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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2010 23:08:29 GMT
Another +1 from me. Wicked cool looking Katana, way to innovate. Anyone that would poo poo it for not being traditional needs to broaden their horizons.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2010 2:14:21 GMT
I dunno I would have tried to find a way to scrap the idea of an ito maki with the ostritch skin I was worried about that I might add, then I saw the thing about the farm and felt much better lol Its a very awesome looking sword I think the Tsuba looks identical to the one on the katsumushi
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Post by Cottontail Customs on Apr 3, 2010 1:24:46 GMT
thanks hairu, I am definitely an animal lover so I always make sure to be aware of the shady vendors out there. I was thinking about changing out the Tsuba until I decided to sand it down. I felt that it changed it enough to be different from the others, although I did kind of like it from the beginning. I was going to leave the Ito off but the Tsunami Ito just feels so good! I just purchased some Ito "cording" that might wind up looking better. we'll see....
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2010 6:27:36 GMT
That is incredible!! I realy liked the way the tuska looked without the ito, put that on the next sword and open up the tuska for all to see!!!
great work...+1 in two hours when I recharge after the next one thats still waiting...SanMarc.
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Post by sparky on Apr 3, 2010 14:17:55 GMT
I like it!
Love the ostrich skin; do you have to cover it with the wrap? I think it looked cool all by its self.
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Marc Ridgeway
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Post by Marc Ridgeway on Apr 3, 2010 14:50:53 GMT
I like it! Love the ostrich skin; do you have to cover it with the wrap? I think it looked cool all by its self. Bingo!!! Looked WAY better WITHOUT the ito maki....
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Post by Cottontail Customs on Apr 3, 2010 16:28:41 GMT
I would have to redo the skin wrap so I can beef it up a little but I think you're right. I might try just tying minimal cord to hold the Menuki in place, maybe like it's tied in the "battle wrap" style (just without the rest of the Ito)? I will play around with this and see what looks good.
seriously guys, thanks for all the great constructive criticism!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2010 19:55:14 GMT
Agreed with the others that liked it before the ito was put on. The leather on its own looks amazingly organic and looks extremely nice. You could stain the mekugi to make them fit the scheme better. You could always glue the menuki on.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2010 21:16:35 GMT
Hello all. First post here, had to comment on the sword. In a word, INCREDIBLE. Talk about taking something and making it your own, this is textbook. IMO, you've done a fantastic job. You've taken an already gorgeous sword and actually improved it's looks (and possibly it's monetary value) significantly by your modifications. That hamon is positively dreamy. I just acquired a Munetoshi Wakizashi that came with a fairly attractive hamon too. However, it's not nearly as beautiful or active as yours is. Well, told myself I absolutely WILL NOT put an altering hand on this sword, but, now you've piqued my interest in etching the blade. ( drat! ) Anyway, well thought out and executed. Kudos!
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Post by Cottontail Customs on Apr 8, 2010 23:41:48 GMT
Thanks Mikeu, I feel honored that your first post was making such nice comments on my work ;D the munetoshi line does have some really unique and attractive Hamon, take a look at songmeesay's post, /index.cgi?board=swordcustom&action=display&thread=15662 his came out beautifully! I would say that if you were to make only one alteration to yours, it should be an etch. it is much easier that people think and almost foolproof. there are also so many sources for good tutorials and tips, most here in this forum. just be warned...........it may lead to making many more customizations!! if you're a handy person who likes projects, this can become addictive
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2010 8:23:16 GMT
Yeah, giving in to the urge to etch will definitely lead to more alterations, in my case. It's like an obsessive compulsive thing with me. I start and can't leave well enough alone. But, you do have a point about etching being nearly foolproof. The problem, for me, is knowing when to leave well enough alone. However, you've really got me thinking hard about etching it.
The etching project will likely happen sometime after the honeymoon phase is over. Right now I'm still tickled pink admiring it the way it came from SnA.
Now, I can hardly wait to get a Munetoshi katana. I'm looking at the HM-238BK model. At $159.98, it's within my budget and I'm sure it's as crazy a buy as this Wakizashi.
Finally, I'm still amazed at your work when I open this thread. Just AWESOME. Thanks for posting the pics.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2010 19:50:30 GMT
That ostrich skin looks like dragon skin, dyed in a green or a darker red that might be an option, although knowing aussie import laws it probably aint gonna happen, oh well love the sword, really nice piece and great customisation.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2010 2:24:25 GMT
Thought this thread needed a *bump!* for folks even newer than me who should have a look-see at this amazing makeover. Still awesome!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2010 13:27:54 GMT
Freakin awesome, man!
