black and white blades

[Tim Simmons]

I think the chevrons on this blade of Jen's. Are obtained by the use of clay, applied to the blade as a heat resist. Rather like the Japanese do to protect the cutting edge while still working with heat on the rest of the sword. Look closely and you can see the edges of the chevrons are quite uneven as it must be rather difficult to get nice sharp edges on the clay that covers the white parts of the blade. The clever part is in the eye of the smith, to know just how much heat is needed to form the black iron scale without over heating the whole blade.

Iron scale is the thin black film which forms on the surface of iron/steel in the process of forging. It is magnetic oxide of iron, Fe 304, apparently, I am no boffin.

I would think it most unlikely that the blade is made black and then the white exposed by removing the scale, as what appears to happen in the case of African metalwork.

As for a wax resist, I can only see that work when using chemicals as a stain or when using acid. Wax or laqueur resists facilitate fine work. The chevrons are not what you would call fine.