Polishing a Japanese Sword

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 22 лип 2024
  • Bladesmith Walter Sorrells shows the lemon juice acid etching process that he uses as the final part of polishing his Japanese style swords. In this case the blade is a tanto, the shortest of the three sizes of Japanese blades, the larger two being the wakizashi and the katana. Unlike in Western style knives where polishing is mainly intended to make the blade shiny, the intent here is to bring out the hamon or "temper line" which is characteristic of all swords of the samurai.
    Like the videos? Show some monetary love! Every little bit is MUCH appreciated... / waltersorrells
    PLUS - Every click helps - even if you don't buy! Walter's Amazon Influencer Store: www.amazon.com/shop/waltersor...
    AND - FREE PDF - Five Killer Tips & Tools: waltersorrellsblades.mykajabi...
    Check out Walter's videos about making Japanese swords! www.waltersorrellsblades.com
    FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL:
    Facebook: / waltersorrellsblades
    Instagram: walterstactix
    Twitter: @WalterSorrells
    WANT TO BUY ONE OF MY BLADES?
    Tactix Armory knives: www.tactixarmory.com
    Patreon: / waltersorrells
    Help the channel and get a discount on belts from Combat Abrasives! www.combatabrasives.com/disco...

КОМЕНТАРІ • 65

  • @johnbranchcomb6868
    @johnbranchcomb6868 Рік тому +2

    Can't thank you enough. This technique brought out a beautiful, initially invisible, hamon, on my first attempt at differential heat treating an 80crv2 tanto.

  • @philippatek3928
    @philippatek3928 Рік тому +1

    Loved it!! I used your technique on my first ever hamon… it was O-1 mono, and it actually turned out really good 👍🏼 thanks for the continued teaching Walter!

  • @WickedTools
    @WickedTools Рік тому +1

    Thank you Walter for the demonstration! Work of art!

  • @mateushenrique9056
    @mateushenrique9056 Рік тому +2

    Man, you really save my work today, thank you very very much, you have a amazing great job, big fan.

  • @reddogknives
    @reddogknives Рік тому

    I made a camp knife with differential quench and a hamone that came out really nice, but nothing like yours. Many hours of practice and technique needed. Thank you for your vids

  • @XcaptainXobliviousX
    @XcaptainXobliviousX Рік тому

    gorgeous piece. ive adored your hamon work in japanese swords for years. keep on keepin on.

    • @XcaptainXobliviousX
      @XcaptainXobliviousX Рік тому

      i still randomly think about that eggshell lacquerwork scabbard you made once every couple months

  • @josephgeurts3134
    @josephgeurts3134 Рік тому

    Thanks !
    it's -18° in Minnesota this morning,
    I'm staying in to polish one of my blades !

  • @andrewengstrom1516
    @andrewengstrom1516 Рік тому

    "the squiggly line is the hamon."
    Love you so much, Walter...

  • @nahte123
    @nahte123 Рік тому +1

    Inspiring stuff! Thanks for sharing.

  • @jeremybertrand7931
    @jeremybertrand7931 Рік тому

    Wow! I had no clue you went through all that to polish! Crazy!

  • @danielmartin4596
    @danielmartin4596 Рік тому

    Beautiful job

  • @RobanyBigjobz
    @RobanyBigjobz Рік тому +6

    It remains an ambition to make a hamon that beautiful. Can't seem to get there, dunno if I'm taking off too much of the oxides with the mothers polish or if there's just not that much activity in the steel. Either way, another great video Walter :)

  • @CobraKaiNoMercy
    @CobraKaiNoMercy Рік тому +4

    Nice video Walter!
    I also have some katana hybrid polishes that I did which can be seen on my channel.
    Compared to your approach, I use either lemon juice or vinegar, but I will only apply it to the hamon. For the metal polish I personally don’t care for Mothers Mag as it is very aggressive, I instead use Pikal which will remove excess acid etching, while still leaving the hamon nice and white looking. I do this around five times, and then will use Wenol as a finishing polish which makes the blade very shiny, and tones down the hamon giving it a more “Sashikomi” (natural polish) compared to a “Hadori” (artistic polish), which I find a bit too much.
    Enjoyed the video!

