Thread: Unexpected Hamon

I'm starting to get the feeling I've messed up here.
I've just been hand sanding this razor I've made from an old file.
As I've got to 400 grit it looks as though I have a hamon showing up.
Its hard to see in the pics, but there seems to be a wavy pattern about 1/2 inch above the cutting edge.
I quenched it spine down, but I was outdoors in bad light, and now I'm wondering if maybe I didnt submerge the whole blade.
If i left the edge out of the oil for the first few seconds, would this leave it in a state too soft for a razor?
I just spent 20 minutes on my dtm 325 then king 1200 stone and the bevel still wasnt quite there yet.
So it seems pretty hard, but I'm tired and I want to go to bed now.
Am I kidding myself that this edge might still be useable
Thanks
Grant

I may be wrong here but sanding with sand paper will not reveal a hamon, it never worked for me at least. You need to etch with acid, or polish with Jnats to get a hamon to show.

Thanks Stefan, I hope your right, and I'm worrying about nothing
G.

Nothing to do with the question. But I was talking to one of my files the other day................. and when it grows up it wants to be just like that.............
I have to thank you Grant, I now have a collection of old files that I'm keeping just in the hopes, that I may learn to do what your doing with these files, someday.

Hamons or temper lines happen on their own with razors a lot of the time. The thin material down by the edge cools faster than the more meaty cross sections up by the spine. You can see the temper line during the sanding process. If you want to emphasize the line you can etch the razor in weak acid, if you want to make it go away buffing does a good job of obscuring the line.

Charlie

Originally Posted by baldy

I'm starting to get the feeling I've messed up here.
I've just been hand sanding this razor I've made from an old file.
As I've got to 400 grit it looks as though I have a hamon showing up.
Its hard to see in the pics, but there seems to be a wavy pattern about 1/2 inch above the cutting edge.
I quenched it spine down, but I was outdoors in bad light, and now I'm wondering if maybe I didnt submerge the whole blade.
If i left the edge out of the oil for the first few seconds, would this leave it in a state too soft for a razor?
I just spent 20 minutes on my dtm 325 then king 1200 stone and the bevel still wasnt quite there yet.
So it seems pretty hard, but I'm tired and I want to go to bed now.
Am I kidding myself that this edge might still be useable
Thanks
Grant

Grant, now I've not yet made my first razor so this is all hypothetical but did you test the edge before tempering? Supposedly it should make a file skate when it's sufficiently hardened. I'd guess if it did then you are OK.

I just read the first post again. If this were my razor and it was for personal use, I would hone it and see how it works. I bet the blade will work fine.

Charlie

Looks cool!
... but, what will that back do to your strops?

Thanks guys, I'll hone it when I get home from work tonight.
Hopefully I'm just being paranoid. As soon as I finish a heat treat I start to second guess myself & think I've done something wrong.
It does still skate a file. Although after I set the bevel last night then tested on the file it did chip it up a bit but thats probably normal?
G.

Originally Posted by mainaman

I may be wrong here but sanding with sand paper will not reveal a hamon.

Yes, it will.
And if you used a polishing stone, it would as well. It won't jump out at you, but it will definitely show itself clear as day when held to the light.