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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2007 4:43:07 GMT
This is my first blade. It is a reproduction of an early Nambokucho (1330's-1350's) era Shobu Zukuri tanto.
- San Mai construction
- Core billet of about 920 layers of high carbon steel
- Skin billets of antique iron of about 3000 layers each
The antique iron was obtained from a pattern welded iron pry bar made in the early 1840's while the steel was pattern welded from modern 1095 bar stock. The habaki is a period specific design, thick through the body and tapering quickly towards the front while the shirasaya is spalted maple with straight grain maple koiguchi. The dark pitted looking areas of the blade are where the iron burns out during forging. This is typical of the era, when blades of high-layer count and multi-billet construction were starting to get prominent and the iron – being far softer than the steel – burns out more readily due to scaling. This aesthetic element was intentionally followed through in the habaki. The hamon is not particularly bright on this blade, which is okay. There is actually a double hamon, and I am highlighting in the duplicate photos where the hamon is visible in the photographs to make them easier for those who have trouble seeing it to find. It is impossible to photograph all of the beautiful details in this blade, but I am very pleased that a great deal of them did show up. I hope you enjoy viewing it. I am very proud of it. And here is a nice little shot that shows off a tidbit of the details in the blade.. look closely at the wavy lines... I love it..
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2007 5:01:11 GMT
Nice work .... I assume you will be adding that one to the personal collection? +1K for learning new crafts ;D BTW ... it was great meeting you with Dan and the crew. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2007 5:06:54 GMT
Yessss the little darling is sitting right beside me right now... preeecioussss... It was very awesome to meet you too That was a lot of fun.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2007 16:13:49 GMT
I feel I should pipe in here ...
This was a very difficult set of tasks and Jayde performed admirably in all respects and at all stages of the project. From pattern welding the skin billets to the core billets ... forging out the blade ... cutting the geometry ... foundation polish through the finish polish ... Jayde performed beyond the expectations Dan and I could have hopped for in an apprentice working on her first blade.
Very impressive work, Jayde. You should be very proud.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2007 17:41:34 GMT
I'm not surprised. All of Jayde's work seems to be well done and as beautiful as she. I really like the way it all blends into a single piece. If one didn't know it would be difficult to even tell it was a weapon! A very talented young lady for sure. I hope you're able to try your hand another time. Perhaps on a larger blade?
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Post by Dan Davis on Dec 17, 2007 15:22:47 GMT
Not to worry; Jayde has a whole list of things to do.
For what it is worth this is the very first blade Jayde has ever made and it far surpasses blades made by many self-styled "master bladesmiths". In 37+ years of forge work this is the finest "first attempt" I have ever seen.
The processes used and materials chosen are both very advanced and extremely difficult to master but this young lady took to them like a duck to water. We are proud of her and not afraid to say so.
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Post by ShooterMike on Dec 17, 2007 21:06:53 GMT
WOOHOO!!! Great job, Jayde! I look forward to seeing that little beauty close-up next time I visit WWF. Hope you and it are there. I can hardly wait to see the next project when you get it completed.
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Post by randomnobody on Dec 17, 2007 21:49:20 GMT
Seems like I need to find some funds for another trip down. This is something I'd like to learn more about, myself; last time I picked up quite a bit of info, but maybe next time I can pester you guys for a few days and learn that much more about it all. Eventually I'd love a chance to try my hand, but that won't be for some time. Gorgeous blade, Jayde. I eagerly await the news of your next project, do share all the progress.
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Dec 17, 2007 23:48:11 GMT
Great work Jayde. You'll be pumping out works of art before you know it. I love the character in the blade.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2007 1:43:17 GMT
Thank you everybody. Dan and Dimytri are excellent and patient teachers. I am very fortunate and grateful that they share their knowledge with me. I can't wait to see what they can teach me to make next-- I will share if I am able.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2007 1:50:34 GMT
The blade looks very nice.
Excellent work.
I must ask a little more about the fittings, especially the shirasaya.
first--Did you fashion this yourself?
Wow. The look of that maple is stunning. I am planning my own shirasaya project and thought that I was set on Cherry or Walnut. Now I am considering maple. Is it finished or oiled or either.
Excellent work.
Farmer
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Post by Deleted on Dec 19, 2007 1:57:48 GMT
Be very careful in choosing woods for a shirasaya.
Woods are chosen for their low salinity, low moisture and sap content, neutral Ph content, softness of fiber and their ability to resist warping, shrinkage and other deformations under environmental changes. Only then do aesthetics come into play. Do a lot of research first. The best wood for shirasaya is Honoki (native to Japan and difficult/expensive to acquire in the states) while a good non-Japanese alternative is well-aged white Poplar (no green streaks!).
