Thanks so much for this video. Got the EZE Lap stone you used in the video and it worked like a charm. Picked up A Cold Steel Chisa Katana that was sharp as all get out but had a bit of a burr to the edge. Your simple method worked and with no damage or visible micro beveling of the blade
I learned hamons.....ftom the late bob engnath.....he used 1060...awesome maker.....Don Hanson sunfish forge... some of the most beautiful knives and hamons and cloudy that I've ever seen he's W-2.....as usual. .....good video. ...you didn't specify what steel your using for those cloudy hamons.....I take it 1060?
Just a production quality critique. It would be better for us viewers if you switched to a darker backdrop for your speaking segments. A bright white back drop can/will cause issues with our eyes over time even if people don't immediately notice it. Setting up a spotlight for your face and a dark/black backdrop is always a better option to reduce harsh light for the viewers. Love the vids, thanks for all the good info.
Master Sorrells, I have a question about a sword that had in real combat, how bad the edge could be after hitting armour and another blade? Never saw a damaged sword, saw few blades in museums, but never a dented one. Thank you sir.
What timing tried my first one yesterday, wake up and grind the bevel today. W2 came out 60 HRC .. fingers crossed Edit: forgot, recently sharpened an heirloom big honking chef knife with a full integral & an extremely complex convex grind. It was butchered badly by many attempts to resharpen. Flat grind gouges & lastly a cheap electric knife sharpener placed two deap gouges down both sides. So, tried a Falcon 150 grit finishing stone. Had to go to my KMG on the slack from 1200 & worked backwards to 220 to get the original profile back. Then back up to 1000. & about 4 hrs of hand sanding. All in the name of a friend. Hope not to go through that again! Got it perfect but about an inch from the plunge. Didn't want to loose with on the blade.
great video 👍 I just finished forging a short sword but I’m worried about quenching in water my question would be can I still get a hamon quenching in oil
Probably not but it depends on the steel and the oil. The cheapest way to do it would be warm to hot water then peanut oil. The safest way to do it would be W2 Steel then Parks 50 you might have an issue with the curve of the blade. I've got a 25 inch blade that I plan on putting in hot water first for about 4 seconds and then finishing in parks 50 and then maybe putting in a clamper vice as it cools
Japanese sword polishing, or Togishi, is a time consuming process done by hand with sharpening stones. Natural stones reveal details in Nihonto that modern abrasives can't yet provide. it takes about two weeks to polish a full size katana and that is no exaggeration. This is a good example, one of the few good sword polishing videos on youtube. ua-cam.com/video/8es5LMxcT3c/v-deo.html
Yes but certain sugata profiles may be slightly different such hira zikuri which has no shinogi or yokote and shobu zukuri which is like shinogi zukuri but has no yokote
Hamon's pretty good from what I see on the website, weird that no one did the 刃取り(Hadori) process, that would really make the hamon pop, so is the 地艶, 刃艶, and 金拭い, all the traditional polishing stuff. I'm guessing the katana is just polished by machine (can tell by the line......you know it makes it prone to rust, right? At least use some whetstone and sandpaper......), then dipped in acid. The problem is that the 匂口 (roughly translates to the line of hamon) is incontinent and broken in several places, that's a huge downside for the ornamental value of a katana, and really shouldn't happen to any skilled katana smith. I mean look at any shinken from Japan above Preserve status, you wouldn't find much, if any. That's really a deal breaker for any seasoned katana collector. Also atrocious 鑢目 (file marks) for a modern katana smith, can refer to any modern made Japanese sword.
Is anyone else hearing a "ding-ding" background sound (similar to a door chime in a car) on the left audio channel? It's faint but present the whole video..
My son lives in Hawaii and spear fishes. I'm thinking of making him a tool, triangular, to stick into fish brains to kill harvested fish. What steel would be good for such an attempt by an amateur for saltwater use ?
Great video! One though I had since you're very familiar with Japanese Swords. if you use the other Japanese terms, maybe with a text translation on the screen, that would benefit a lot of people. Something like "machi - notch" "mune - spine" etc. Just thinking it would be cool.
