Bubba,
Can you show the stones you're using as well as the other Japanese Water stones you use for sharpening and everything else they're used for?
I love the Japanese way of Blade making, not that I will ever do it, I'm doing good the way I am, their way is hard on an old mans body...not that I'm all the old....just my body!
I recently watched a video on You Tube of Jesus Hernandez, and (a friend of his, last name was Sorrel, I think) it showed how they made their Tama Hagane, it was AMAZING!!! Totally mind blowing, maybe one day if I could find someone to partner up with, kinda share the expenses as well as the steel, maybe I could give it a try. A while back I watched a show that used to come on Discovery,(I think the name was Weapon Masters) (I think), had this wirey little fellow that did all the hard work, he was the machinist/inventor/comic relief, while the older fella was the historian, and gathered info on what ever they were going to build, they did one show on the Samrui sword, actually went to Japan and watched as they had the blooms coming out of the foundry, (I'm not as up on Japanese terminology as you are, sorry.) It was awesome to be able to be that close to the process, they even showed how they selected the steel for the edge and the spine. When I was in the Marines, I spent 6 months in Japan, part of it in Okinawa, and the rest on the main land, Mt. Fuji and Yakuska. My absolute favorite country, I went to and I've been to several others, that were nice, and pretty, Japan held a mystique about it, the history, culture, everything about was awe inspiring. OK, enough tripping down memory lane!
Another thing Bubba, have you seen the stones in Japanese Wood Worker? If not, their web site is japanesewoodworker.com, I think, I'd have to check to be sure, but they have water stones, and I recently found out they have Japanese forging hammers, their web site isn't the easiest to navigate, you really have to keep looking at the different Titles of the different catergories, there are different things in all of them, excellent site once you can find your way around.
Last question, where is the best place to get the stones you use? I know they aren't cheap, so where have you found the best price. I've been quietly admiring your work for a while, you really do make some nice blades, the swords, blow me away, keeping one straight? My elbows would be blown out if I tried to hand sand that length, and it would take me months! Once I get A LOT better I may give one a try,......maybe, that's as close to a commitment as I'll go, loving the style of the blades and really going whole hog into them are 2 different things. I'll stick to admiring them right now, when the time is right and I'm ready to give it an honest attempt, I'll know! Until then, you keep on making these beauties!!!! Thanks, Rex