help hamon question
- Thread starter graveyard
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Dennis Morland
KNIFE MAKER
graveyard
Here is a short how-to for a hamon. There are a few more in the WIP section. These should answer most of your questions and at least get you started.
http://imageevent.com/paleoaleo/hamonbladetutorial
DeMo
Here is a short how-to for a hamon. There are a few more in the WIP section. These should answer most of your questions and at least get you started.
http://imageevent.com/paleoaleo/hamonbladetutorial
DeMo
For the flashiest hamons, go with the lowest alloy content possible. Virtually any alloy added to streel other than carbon will increase the hardenability, and this is a bad thing for hamon development. Chromium is bad. Manganese needs to be kept as low as possible. W2, w1, and 1095 are ideal, as is any 10xx steel with low manganese (Aldo's 1075 is great). You want as shallow hardening a steel as you can get.
Finish the blade out to 120 grit or lower, and leave the edge about the thickness of a nickle. Normalize the blade, clean it up, and apply the clay, give the clay time to harden, then heat-treat it. Use as fast a quenchant as you feel comfortable using....
As for heat control, when steel changes phase a phenomenon known as decalescence takes place (a quick google search tells all about it), where the glow of the steel seems to darken, then as the heat increases it lightens up again. It may be difficult to observe on a clayed blade. As the steel increases in heat, the 'shadow' begins to go, and when the shadow is gone, the steel is ready to quench. Best to do this at night, with no direct lighting other than the glow of the forge. Once you learn to see and recognize it, decalescence is a sure-fire way to know when the steel is ready to quench, at least with the steels you can heat-treat in a forge, not sure about the high alloy stuff...
As for heat control, when steel changes phase a phenomenon known as decalescence takes place (a quick google search tells all about it), where the glow of the steel seems to darken, then as the heat increases it lightens up again. It may be difficult to observe on a clayed blade. As the steel increases in heat, the 'shadow' begins to go, and when the shadow is gone, the steel is ready to quench. Best to do this at night, with no direct lighting other than the glow of the forge. Once you learn to see and recognize it, decalescence is a sure-fire way to know when the steel is ready to quench, at least with the steels you can heat-treat in a forge, not sure about the high alloy stuff...
Josh Dabney
Moderator
Good advice given above.
I'd just add that your best steel choice with lack of accurate temperature control is the 1075 from Aldo. It'll be a little more forgiving in heat treat than W1 W2 or 1095.
-Josh
I'd just add that your best steel choice with lack of accurate temperature control is the 1075 from Aldo. It'll be a little more forgiving in heat treat than W1 W2 or 1095.
-Josh
Josh Dabney
Moderator
There is no need to go into oil after a water quench. In the water then air cool is fine.
Water quenching will result in high percentage of broken/cracked blades. It is a calculated risk just be aware that you'll lose blades water quenching.
-Josh
Water quenching will result in high percentage of broken/cracked blades. It is a calculated risk just be aware that you'll lose blades water quenching.
-Josh