  • @christurley391
    @christurley391 Рік тому

    Thanks for the video.

  • @metalmanproductions9267
    @metalmanproductions9267 Рік тому

    Thanks Walter

  • @DamsLifestyle
    @DamsLifestyle Рік тому +2

    AMAZING video

  • @reorg
    @reorg Рік тому

    First time in months you showed up in my new subscribed videos, even though I'm a sub for years

  • @donclary5293
    @donclary5293 Рік тому

    Thanks for this video! I look forward to each when I get the notice of a new one. Timing is great. Currently working on several twist damascus tantos. Why do you polish the tang then rough up the area that ends up in the tsuka?

  • @nathan900130
    @nathan900130 Рік тому

    Will this affect blade that has colored with acid dye? I have a Clay Tempered T10 Katana with Black Acid Dye, and I’m thinking of polish the hamon.

  • @althesmith
    @althesmith 9 місяців тому

    How far would you take a shinsakuto which is going to be used for iai and light cutting, and would you touch up with a soft stone or paper?

  • @althesmith
    @althesmith 8 місяців тому

    What is your attitude towards using layout fluid for more of an indicator for getting all the previous grit marks out?

  • @fakerfake1
    @fakerfake1 Рік тому

    Absolutely stunning! Is this blade for sale?

  • @opusjosh
    @opusjosh Місяць тому

    What is the song and what is the container used to clean off the lemon?

  • @josephgeurts3134
    @josephgeurts3134 Рік тому +1

    Thanks Walter !
    The mag polish was the missing step i needed to get rid of that haze .
    I had used lemon juice from the bottle before , it was a cost savings over squeezing lemons , i save those lemons for the vodka sour after polishing :))

    • @bananaguns9892
      @bananaguns9892 Рік тому

      Do you know what abrasive he used in the slurry?

    • @josephgeurts3134
      @josephgeurts3134 Рік тому

      @@bananaguns9892 idk for sure ,the pen plastic jar is mother's mag polish , is the Ajax on the sink a clue to the powder for slurry ?

  • @promiscuous675
    @promiscuous675 Рік тому

    Thank you.

  • @zerodarkthirty6662
    @zerodarkthirty6662 Рік тому

    is this method also applicable to a high manganese steel katana blade ?

  • @ryanr2740
    @ryanr2740 Рік тому

    Hey Walter what kind of dry abrasive are you using?

  • @silentforest4126
    @silentforest4126 Рік тому

    Thank you man i loooove you!!! Why cant my dad be you, seriously

  • @kestersmith1575
    @kestersmith1575 Рік тому

    Beautiful outcome Walter to bad I don’t have that kind of patience

  • @samwise5493
    @samwise5493 Рік тому

    Do you ever use lime for a finish ?

  • @lundysden6781
    @lundysden6781 Рік тому +1

    WoW!

  • @chriskincaid6035
    @chriskincaid6035 Рік тому

    Thank You ...

  • @Robert-ko6wr
    @Robert-ko6wr Рік тому +1

    Interesting t-shirt. It wasn’t hard for me to believe that you graduated from Harvard. That was completely plausible. My only quandary was did you do STEM or the Humanities? I truly enjoy your all your videos. You are a wonderful and humble teacher. This one though begged a question. Nice t-shirt though and a thoughtful gift from Mom.

  • @brianmansfield1777
    @brianmansfield1777 Рік тому

    Would you mind sharing what kind of abrasive you are using in the oil slurry?

  • @ralphgalindo8000
    @ralphgalindo8000 11 місяців тому

    its 10:58 7-30-23
    What is the abrasives you have in the mason jar that you make the oil slurry?

  • @floydstevars4235
    @floydstevars4235 10 місяців тому

    How can you bring bring back the original condition of an old antique Japanese sword

  • @emsea7279
    @emsea7279 Рік тому +3

    I thought we polished our blades with our enemies?

    • @Yoda2422
      @Yoda2422 Місяць тому

      Not really.. if it’s a traditionally made blade it will probably just rust if you don’t clean it

  • @_vindicator_
    @_vindicator_ Місяць тому

    i would add that you never file the tang if it's a shinken. all in all, i don't recommend filing the tang ever, but definitely not when it's a real japanese blade - it's used to measure the age of the blade and also to establish legitimacy.

