O1 hamon

[narsil]

Has anyone managed to get a good, clean hamon with O1 tool steel . I know its a bit borderline as it is oil hardening and has a significant chrome content.
I have achived some success but have yet to achieve a well defined line over the whole length of the blade. I would be interested to know if anyone else has achieved good results.

On a related note what do you like to use as a masking clay, american makers seem to universally use satanite but i'm blowed if i can get hold of it in the UK. I'm using natural clay at the moment mixed withcharcoal. Has anyone got any better suggestions or recipies?undefinedundefined

[shing]

you can get a hamon in O1 by heating just the edge, I haven't tried using clay. Have to have a go I think just to see if it can be made to work.

[keith_beef]

Has anyone managed to get a good, clean hamon with O1 tool steel . I know its a bit borderline as it is oil hardening and has a significant chrome content.
I have achived some success but have yet to achieve a well defined line over the whole length of the blade. I would be interested to know if anyone else has achieved good results.

On a related note what do you like to use as a masking clay, american makers seem to universally use satanite but i'm blowed if i can get hold of it in the UK. I'm using natural clay at the moment mixed withcharcoal. Has anyone got any better suggestions or recipies?undefinedundefined

I've just been reading an interesting article in "Excalibur" that gives a recipe of 1/3 charcoal, 1/3 "poudre de grès" (powdered sandstone?) and 1/3 clay, but suggests refractory cement or fireclay like you would use for building a barbecue hearth.


KKK.

[ugug]

hey

i think Father Colin got some nice hamon activity with O1 :twak:

ugug

[xxgabrielxx]

I'd also like to know if anyone knows a bit about this. What about taking a chance and using a water quench?

[Chris Grant]

90% chance of a crack in plain water, O1 will give you modest waves with an oil quench, just keep the edge of the clay well defined, and set it with a blowtorch before you heat treat it. If you've not tried O1 before, try a straight hamon.

These are both O1
http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/126/28622106027279443581808.jpg
http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/8938/26816420941572243806937.jpg

You can get more activity, with CS80/75Cr1, it's not ideal for hamons, nbut easy enough to get in the UK, unlike some of the 10XX seies steels & W1/W2

This is CS80 or 75Cr1 (forget which) oil quenched
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/2503/28622106017646111211431.jpg

If hamons are your priority, an old file, annealled and with the teeth ground off, might be ideal...

Good luck!

CG


I'd also like to know if anyone knows a bit about this. What about taking a chance and using a water quench?

[Fred Rowe]

01 is a deep hardening steel which likes a med range quench oil in the 12 to 14 second range. 01 contains manganese in a range of 1.00 to 1.50 percent. High manganese in carbon steel makes it difficult to obtain a hamon using most techniques.
Quenching 01 in water creates a huge amount of stress throughout the crystalline structure that can show up when the tools being put to use.
W2 which contains the same amount of carbon as 01 but does not contain the manganese is a better choice when it comes to producing hamons.

[thomas]

Better to pick a better steel for creating hamons than trying to make one from one thats not well suited. :)