Construction Method Visible?

[Taz575]

I've been enjoying my Shigekuni Wakizashi from Ed over a Yakiba lately and really studying it.  One thing I noticed that I have not see in my other blades is that the hada changes near the hamon/edge.  It gets much finer towards the edge and less pattern is visible; it makes a clear transition.  I don't think it is the hadori finish because in some areas, it happens above the hadori finish.  The grain becomes much finer and harder looking, but doesn't look like when softer core steel is exposed.  It looks like it may be a san mei or other laminate construction with the hard steel at the edge, softer along the sides/back?  Almost all of the videos I have seen were a kobuse type of forging with the softer core steel wrapped in the harder outer steel, but this seems to be the opposite with the harder edge core and softer outer panels.  I think one of the Youtube videos I have seen shows this type of construction?

 

Ed has some great pictures that show what I am talking about better than my pictures can!

 

 

 

Long sunagashi is present as well, which I read somewhere may be an indication of a laminate type of construction where it is the lamination line possibly?  In the case of this wakizashi, the line doesn't match up with the hada pattern change so I am not sure if I believe that??  In my Japanese Kitchen knife experience, there is a clear line that marks the cladding/core steel and the steels react differently to the same stone (core gets shiny, softer cladding gets a matte finish) but with the wakizashi, it looks different.  Some Japanese kitchen knife smiths use a layer of nickel to prevent carbon migration, one of them even used Copper between the hard core steel and softer cladding!  With this one, the steel just seems to change, but near the ha machi and on other areas, the change doesn't seem to happen as high up the blade. 

 

Does anyone else have any pictures of blades where they can see the construction methods like this one?  Or any pictures of a laminated blade to compare this one to?  I always thought the san mai (or other lamination types) were the popular choice for Japanese swords, but most seem to be the Kobuse method with soft core, hard outsides.

[Jussi Ekholm]

Explained here in much more detail than I could. http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/shingane.html-> blue hyperlinks will guide you to more information too.

[Taz575]

Neat page!  Some nice pictures, but there was a lot of talk about tired blades as well.

[CSM101]

A Kongobei blade.

 

Uwe G.

[Taz575]

Very nice!!  That picture really captures the hada very nicely!

[flemming]

Nice photo Ewe; that seems to look like a Juyo Token Moritaka I had in hand yesterday, attributed to the third generation. Is that a possibility? Or is that a different sword?

 

Lloyd Flemming

[flemming]

And by the way, if that happens to be the or a Moritaka, then it is likely a convoluted 5 piece construction, in which the interface of the compicated yakiba piece with the ji is above the hamon, related to Hawleys #29 sub-assembly diagram.

 

Lloyd Flemming

[CSM101]

Hello Lloyd,

 

the paper says only Kongobei (TH). So it is a different sword then.

 

 

Uwe G.

[flemming]

Thanks Ewe, that particular size of hada seems limited to one or two moritakas, with finer chikei and less prominence than Sadamori. That could be a Sadamori.

Lloyd

[Taz575]

When I looked at the spine of the Shigekuni more last night, I thought I could see a different core layer and side layer, but it may have been my eyes playing tricks on me.  I've been looking over many sword pictures and rarely see pictures in close up detail that show differences like this.  I know there were some very complicated lamination/construction methods used, but never really saw that the final outcome may look like on the sword itself until I got this Shigekuni; it's polish and forging allows me to see details that I never though were possible to see!  It's an interesting difference between the swords and kitchen knives!  I am a junky for the steel and activities within and this just kinds got me thinking about the numerous methods of forging blades and how it would look versus a tired old blade.