Spyderco with a hamon

[Blueboost]

I would love to see another Spyderco styled after a katana/tanto style design. Something similar to the Bob Lum folding tanto. A powerful thick full sized blade. What are the possibilities of having a visible hamon?

I invision a design simliar to this

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/Blueboost/DSCF0051.jpg

updated styling, maybe a Dry carbon fiber handle, with hamon

hamon on Katana-

http://www.zhengwutang.com/japanese/katana_wakizashi/maruadv/images/12.jpg

discuss?

[Padawan]

The traditional hamon found on Japanese blades is a result of the differential hardening of the blades. Such a practice wouldn't be practical, or even necessary on a production folder. The closest thing you'll find to a "hamon" line is on the laminated Spydercos, such as the Caly Jr. and Jess Horn Lightweight, both in ZDP-189/420J2. It would be possible to do a Sprint run of the Lum with a laminated blade, but I'm not sure if that's something Sal would consider at this point. Some people don't care for the look of the lamination line and instead prefer a solid blade, but I personally like the appearance a lot and feel that it adds character to the knife.

Jess Horn (borrowed from member eljay)

http://www.eljay.org/Spyders/horn3.jpg

Calypso Jr. (borrowed from member Civilian)

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/5808/calys018jw2.jpg

[Blueboost]

The traditional hamon found on Japanese blades is a result of the differential hardening of the blades. Such a practice wouldn't be practical, or even necessary on a production folder.

Im no metalurgist but I know enough to agree it would be impractical. I can't imagine many of you would argue that it wouldn't be beautiful though.

How impractical are we talking here?

What is a sprint run?

[Ging]

A Spirit Run is a special run of about 500 knives in a unusual/different form, like carbon fibre scales. They are for collectors, kinfe lovers and steel junkies.

[Padawan]

How impractical are we talking here?

Very. There are other ways to simulate the look of an actual hamon, such as acid polishing/etching. However, this would be purely aesthetic rather than functional, and that isn't something that Sal normally goes for, especially when it will raise the cost of the knife.

[Blueboost]

Very. There are other ways to simulate the look of an actual hamon, such as acid polishing/etching. However, this would be purely aesthetic rather than functional, and that isn't something that Sal normally goes for, especially when it will raise the cost of the knife.


No acid wash. No poser simulations. Why would differentially hardening the knife be completely impractical?

[Th232]

No acid wash. No poser simulations. Why would differentially hardening the knife be completely impractical?

IIRC, if you're doing it the Japanese way, it's done by putting the clay on the blade, then doing the heat treat (in very basic terms). As far as I know, Spyderco doesn't have the equipment for putting the clay on the blade, and consider that it will have to be done for 500 blades, being careful about the thickness of the clay, that's already something that will require a lot of money, either to hire someone to do all 500 blades (and teach them the proper thickness &c, or to construct/buy a machine to do it, again, costing a lot of money. And it's not just slapping on a bit of clay, either.

Secondly, the heat treatment will mean that the blade will bend (forming that nice curve on the blade). That poses its own set of problems, namely that in a production folder, QC will have to check every blade. While they should all be identical, I'd wager that Murphy's Law would make sure that every blade would be slightly different.

Nice idea, just that it's more suited to a custom folder than a production one.

[The Deacon]

Your best bet might be to contact Bob Lum (http://www.boblumknives.com/) and find out if he would be willing to make a custom Folding Tanto with a differentially heat treated blade for you and what it would cost.

My knowledge of steel is minimal, can stainless even be differentially heat treated?

[Blueboost]

Oh well. This would look totally bad-@ss on the Lum tanto folder though. :spyder:

http://www.gad.net/gifs/Hamon.jpg

[Padawan]

Oh well. This would look totally bad-@ss on the Lum tanto folder though. :spyder:

http://www.gad.net/gifs/Hamon.jpg

Again, if you're only interested in the look, that can be achieved quite a bit more easily than by creating a true hamon via traditional methods. From an actual performance standpoint, the laminated blades shown above provide much of the same intended benefit (i.e., harder steel at the edge, softer/tougher steel along the rest of the blade).

[Blueboost]

Again, if you're only interested in the look, that can be achieved quite a bit more easily than by creating a true hamon via traditional methods. From an actual performance standpoint, the laminated blades shown above provide much of the same intended benefit (i.e., harder steel at the edge, softer/tougher steel along the rest of the blade).

Sure, it would be primarily an asthetic thing obviously. But I'd want a real, traditional hamon or nothing at all. The acid wash flea market katana hamon doesn't do it for me, nor does the laminate.

Appreciate the reply's guys! :)

[The Mastiff]

I don't think differential hardening is possible with stainless steel, or even high alloyed non stainless steels. Joe

[The Deacon]

I don't think differential hardening is possible with stainless steel, or even high alloyed non stainless steels. JoeThat's pretty much what I thought, and given Sal's aversion to using non-stainless steels, just further reduces the odds of such a knife being considered for a Sprint Run. So, as I mentioned before, having Bob Lum make him a custom one seems the most reasonable way for Blueboost to get what he wants. Heck, he could probably even get it with the peely ply CF scales he craves.

[Blueboost]

That's pretty much what I thought, and given Sal's aversion to using non-stainless steels, just further reduces the odds of such a knife being considered for a Sprint Run. So, as I mentioned before, having Bob Lum make him a custom one seems the most reasonable way for Blueboost to get what he wants. Heck, he could probably even get it with the peely ply CF scales he craves.

good idea Deac. Perusing Lum's site as we speak. :D