KATANA: THE SWORD OF THE SAMURAI
How a Real Hamon Katana Is Created
How a Real Hamon Katana Is Created
Whether used in combat or simply for display, a real hamon katana is an instant classic.real hamon katana A beautiful hamon is what separates a katana from the rest and demonstrates the superior craftsmanship of Japanese swordsmiths. The hamon is created in the tempering process of forging and quenching the steel that makes up the blade. In its simplest form, it looks like a milky-colored trail that follows the edge of the blade. This is a result of the differential hardening process in which the blade is heated and then quenched to create a softer spine or body of the sword while the edge is harder due to being less protected by the clay. The resulting difference in hardness and varying shapes of the lines that form are what give a sword its unique character.
Creating a hamon is a time-consuming and difficult process, making it expensive and impractical for swords that are mass produced.real hamon katana Because of this, many swords that aren’t differentially hardened for a true natural hamon have an artificial one added by etching. However, this should not be confused with a fake hamon that is intentionally made to mislead buyers and increase the price of the sword.
The first step in the production of a real hamon is to heat the steel that will make up the katana’s blade. After the metal is forged, it must be heated to a high temperature in order to transform it into martensite, which is hard and durable. During this stage, the smith will add the hamon pattern to the steel using a clay mixture called tsuchioki. The tsuchioki is applied thicker along the edge of the blade to help it cool down slower than the rest of the blade, which results in the wavy appearance that is characteristic of a hamon.
Once the hamon is complete, the smith must polish the blade to bring out the details and depth of the temper line. Some people believe that a real hamon should still be visible after polishing, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Depending on how the hamon is acid-etched, it may be completely obscured by standard or inferior polishing techniques.
There are several different types of hamon that can be created during the tempering process. Toranba hamon is characterized by its surging waves of deep valleys and high peaks, while hitatsura hamon has more rounded and tempered spots of the blade in addition to the main hamon pattern. Another common type of hamon is hiroto, which is more uniform and has an even texture.
A true hamon is difficult to find in modern katanas, as most are mono-tempered for speed and ease of manufacture. Some katanas are made for beginner or intermediate martial artists and use a through hardening process which isn’t designed to produce a hamon. However, a true hamon can be achieved on a mono-tempered sword by differentially hardening it, as is done with authentic katanas. In this case, the smith will harden the blade’s edge so that it is harder than its spine and back.
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