I clicked on to see and maybe learn HOW TO SHARPEN. All i got with this white bar of soap, cut into to make flexible and see a sandpaper wrapped around it. WTH?? If your going to post sharpening, at least state what/which grades of paper, maybe even into the polishing. I can’t afford the traditional stones from japan but even if i could, can’t find a bloody video that shows “how to use”. Yes, I’ve heard that people use sanders and sandpaper and stones. WHICH STONES, if not they Japanese ones. Some of us DONT have a cheap 2-300 dollars background wannabe sword practioner, some of us actually have ACTUAL samurai swords and/but i live in Texas, so getting to japan and finding an actual polisher not happening soon. Not saying that i would start using ANY think you put on on my actual katana, would start on the cheaper ones and practice. BUT at least I could THANK YOU for providing some info on stones and maybe even proper technique.
I love that sanding block idea!
Your swords hamon at 11:20 looks amazing, I hope my katana hamon comes out that good, 3/4 through forging it now.
Thanks so much for this video. Got the EZE Lap stone you used in the video and it worked like a charm. Picked up A Cold Steel Chisa Katana that was sharp as all get out but had a bit of a burr to the edge. Your simple method worked and with no damage or visible micro beveling of the blade
One of top 4 smiths in the world I'd sell my soul to get an apprenticeship with.
This is excellent. I needed this video today! 👍
"Where just tuning up the edge won't hack it", good one Walter, good one.
Thank you for sharing this information.
I also use an easylap diamond stone for the kitchen knives I made for myself, mostly for keeping them sharp though.
Thanks for this video!!!! Appreciate you
Walter - Thank you so much for the education. I will be tuning up my katana as soon as I get the EZE Lap stones.
Did that work for you?
Good info sir, thank you!
I learned hamons.....ftom the late bob engnath.....he used 1060...awesome maker.....Don Hanson sunfish forge... some of the most beautiful knives and hamons and cloudy that I've ever seen he's W-2.....as usual. .....good video. ...you didn't specify what steel your using for those cloudy hamons.....I take it 1060?
i got a hard line hamon on a leaf spring lol
its my fav kitchen knife atm
Good job! Thank you!
Not sure if I'll ever sharpen a samurai sword but still watching 😊😊
Just a production quality critique. It would be better for us viewers if you switched to a darker backdrop for your speaking segments. A bright white back drop can/will cause issues with our eyes over time even if people don't immediately notice it. Setting up a spotlight for your face and a dark/black backdrop is always a better option to reduce harsh light for the viewers. Love the vids, thanks for all the good info.
Master Sorrells, I have a question about a sword that had in real combat, how bad the edge could be after hitting armour and another blade? Never saw a damaged sword, saw few blades in museums, but never a dented one. Thank you sir.
Great no b.s. vid...got my sub.
What timing tried my first one yesterday, wake up and grind the bevel today. W2 came out 60 HRC .. fingers crossed
Edit: forgot, recently sharpened an heirloom big honking chef knife with a full integral & an extremely complex convex grind. It was butchered badly by many attempts to resharpen. Flat grind gouges & lastly a cheap electric knife sharpener placed two deap gouges down both sides.
So, tried a Falcon 150 grit finishing stone. Had to go to my KMG on the slack from 1200 & worked backwards to 220 to get the original profile back. Then back up to 1000. & about 4 hrs of hand sanding. All in the name of a friend. Hope not to go through that again!
Got it perfect but about an inch from the plunge. Didn't want to loose with on the blade.
Can the EZ lap still be used if your edge has niku or will it ruin the edge geometry?
great video 👍
I just finished forging a short sword but I’m worried about quenching in water my question would be can I still get a hamon quenching in oil
Probably not but it depends on the steel and the oil. The cheapest way to do it would be warm to hot water then peanut oil. The safest way to do it would be W2 Steel then Parks 50 you might have an issue with the curve of the blade. I've got a 25 inch blade that I plan on putting in hot water first for about 4 seconds and then finishing in parks 50 and then maybe putting in a clamper vice as it cools
I actually owned a japanese sword older than a katanas
a tachi
Im now sharpening it
What is the process behind “polishing” a katana that’s such a mystery/expense?
