Uploaded December 2017 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago

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The immersive experience of being in the darkened workshop during a traditional clay and water quench using a charcoal forge. A hamon is created on a tanto using a 1mm thick layer of roughly 1:1:1 natural clay, charcoal powder, and polishing stone powder. The blade is about 29cm long (nagasa), 2.3cm wide (motohaba) and 6mm thick (motokasane). The final shot shows the rough kajitogi polish to check the hamon placement using a very coarse waterstone (torajirushi 80#, lobstercarbon 120#).

first heat slowly and carefully,
then the quench,
check edge hardness with a file,
remove the clay with a mild steel scraper,
then temper lightly over the flames,
and test polish to check the hamon.

watch this type of blade being forged:
youtube.com/watch?v=y7fROs7i8-U

see where the raw materials come from:
youtube.com/watch?v=Ss8mUmvfWfA

learn more about the process: islandblacksmith.ca/process