Here's a neat 6 minute vid to watch on you tube showing some forging of katanas.

YouTube - Making of a Production Katana - Cheness

Question i have is does anyone know what the tool is that's being used at the 2:05 time mark to scrape excess steel off the blade? Or where you could get something similar or something that could be used in the same way? Looks like a simple tool to make, but what would you use for the blade? Some kind of carbide bit? Any ideas?

I'm using hand tools for what i'm working on, i have access to power tools, and can afford to buy them but I'm no pro and like the control of hand tools better. I currently use bastard files to remove scale and and excess metal that i couldnt shape cleanly enough with the hammer. (still a total beginner at this...). Anyways it looks like scraping would remove the bulk of the excess material much faster than filing. Right now i'm trying alot of different things, trying to find techniques that work for me and that i can do repeatably and that i can get good results from for each of the different phases of making knives.

So what could I use that could perform as a scraper like this? I've been googling all over the place but cant really find anything...

Thanks
Lt

Hi. Haven't watched the video yet, but I belive the tool your talking about is called a sen. The easiest way to make one is to get an old file and grind the profile you want in the edge. I have also seen them made using a mild steel flat bar as a handle that holds a lathe carbide tool.
Check DonFogg's web site , or the knife network under sen you should get about a million different discussions on it.

Check this out:

Quick and easy sen

Don

Just a fast note: if you are using a file to remove scale you are throwing money away. Scale dulls files quickly. I would advise soaking the part in vinegar overnight and *washing* the scale away the next morning. Spend your money on stuff besides files!

Awsome, thx for the info guys. I've got some leaf spring i'll try to make some sens from as they described on the dfogg site...

Alsok thanks for the vinegar tip, definitely going to do that.

Lt

That is a nice video. I loved the tea pot over the tempering fire. Always have a cuppa on hand!

Brian

leaf springs are usually 5160 and not very good for a tool that cuts steel it would work but would have to be resharpened often causing you a lot of work in sharpening and using a blunter tool than you need, i would use an old file, or even a chisel might work if forged flat fisrt.

If you're making a lot of scale, I'd recommend working on the atmosphere in your fire. Probably too oxidizing (too much air). If you're in a solid fuel fire, make a lage pile of fuel and bring the blade higher in the pile (farther away from the air blast). If you're using propane, cut the air flow back some (usually quite a bit) and adjust the gas so you have an orangey-yellow flame coming out the front of the forge. Too much blue coming out is too much fuel and no flame is not enough fuel (or too much air). You don't need to melt the steel, just get it hot enough to work Most of the good bladesmiths I've watched generally have scale that leaves only a fine black powder on the anvil. Large flakes are too much, I think.
In the "Historic Bladesmithing" video from Wareham Forge he does all of his pit removal and shaping prior to heat treat. I've done that on a few knives now and the end result is just a real treat to work with. The little bit of scale slides right off with some sand paper and I don't spend days trying to ruin a new file by filing out a pit (and a lot of my pits were caused by excess scale- killed two birds with one stone)
The rest of my pits are caused by poor hammer control. In addition to simply getting better with the tool, I've taken to using a lighter hammer (4-6oz autobody hammers) to hammer out the dents before I start heat treating/ finishing work.

Good luck!