Japanese sword polishing, or Togishi, is a time consuming process done by hand with sharpening stones. Natural stones reveal details in Nihonto that modern abrasives can't yet provide. it takes about two weeks to polish a full size katana and that is no exaggeration. This is a good example, one of the few good sword polishing videos on youtube.
ua-cam.com/video/8es5LMxcT3c/v-deo.html
Still lost. What is the best steel for a clear, sharp hamon? Up here in Canada W1 and W2 are hard to find and expensive to import. Thanks Walter.
Low manganese content 10 series steel, definitely less than 0.5% manganese, preferably 0.25%.
check out www.knifemaker.ca/Tool-and-Carbon-Blade-Steel/W2/ they carry w2 steel, excellent service anytime i have dealt with them
My best hamon I have ever made was on an old file, I can never get a bold hamon on coil spring. the simpler the better.
He prefers W-2
How did samurai sharpen katanas without access to a blacksmith and while at war or conducting military operations?
10:15 .5% manganese not carbon I assume?
Is cromoly steel good for knife/sword making?
How about using a leather strop
Does the katana blade geometry also apply to shorter Japanese blades, like the wakizashi?
yes
Yes but certain sugata profiles may be slightly different such hira zikuri which has no shinogi or yokote and shobu zukuri which is like shinogi zukuri but has no yokote
Hamon's pretty good from what I see on the website, weird that no one did the 刃取り(Hadori) process, that would really make the hamon pop, so is the 地艶, 刃艶, and 金拭い, all the traditional polishing stuff. I'm guessing the katana is just polished by machine (can tell by the line......you know it makes it prone to rust, right? At least use some whetstone and sandpaper......), then dipped in acid. The problem is that the 匂口 (roughly translates to the line of hamon) is incontinent and broken in several places, that's a huge downside for the ornamental value of a katana, and really shouldn't happen to any skilled katana smith. I mean look at any shinken from Japan above Preserve status, you wouldn't find much, if any. That's really a deal breaker for any seasoned katana collector. Also atrocious 鑢目 (file marks) for a modern katana smith, can refer to any modern made Japanese sword.
Is anyone else hearing a "ding-ding" background sound (similar to a door chime in a car) on the left audio channel? It's faint but present the whole video..
ballisong tokisu goooood
2000 grit wet dry sandpaper squares folded to emulate hazuya work well to give a sharp edge. Unfortunately you will hide your hamon.
My son lives in Hawaii and spear fishes. I'm thinking of making him a tool, triangular, to stick into fish brains to kill harvested fish. What steel would be good for such an attempt by an amateur for saltwater use ?
Great video! One though I had since you're very familiar with Japanese Swords. if you use the other Japanese terms, maybe with a text translation on the screen, that would benefit a lot of people. Something like "machi - notch" "mune - spine" etc. Just thinking it would be cool.
I think the original question was in reference to sashikomi vs kesho polishing perhaps?
how does a Japanese sword maker answer the phone?
ring ring..... Hamone : )
1😁
Algorithm bump
I clicked on to see and maybe learn HOW TO SHARPEN. All i got with this white bar of soap, cut into to make flexible and see a sandpaper wrapped around it.
WTH?? If your going to post sharpening, at least state what/which grades of paper, maybe even into the polishing.
I can’t afford the traditional stones from japan but even if i could, can’t find a bloody video that shows “how to use”.
Yes, I’ve heard that people use sanders and sandpaper and stones. WHICH STONES, if not they Japanese ones.
Some of us DONT have a cheap 2-300 dollars background wannabe sword practioner, some of us actually have ACTUAL samurai swords and/but i live in Texas, so getting to japan and finding an actual polisher not happening soon.
Not saying that i would start using ANY think you put on on my actual katana, would start on the cheaper ones and practice.
BUT at least I could THANK YOU for providing some info on stones and maybe even proper technique.