(Little) modification of the Hanwei PPK Elite
Mar 17, 2022 9:06:35 GMT
Post by borisgimenez on Mar 17, 2022 9:06:35 GMT
Hello everybody,
I am the proud owner of a Hanwei Practical Plus Elite katana. Beautiful blade, "traditional" construction, panel of samegawa, Koiguchi and Kurikata in horn, well balanced and controlled price.
I wanted to get rid of the "Hanwei" Hamon and reveal the real one underneath ; and also put a touch of color on the Kashira and Fuchi which are originally all black.
What I did on the Kashirae:
- matte black acrylic paint on the body of the Fushi, Kashira and Tsuba
- gold leaf gilding on the Kashira and Fuchi reliefs
- matte varnish on the black paint, and glossy varnish on the golden parts.
- replacement of the sageo by a sageo in black cotton, Shigeuchi weaving, from Seidoshop
- a brushing of very diluted matte black paint to reinforce the color of the Ito which had ended up being discolored by use, and to have the same "intensity" as the sageo
What I did on the blade:
- rubbed with Mother's Mag polish to remove the Hanwei finish
- cleaned the blade with alcohol to remove polish residue
- heat a bowl in the microwave with white household vinegar (14°) mixed with lemon juice and a few drops of dishwashing liquid (improves the coating)
- with a paper towel, I spread the mixture over the blade, repeatedly
- when the blade became dark grey, I neutralized the reaction with glass cleaner
- I removed the surface oxides by rubbing very lightly with diluted Mother's mag, then cleaned with alcohol
- I restarted the acid/neutralization cycle 5 times
For this part, I referred to the tutorials: : Easiest way to bring out a hamon line (sword-buyers-guide.com)
What I did NOT DO:
- affected the polishing of the blade. The "velvety" rendering on the Ha is the original one, and the "mirror" finish on the Shinogi-Ji is also original
- touch at the Tsuka-Ito. I masked it for the painting and varnishing operations, but it is well finished from the start (even if the alternation is not strictly respected), tightened correctly... in any case, much better than what I am able to do.
I didn't take any before pictures, I only have the after ones:
I am the proud owner of a Hanwei Practical Plus Elite katana. Beautiful blade, "traditional" construction, panel of samegawa, Koiguchi and Kurikata in horn, well balanced and controlled price.
I wanted to get rid of the "Hanwei" Hamon and reveal the real one underneath ; and also put a touch of color on the Kashira and Fuchi which are originally all black.
What I did on the Kashirae:
- matte black acrylic paint on the body of the Fushi, Kashira and Tsuba
- gold leaf gilding on the Kashira and Fuchi reliefs
- matte varnish on the black paint, and glossy varnish on the golden parts.
- replacement of the sageo by a sageo in black cotton, Shigeuchi weaving, from Seidoshop
- a brushing of very diluted matte black paint to reinforce the color of the Ito which had ended up being discolored by use, and to have the same "intensity" as the sageo
What I did on the blade:
- rubbed with Mother's Mag polish to remove the Hanwei finish
- cleaned the blade with alcohol to remove polish residue
- heat a bowl in the microwave with white household vinegar (14°) mixed with lemon juice and a few drops of dishwashing liquid (improves the coating)
- with a paper towel, I spread the mixture over the blade, repeatedly
- when the blade became dark grey, I neutralized the reaction with glass cleaner
- I removed the surface oxides by rubbing very lightly with diluted Mother's mag, then cleaned with alcohol
- I restarted the acid/neutralization cycle 5 times
For this part, I referred to the tutorials: : Easiest way to bring out a hamon line (sword-buyers-guide.com)
What I did NOT DO:
- affected the polishing of the blade. The "velvety" rendering on the Ha is the original one, and the "mirror" finish on the Shinogi-Ji is also original
- touch at the Tsuka-Ito. I masked it for the painting and varnishing operations, but it is well finished from the start (even if the alternation is not strictly respected), tightened correctly... in any case, much better than what I am able to do.
I didn't take any before pictures, I only have the after ones: