Joey I appaud you trying the torch method. If you will do a search here on the forum for hamon you will pull up a lot of information. One thread especially to check out is in the topic of the month area. One of those topics deals specifically with hamons with some great info.

Brion

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Joey I appaud you trying the torch method. If you will do a search here on the forum for hamon you will pull up a lot of information. One thread especially to check out is in the topic of the month area. One of those topics deals specifically with hamons with some great info.

Brion

Thanks Brion! Lots of good info.

silicon carbide powder is the trick

I like to use 7 micron and 3 micron AO powder as follows: Start with 7, then use 3 on entire blade. Etch one more time, clean off oxides and use the 7 micron again on the hamon and hardened area to whiten it up. Also, I use Pikal polish because it tends to whiten the hamon as well. Note here that I mostly have done hamons on 1084 steel. Results may be different on other steels so you may have to play around with it a little.

|quoted:

I like to use 7 micron and 3 micron AO powder as follows: Start with 7, then use 3 on entire blade. Etch one more time, clean off oxides and use the 7 micron again on the hamon and hardened area to whiten it up. Also, I use Pikal polish because it tends to whiten the hamon as well. Note here that I mostly have done hamons on 1084 steel. Results may be different on other steels so you may have to play around with it a little.

Thanks Ed! Great looking finish.

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Thanks Ed! Great looking finish.

What's your source of the AO and Pikal Polish?

This is my attempt at a Hill Billy Hambone, as taught by Jim Crowell in the Basic course this past April, using an acetylene torch? The knife has some issues but at this point on my journey, I'm pleased. I'm still washing out the hamon lines but I'm sure that is just technique. The handle is mortised Texas mesquite, nickel silver guard, copper pin and forged 5160 blade.