June 8, 20179 yr I received my collaboration project from Theo today. I thought I'd start a work in progress thread to share how it comes together. Updates won't necessarily be fast and furious because I plan to really take my time with this one, but I'll check in as I complete major steps. To get started, here is the start of the project as I received it. Consider this proof that if it ends up a mess it obviously wasn't Theo's fault. The blade is an integral dagger forged from W2. Theo tells me it should have a hamon down the center when all done. I have acquired some curly koa for the handle with the assistance of my woodworking buddy. Up next I'm on the hunt for some mosaic pins.
June 8, 20179 yr Looking forward to seeing what you do with it Yeah... let's see how that hamon turns out... no promises lol
June 18, 20179 yr Author I warned updates would come slow. Took a bit to work up the nerve to go to the grinder with it, but first run of grinder cleanup is done. I was nervous about keeping all of the grinds straight and even over this length of blade, but Theo's already set in bevels gave a solid reference point that I just had to flow with. Need to start working up the grits then move to hand finishing next. I also spent some quality time with the handle section and some files to get everything squared up and ready for the wood scales there.
June 18, 20179 yr You have more guts than I do, I've been studying on the seax while fiddling with finishing my grinder. Frosty The Lucky.
June 18, 20179 yr Author You're working up a 2x72 right Frosty? I'd like to be fiddling on the same. That little 1x42 the blade is leaning on is all I have, and this project is showing it's limits. To get into some of the curves I ended up using a combination of files and my dremel. A 2x72 with a small wheel attachment would have been dandy. Something that just tracked a little better than this thing wouldn't hurt either I've been working up a parts/wish list, but a "real" grinder just isn't in the cards for me yet.
June 18, 20179 yr Author Got a little more time in today. Worked my way up to a trizact A30. I needed to just see if there would be a hamon, so I did a quick lemon juice scrub down. I need to spend more quality time with it to really bring it out, but there's a hamon! The little dark spot is just still wet, not some crazy etch blotch.
June 23, 20179 yr Author I was unhappy with some grinder marks, so I decided hand sanding was required to reach a finish I'd be satisfied with. Took it all the way back to 220 then worked my way back up to 2000. The hamon initially went away when I made that big jump back to 220, but then started coming back out as I worked up the grits. That was kind of interesting to see. I've tried an edge quench on 1080 that didn't have this behavior, and this is the first real hamon I've worked with, so cool to see the differences. Sorry, it was impossible to catch the hamon in the picture without also getting reflection glare. I need to get some more lemon juice now to try the etching again. We'll see if we can really get this to pop.
June 23, 20179 yr Next time don't take the pic directly at the flat with the camera flash on. The flash will reflect straight back into the lens. Another trick is to tape a single ply of tissue paper over the flash as a difuser. Looking good. Frosty The Lucky.
June 26, 20179 yr Hmm, get's awfully close to to the edge in places... although with daggers the tip is what matters, and that appears hard.
June 26, 20179 yr Author The hamon actually hits the edge in some spots. I'm thinking of finishing it off more main gauche style with a sharpened tip for stabbing but rounded edges for parrying. It will make it look like having the soft section creep out to the edge in the meaty bits was intentional I think I'm going to order some FC to etch with. I did my lemon juice etch again after sanding prep, but between the length and having four bevels to work, I wasn't pleased with my own ability to keep the etching even.
July 14, 20179 yr Author Sorry Theo, I thinned it out a bit too much to risk another round of heat treat. I did some playing around with etching and sanding, and I have it at basically a 600 grit satin right now where the hamon kind of ghosts through just at the tip. I'm kind of liking it, I may play with it some more, but I've moved to the handle for now. Went with curly koa and hidden pins so you just see wood. Just finished shaping on the grinder. Need to blend by hand still then do some danish oil wet sanding to bring out the curl.
July 16, 20179 yr Author I'll need to take better pictures once I can work up a better lighting situation, but here is the initial "collaboration complete" shot. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to work on this project Theo.
July 18, 20179 yr This is a positive forum, please try to stay supportive of other member's work. That said, nice blade.
July 18, 20179 yr Lanternnate, Beautiful work. Well done. Hadara, there is a place for everything. You'r work is very nice but it belongs in it's own post as far as this goes.
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