When the hamon is less prominent.

[Paz]

Hi all, just for my own educational reasons I have a question regarding hamons. 

 

On my first blade which I adored but now have moved on, the hamon was not very prominent or showed up that well in comparison to other blades I owned. The sword was a late muromachi koto, and at the time I needed good lighting to see the hamon. Otherwise the hamon wasn't that prevalent. The blade was polished not that long ago. And I understand that polishing too much can lead to a less vibrant prominent hamon. Or sometimes it could poor workmanship during the process of hardening the edge. 

 

Now keep in mind the blade was made during the mass production of the sengoku jidai. Nevertheless I really liked the blade, and overlooked it. But for purpose of education and learning I'd like to know why. There maybe no problem at all I'm just curious.  It could be the way it's polished. The hamon was a sanbunsugi.

 

The blade was a mino den kanesaki senjuin with sashikomi polish. 

 

Thanks photos attached 

[Grey Doffin]

Another possibility, and not saying this is the case; can't tell much from the pictures, is retemper, which often leaves a weak, indistinct hamon.

Grey

[Paz]

Thanks Grey. Would re temper happen in order to remove faults and damage to the blade 

 

Thanks

[paulb]

Retempering is carried out when the hamon is lost due to fire damage  

[Matsunoki]

Hi Paz

like you I am a token member but sadly nearly twice your age!

what follows are simply my views and opinions which I realise and accept don’t count for much

Your question is a simple one but yet it goes to the very heart of enjoying this subject ie “what am I actually looking at?”, “what can I see?”, “what is there that I can’t  see?” and more worryingly “what is being concealed?”

Important to remember that the smith will determine what the hamon is and the activity within it. It is the polisher that will determine what we can (easily) see.

A trained and time served polisher is a mixture of sheer genius and magician. They can take a grey steel bar with scratches and chips and transform it into a lovely sword. However as in Star Wars, there is a dark side where many serious flaws can be hidden…..often driven by ££££.

Your sword was in sashikomi polish, an “older traditional style” where largely the actual hamon is gently enhanced to enable all its activities to be easily seen. In appearance it is “softer”, more subtle but imo beautiful. That could be the simple reason your hamon did not leap off the blade at you.

The fashion nowadays (which I personally struggle with and don’t understand) is the keisho/Hadori style where one of the final polishing stages involves using a rougher stone to impart the “white” effect on the hamon thus creating a dramatic clash between the colour of  hamon and the ji. However it can make it damned difficult to see what the hamon actually is. You are looking at the polishers “interpretation of the actual hamon”……which could vary dramatically from what the actual hamon really is. Many people prefer this drama but it sure adds to the difficulties when viewing a blade. This technique can be used to create the illusion of a hamon which has dropped off the blade, also to create the illusion of a boshi when it shoots straight off the end and even to conceal hagiri and other flaws.

When you are looking at many images both on this forum and on Japanese dealers sites you are usually looking at a polishing effect which tells us very little about the hamon and other tempering activities. It is then necessary to hold the blade in suitable lighting and peer at it whilst twisting and turning it in the hope that you can see what is underneath ie see what the smith created. You can gather I’m not a fan!……but that’s the current trend!

So, my advice, don’t judge a blade based on the polish….the polish can be gentle or harsh, appropriate or inappropriate, well done or less so. Look through what you first see to see what is really there and if you can’t see what is really there…walk away.

Here is a link to a super site, I recommend you read everything on it.

https://nihontoantiques.com/Japanese-art-sword-restoration/polishing-techniques/
Enjoy your journey. All the best. Colin

 

[almeister]

Just looks like excessive lighting in pics

Looks like a younger made blade in these pics ...because of ..! 

Search forum on photography  . ...

Hold blade cut edge up with light higher/above/behind  and adjust as required and experiment...

 

Not really relevant  ....as you no longer own blade ....

I , however.... agree with GeorgeT ....

If it's not suguha/straight line hamon ....

"Sashikomi Polish is Best ! "

Cheers AlanK