View Single Post
  #2  
Old 02-28-2011, 09:47 AM
The Tourist The Tourist is offline
Enthusiast
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 39
T o be honest, I know nothing about 'modern' hardening except for what my BIL--a metallurgist--tells me about the steel I polish. But I would turn your attention to history.

I always remark that "my future is in the past." Briefly, I like to study and consider why sword cutlers and polishers in feudal Japan took the course they did. We have 800 year old swords that rival edges we create now. This did not happen by accident.

If you look at the creation of a hamon (or also called a 'hamon line') then you'll know that an application of slurry was applied to the blade blank. This created a tough spine and a glass-hard edge. In effect, they did their hardening jointly and severally.

Admittedly, this process is never practical for an assembly line. But in crafting a custom blade it might be worth a bit of time to study.
Reply With Quote