pieces. But there are some days of grinding and polishing on the blade in the meantime 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Longmire Posted April 2, 2022 Share Posted April 2, 2022 This will be an epic set! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjorn Gylfason Posted April 4, 2022 Author Share Posted April 4, 2022 Well, had the big one down to A45 belt on the grinder but looking at it felt like it needed some fullers. So some permanent marker and scribe lines and off to the grinding room again this is going to take a while to hand sand straight and even but I happen to have a new audiobook so that's just fine. I'm hoping I'll have the set ready to take with me to the bladeshow in Solingen in May but only time will tell 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Gastellu Posted April 5, 2022 Share Posted April 5, 2022 Looking good! Do you grind your fullers freehand on a narrow wheel? I've always been too scared to try that... it requires skills 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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