heat treating steel - Page 2 - Woodworking Talk

kickarse · 03-13-2009, 09:35 AM

Here's the episode of NOVA that I saw it on

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/samurai/

Here's an excerpt

"While the katana's body is now complete, the swordsmith's work is far from over. Just prior to firing the sword a final time, he paints a thick, insulating mixture of clay and charcoal powder onto the blade's upper sides and dull back edge, leaving the sword's sharp front edge only lightly coated. This serves both to protect the blade and to give it its signature wavy design called the hamon, which later polishing will reveal. The swordsmith then places the katana back into the fire to be heated to just below 1,500 degrees F; any hotter and the sword might crack during the next step."

**Daren** · 03-13-2009, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kickarse

Here's the episode of NOVA that I saw it on

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/samurai/

That was to me one of the most fascinating shows ever aired "Making a Masterpiece".http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/samurai/swor-flash.html All the way from the old guy tending the smelting furnace for 3 days straight without sleeping to make the steel, tamahagane .To the sword smith to the sword polisher. The "polisher meticulously rubs the blade with a series of grinding and polishing stones, some valued at more than $1,000 each and often passed down through families for generations." As a sharpener myself I thought that was cool. The sword smith was 50th generation

, wrap your head around that. 1000 years his family has been making them the same way, mind boggling.

**Daren** · 03-13-2009, 10:07 AM

I have messed around with katanas too. I did not make this steel...just sharpened it, it will shave. I used the blade and made the rest of the wood bindings custom.

johnep · 03-13-2009, 02:20 PM

Daren, Time you got on discovery tv and presented a whole series on your various skills.
johnep

Julian the woodnut · 03-13-2009, 04:26 PM

Yea, Daren. I can see it now. The show would be called urban lumberjacks, or something like that.

kickarse · 03-14-2009, 09:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daren

That was to me one of the most fascinating shows ever aired "Making a Masterpiece".http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/samurai/swor-flash.html All the way from the old guy tending the smelting furnace for 3 days straight without sleeping to make the steel, tamahagane .To the sword smith to the sword polisher. The "polisher meticulously rubs the blade with a series of grinding and polishing stones, some valued at more than $1,000 each and often passed down through families for generations." As a sharpener myself I thought that was cool. The sword smith was 50th generation

, wrap your head around that. 1000 years his family has been making them the same way, mind boggling.

I have to agree. It was an excellent episode, one of the reasons I have it! I love all the hardwork that goes into it. Not only beautiful but useful!

johnep · 03-14-2009, 01:13 PM

Watched most of the katana vids with fascination. Seems to be two methods of manufacture:
Fold and refold hard and malleable steel until 32k layers.
Make a U channel of the hard steel and insert a core of malleable.

Which is correct?
johnep