metallurgical lab exam of samurai sword

I enjoyed reading that. I wonder if there's better pictures to be found. Too bad you cant read the stamp. It be interesting to also read their examination of bayonets, too.

I'd like to print this off and go through it looking up the metallurgical terms. I can't remember what they all meant right off hand. It was good to read something about metallurgy outside the modern context of bladesmithing. I can see some of the same concepts: not only those understood by ancient smiths, but also what the metallurgists were looking for at the time of the report. They're using a lot of the same terms and looking for the same things in blades, like hardness/toughness and cutting ability. I think I could combine this with what modern bladesmiths are teaching and get a handle on some foreign concepts. This looks very helpful.

It was also cool to see that you could tell how the sword was heat treated. I think I read in a knifemakers book that "steel keeps an internal record of the way it was worked, treated," not sure on that last part I underlined. I also don't want to quote the smith just in case I miss quoted. But these metallurgists could tell a lot about that blade and steel I never knew you could ever know.
 
The link doesn't allow me to download or view either. Perhaps too many folks are wanting to read?
 
Same error for me, and I was hoping to have a look since I have done extensive metallography on old Japanese swords myself, wanted to compare some notes.
 
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Darn, I got caught again now checking the date on the original post. Just saw date on last post and went from there.
 
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