Hamon or Temper Lines on Razors

[Tim Zowada]

Over the last several years I have been standing on my little soap box stating that a hamon was a waste of time on a razor. I was making my Damascus from O1 and L6, martempering in salts, blah, blah, blah... While that is still partially true, I have seen the light.

I hadn't taken the time to consider making a razor from a material that would give a hamon no matter what. That would be from using steel like 1084, 1095, or W2. With the thick spine, and thin edge of a razor blade, normal heat treating techniques will give a hamon that can be brought out by simple polishing and etching. In fact if you choose these steels, it would be extremely difficult to not have a hamon.

That is especially true with simple smelted steels such as tamahagane, or my Michi-gane. The blade in the photo is a Michi-gane, 11/16, 1/4 hollow. It was Austenized in 1480F salts and quenched in to 90F #50 quench oil. I'm sorry about the crummy photo. I had to tweak it a lot to have the hamon visible.

So, I have changed my tune, a little. I still think it would be a lot of extra trouble to purposely create a hamon on oil hardening steels like O1. There is no functional reason to have a soft spine. But, if your steel choices lead you to 1095 or W2, take advantage of the shallow hardening and enjoy the beauty of the hamon.

Crow doesn't taste too bad if you add enough barbecue sauce...