Canst wait to see what you got cookin with the gator skin.
+1
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2010 14:11:34 GMT
I have one of these swords and have to say that I love it. Great job on the customization.
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Post by Cottontail Customs on Jun 11, 2010 16:29:21 GMT
thanks guys I have decided to ditch the gator skin temporarily and will probably use it somewhere down the line. I have instead went with a thread/braided kind of thing for the Tanto. I plan on making a set with my DF musha shobu in a rabbit theme. I am not intending on having everything match as far as materials and colors go but the rabbit will certainly cross over. here is a sneak preview of the Tanto Tsuka in it's almost finished stage. etched blade
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Post by Deleted on Jun 11, 2010 19:41:08 GMT
frank what is the exact proportions of vinegar and dish soap you use on your blades? I've tried to use a mixture of water and vinegar with a little dish soap added but it just didn't work. how much time do you leave the etching compound on the blade?
I'm looking at that blade and all I can do is drool on the keyboard and type some text you're reading right now....
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Post by Cottontail Customs on Jun 11, 2010 21:32:21 GMT
for acid etching on a KC 5160 blade I do the following: before you start, remove the blade from the Tsuka and also remove the Habaki if possible. if you can't remove the Habaki, make sure you mask it well and seal any gaps where the acid could seep under to the steel because this could cause corrosion later on. I first polish the blade with metal glow or mothers mag polish. then I clean it thoroughly with warm soapy water or similar cleaner. after that I rub it down with rubbing alcohol to remove any remaining traces of oil, dirt or soap. I mix about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of either white or apple cider vinegar with approx. 1 teaspoon of dish detergent in a metal bowl and heat it on my stove until almost boiling (this can be done in a plastic container in the microwave as well) I do not dilute it with water. it helps the process if you heat the blade as well either by putting it in the oven or holding it over the burner or using a torch. not white hot but a nice thorough heating of the "skin" of the blade. I then hold the blade vertically over the bowl of vinegar with the tip down and simultaneously and repeatedly wet both sides of the blade with a clean cloth or cotton balls (wadded and connected to a stick) use a dishwashing glove to do this because 1. the liquid is very hot and 2. it is pretty harsh on your skin. I also hold the Nakago with a oven mitt for the same reasons. do not let the liquid dry on the blade while you are doing this. I wrap the soaking cloth around the blade and work it down the length touching both sides at once over and over for 3-5 minutes or until the surface of the metal has a dark grey appearance and doesn't seem to be getting darker. this is the point of complete saturation and you should not continue to soak past this point. immediately rinse the blade with windex or glass plus to neutralize the effect of the acid and then rinse thoroughly with water. I then give it a light polishing with mothers and repeat the whole process from the beginning. I do this maybe 3-5 times or until I'm satisfied with the final look. it is always better to do a lot of light etches rather than overdoing it one time. I find that you are able to bring out many more subtleties or layers of detail in the Hamon this way. once you are done, clean it very well and maybe hit the blade above the Ji and especially the Mune with more mothers to bring up the shine. it might sound like a lot of work but it really isn't and besides, it's so worth it in the end, at least in my opinion it is. you can try different acids such as Ferric chloride which gives it a nice dark color but may be hard to find or lemon juice which in my opinion smells 10 times worse than vinegar when heated different steel types react differently to different acids so figure out which you like best. I like ferric chloride best but vinegar works just as well and is cheap and easily accessible. let me know how it turns out
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Post by Deleted on Jun 13, 2010 6:04:11 GMT
You can get Ferric Chloride at Radio Shack. It's used as a circuit board etchant. It's called "PCB Etchant Solution". Cat. No. 276-1535A. They usually have it in stock. You'll need to dilute it 1 part solution to 3 parts water will give a fairly powerful etch. This was the ratio I used to etch knives I made.
OOPS! Almost forgot to mention, you'll need/want TSP (Tri-Sodium Phosphate) to neutralize the etchant. TSP can be found at Lowe's or Home Depot. It's a very powerful powdered cleaning agent and you MUST wear gloves when using it. It's not expensive, but, make sure you wear those gloves because it can burn skin. I've read (on some knife making forum) you can use something like Windex also in lieu of TSP, but, I have no first hand knowledge on that, so experiment first if you try it. Good luck!
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Post by Cottontail Customs on Jun 15, 2010 15:10:05 GMT
unfortunately there are no radio shacks anywhere near me that stock this, most said they can't even order it for me. I did find it online at a few places though.
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