  • @LYLEWOLD
    @LYLEWOLD Рік тому

    Very cool. And who was the piano music? Chopin, maybe? Sounded like Satie, but also not.

    • @bananaguns9892
      @bananaguns9892 Рік тому +1

      Chopin prelude in E minor i think

    • @LYLEWOLD
      @LYLEWOLD Рік тому

      @@bananaguns9892 Thank you. Not that I know, I had to find that and listen to it, but I think you're right.

    • @bananaguns9892
      @bananaguns9892 Рік тому +1

      @@LYLEWOLD I’ve played it but i couldn’t remember if that was the name or not(eventually they all get mixed up in your head)

  • @ColdHawk
    @ColdHawk Рік тому +1

    7:09 Hmmmm. Anyone else thinking what I am thinking watching this?
    You can tell by the movements of his hands…
    Walter has done this many times.

  • @Pablo668
    @Pablo668 9 місяців тому

    I'm wondering how he gets away with polishing his knives in the kitchen. What does the wife say?

  • @ClenioBuilder
    @ClenioBuilder Рік тому

    👏👏👏👏👏👏👀

  • @ZeroG
    @ZeroG Місяць тому

    acid polish = bad i thought

  • @ryanwalker1825
    @ryanwalker1825 Рік тому

    You didn't chop and you wood with it

  • @unclebob1959
    @unclebob1959 Рік тому

    Can you make a meat cleaver sometime?

  • @onoviktor7867
    @onoviktor7867 9 місяців тому

    😖

  • @smrettpecca
    @smrettpecca Рік тому

    Thumbs up for the t-shirt! :) the Hamon is just beautyfull! Thumbs down for leading viewers from this platform to a pay platform. :(

    • @reddogknives
      @reddogknives Рік тому +1

      The man is just trying to make a living.

  • @miyan0908
    @miyan0908 2 місяці тому

    nice kitchen knife. not Japanese Sword.

  • @ellipsis9573
    @ellipsis9573 Рік тому +1

    I have to say, it is interesting that you found a way that works for you, but no. Just no. This is not polishing. This is etching. This takes absolutely no skill and is kind of mind-boggling for your prices and an insult to the jappenese craft. Part of the mystic of Japanese sword making is the long process, attention to detail, and methodical process towards perfection. The appearance should only be, at the very least, only hazuya scatches, which makes the blade a near perfect matte finish. All i see is sand paper makes from your foundation polish, while the hamon being visible from the acid etch. Honestly, your prices are far too high for this being acceptable and again, pretty disrespectful to the japenese craft.

    • @mahesagiri3407
      @mahesagiri3407 Рік тому +1

      @ellipsis9573
      Klo beli hazuya dmn Bro

    • @swordcollector7040
      @swordcollector7040 10 місяців тому

      I agree wholeheartedly. Anyone can start a UA-cam channel, and appear authoritative whether they know what they are doing and talking about - or not. Unfortunately I have seen videos here where if the information was used by a viewer could result in serious damage and devaluing of genuine nihonto blades. You can't shortcut perfection developed over 1,000+ years of Japanese skills applied to creating swords. Westerners tend to think we know better.

    • @BackyardBlacksmithing
      @BackyardBlacksmithing 9 місяців тому

      The mysticism of Japanese swords is not necessary. Walter is very respectful of the craft and calls his blades “Japanese styled.”

    • @BackyardBlacksmithing
      @BackyardBlacksmithing 9 місяців тому

      ⁠@@swordcollector7040We literally do know better, metallurgy is a much more studied field of science. The craft of the Japanese swords is an amazing process, but ultimately it is not perfect. Unless you are forging out blades like Walter, I wouldn’t say this kind of critique is necessary.

    • @ellipsis9573
      @ellipsis9573 9 місяців тому

      @darinnieto7168 walters blades are not prefect at all. I am not going to argue this with you as it is pointless. To me, his prices are extremely high for not having the finer points of a japanese sword. To each their own.