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Post by wolf_shade on May 14, 2012 12:59:28 GMT
I've just finished The Samurai Sword: A Handbook by John M. Yumoto. It's geared primarily toward people getting into collecting antiques, but has some interesting general information. One of the things Yumoto discusses is the process of manufacture. He mentions the folding of the steel to create a consistent quality steel (which I've read before) and also mentions using different types of steel on different portions of the blade to provide a compromise on durability and sharpness (also something I've read before). What is different, or at least what I had not considered in the past, is that he suggests that all blades were made with the folding method, suggesting that even laminated blades are folded.
So here's my issue. Every diagram I see of lamination has distinct sections of differing types of metal. If you fold them, the diagram is no longer accurate. So do you fold each section individually and then put them together? Are laminated blades not folded and I misunderstood the descriptions in the book? Just trying to understand how a laminated blade can also be a folded blade and still have zones of metal types.
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jhart06
Member
Slowly coming back from the depths...
Posts: 3,292
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Post by jhart06 on May 14, 2012 13:11:36 GMT
My understanding is each lamination is essentially a billet of folded steel that is then further forged together, but not folded like the base tamahagane or other steels in pattern welding might be. But I am far from an expert.
Example- In I think it's kobuse you have a inner jacket of soft steel and sides/edge of harder steel. The inner jacket is folded and drawn out to rough shape, then so are panels for the side/edge parts, then they are all forged together. There is a great series on youtube someone linked here that shows this process very well.
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Post by chrisperoni on May 14, 2012 16:44:34 GMT
it's just as jhart puts it and as your own common sense reasoning is right as well You've got it right so it's probably something lost in translation that has you second guessing things
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Luka
Senior Forumite
Posts: 2,848
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Post by Luka on May 14, 2012 21:16:15 GMT
You can always fold the piece of iron/steel before forge welding/laminating with other pieces.
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Post by wolf_shade on May 14, 2012 21:19:06 GMT
Thanks gents.
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