Questions About a Curious Kukri

tom hyle · 20th March 2005, 04:58 PM

I had a big reply, too, and the computer got rid of it.....
One of the final stages in traditional Japanese sword polishing is a light acid etch. This should be done each time a sword is polished/sharpened, as it is the usual traditional manner (Japanese swords are nowhere near as homogenous as people think though). I've seen this done on television by the man who is (or was at the time; he was not young and may be dead) the cutler laureate or whatever over there, and have read of it many times. Certainly a sensitive eye can see a hardening line or lamination between fairly different alloys in polished steel(though many cannot see these things, even while they are being pointed out and are clearly visible to me), but the level of analysis traditional in Japan requires the light etch.
I find the poured on hardening method interesting; I hadn't known that, and it would seem it would produce more of a skin affect than an imersion quench, due to breifness of exposure? How much water do they pour over it. Would it be on only one side though, or how do they work that?

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20th March 2005, 04:58 PM	#24
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	I had a big reply, too, and the computer got rid of it..... One of the final stages in traditional Japanese sword polishing is a light acid etch. This should be done each time a sword is polished/sharpened, as it is the usual traditional manner (Japanese swords are nowhere near as homogenous as people think though). I've seen this done on television by the man who is (or was at the time; he was not young and may be dead) the cutler laureate or whatever over there, and have read of it many times. Certainly a sensitive eye can see a hardening line or lamination between fairly different alloys in polished steel(though many cannot see these things, even while they are being pointed out and are clearly visible to me), but the level of analysis traditional in Japan requires the light etch. I find the poured on hardening method interesting; I hadn't known that, and it would seem it would produce more of a skin affect than an imersion quench, due to breifness of exposure? How much water do they pour over it. Would it be on only one side though, or how do they work that?