The maple here was chosen because it was aged for a very long time (more than 12 years, if I remember correctly) so it could accommodate a lot of the above. Itfs divergence from safer woods is acceptable only because the inner construction is devised to protect the blade from the worst elements in the wood.
The wood choice in this case is an exception to the rule, but should not be taken as an example of what should be done regularly.
Walnut is a hard-fibered wood and will scratch a blade while cherry is a fairy moist and acidic wood, though it could be cured and aged (5+ years) to neutrality.
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Post by septofclansinclair on Dec 19, 2007 4:10:15 GMT
Wow, red, that is an amazing first effort. When will you be accepting commissions?
Karma from me as well for sharing your beautiful work.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2007 15:37:33 GMT
thanks Dimitri,
the cherry that I have is around 7 years old, and I just thought of the walnut beacuse I like it. I like finished wood, but I am wanting something subtle. I will probably end up with the cherry, and my question is, will it be okay to lightly stain and then polyurethane? I do not mind to maintain the blade, in fact, it will probably be an occasional cutter. I am just worried about what will happen to the blade. I will be putting a folded steel blade in, so I want it to be a looker, but also something that I can pull off of the wall and take outside occasionally.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2007 18:33:28 GMT
Seven year old cherry should be OK as far as moisture and sap content goes, but unless it was cured properly, acidity and salinity may still be an issue. Also, cherry fibers are a bit hard and may scratch the blade. Age (i.e., time since culled from a living tree) is not - in itself - an indication of whether the wood has been cured (let alone properly) so while knowing the cherry is about seven years old is good this does not paint a complete picture.
Your last comment (i.e., ... but also something that I can pull off of the wall and take outside occasionally) gives me some pause for concern but I'm not positive I understand your ntentions here. Could you clarify this for me?
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2007 2:57:21 GMT
Wow, red, that is an amazing first effort. When will you be accepting commissions? Karma from me as well for sharing your beautiful work. Thank you. Yes I will be accepting commission work, however you will have to contact Dan and Dimytri for details.
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Post by Brendan Olszowy on Dec 24, 2007 3:10:21 GMT
I think farmer is talking about making a Cherry tsuka for use, rather than the traditional style. So he does want a functional grip rather than just for display and storage.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2007 4:36:31 GMT
Don't hear the wrong intent here, just wondering if i might be misinterpreting what I am seeing in the pictures. Blade looks good, but i see some poor welds with BIG inclusions all over the place, scale pits. The iron does not melt out or scale more readily because it is softer, in fact steel melts BEFORE iron so that would not be the reason. The 1095 used in fact would probably crumble even when worked too hot. Unless i am mistaken, the "hamon" line along the edge looks more like the exposed 1095 sticking out from between the wrought, if I understand the construction properly, which would maybe show a bit on the very edge of the wrought due to a bit of carbon diffusion, but other than that there would be no hamon on the wrought sides at all, not enough carbon. The secondary "hamon" would likely be some 1095 sticking out at the spine area.
Now that that's out of the way. Blade looks good for a first attempt, the sheath and handle are nice.
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Post by Dan Davis on Dec 24, 2007 4:59:28 GMT
Sam, The wrought iron was NOT laminated by Jayde, it was laminated 167 years ago by some nameless factory worker. It was used "as is" because the delaminations and inclusions in the iron are typical of the age damage seen in many antique nambokucho period blades.
In this case the only welds Jayde actually made were the ones where the core is attached to the jacket steel, and those are regular, uniform and without any visible flaws. The difficulty of this particular forging project was in forming a complete and solid jacket weld while leaving the pre-existing weld flaws in the iron intact.
there is approximately .75 millimeters of exposed 1095 along the edge of this blade, the rest of the blade is completely covered in iron. The core steel billet is exposed in the mune but the iron jacket extends completely over the sides of the blade and is approximately 1 millimeter thick in an uniform layer along both sides of the blade.
The hamon are real and are actual regions of increased hardness existing inside the iron jacket and extending 5-8 millimeters from the edge and 3-5 millimeters from the spine, well past the point where the billets are welded together.
I will correct the misconception about the iron melting away when we are in the shop again. I suspect it stems from the fact that iron wears away more readily during the polishing process.
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Post by Dan Davis on Dec 24, 2007 5:04:34 GMT
Forgot to add: these pics are not the best for viewing the blade and the polish typical of the nambokucho period did not accentuate the hamon as later period polishes tend to. We can send some higher-resolution pics to you if you wish.
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