Forging a Wakizashi San Mai Sword - Part 2 - The Habaki

In this part of the series of forging a wakizashi san mai sword, I'll be heat treating, hand sanding and making the habaki.
Tools used in this video:
Norton abrasives combo 6-pack (2 each of 36/80/120): amzn.to/3o6lg7j
Norton abrasives 3-pack 36 grit: amzn.to/3hlqeKF
DuraGold 220 grit Roll: amzn.to/3aK9TxI
Tyrell Knifeworks Instagram: / tyrellknifeworks
Tyrell Knifeworks Etsy Store: www.etsy.com/s...

[@castingtechnology3338]

I like that you're doing all the traditional handle and I can select from your videos the level of detail that I need. I was going to kind of do my own thing but thanks to you I can really do the traditional. I really like the finish that you have even at 220, but I like the final finish and electrolysis.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

I'm not sure I'd rush to do this all again, but it was a fun learning experience. Thanks for following along!

[@Kratos_God_of_50_BMG]

Awesome start man. Looking very much to the final product😁👍🏽

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

I’m happy how that one turned out. I learned sooo much on that build!

[@Take_And_Make]

Got some decent progress on your project! I really like how it's coming together!

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks! I’m glad to have you along!

[@ICTPerformance268]

🇦🇬 Love this series of builds. Noticed the nakago-ji geometry was off. During the habaki fitting demonstration, it changed, but was a little difficult to check, with the angles shown. Please confirm. 🙏🏾

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Yeah, I did a bunch of grinding off camera on the habaki so that it fit properly. Thanks for watching.

[@jonesn3863]

Nice can't wait to see how it turns out

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks for joining us, Jones!

[@theriversexperience9383]

I'm happy that you are doing the more traditional version of the Wakizashi. That way when Airin and I go all non-tradition we won't feel as bad lol. People will have the traditional option to watch. I think yours is going to turn out absolutely amazing!

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Ha, you guys will do an amazing job! This build is just finicky now getting everything fitted together. 😬

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

The san mai of 15n20 and mild steel etched really nicely. Surprisingly the 15n20 came out quite dark and I'm not sure why. We'll see on the final etch I guess.

[@BertchCustomKnives]

That blows my mind how 15N20 came out dark in the etch.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

@@BertchCustomKnives Yup! I was very surprised!

[@theriversexperience9383]

I'm thinking about trying a mild/15n20 san mai Drop point knife and see if it turns out the same way.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

@@theriversexperience9383 yes, do it!

[@Rsama60]

Nice Mokume and I think tha Habaki will look great. I have two failed attempts with quarter mokume. Two more then I am out of quarters.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

It can be tough. I found the tig helps a lot to keep them together. Not everyone has a tig though. Thanks for watching, Roland!

[@design48art]

Super cool habaki. Will it end up with that Damascus finish?

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Yes, it will. Even nicer when it’s fully sanded and buffed. 👍

[@DaRealdioactiveMan]

Nice 👍

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks for watching!

[@Thecrazysamurai69]

"Dinner ready!" For a second I forgot I was portuguese and I was about to yell "Coming!" xD

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Haha, my wife thought that was funny. Thanks for watching!

[@nateand3]

Another great video man. I'm hoping your etch comes out the same way again. I thought that was awesome

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

I was really happy with the test etch! It should look amazing after final sanding I hope! 🤞

[@brandonquintana9943]

That is a FINE piece! I didn't expect the color change either! I wonder why it did that? Maybe it has something to do with the final heat treat?

[@kingcrank5]

What did u have for dinner then? Was it nice? ...I feel we are owed these answers as we all react to the age old call of "dinners ready!" Nice work btw , thanks

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Haha, I think it was pork roast and loaded baked potato, and it was delicious! Enough that it dragged me out of the shop. 😜

[@kingcrank5]

@@TyrellKnifeworks yum!

[@mcrich1978]

@@TyrellKnifeworks ohhh here it is lol made me look for it lol. As cold as it is where I am a good Roast sounds epic.

[@TRichardsBlades]

Canadian quarters can be used if they are from before 2000

[@TRichardsBlades]

Though Canadian nickels would likely be better to use before 2006

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

I didn’t check the date. It looked pretty new though.

[@darrell840]

There is a surprising array of different blade geometry in historical japanese swords. The " standard " kind, the one that most swords have, is actually a double beveled blade and then the spine is beveled as well. It is to me not at all a problem that you did a single bevel. Also actually the bevels are ever so slightly convex and don't have a secondary, or micro bevel. That means that everytime the sword has to be sharpened, it would be sent to a master polisher, where it was dis assembled and re sharpened by completely hand polishing the entire blade. Learning this process and becoming a master sword polisher, was and is is even today a process that takes much more years than becoming a master sword smith. In fact, there was a bladesmith, a handle maker, a handle wrapper, a say maker and a guy making fittings, all of them masters in their craft. So to make that all yourself is a really daunting task! It is fascinating to me that some people can just nail that whole thing them selfies. Great job man

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Yeah, I didn't do the whole convex bevel because it would be a beast to sharpen for anyone. I did end up keeping this blade for myself though. I have this one, the spartan sword and the shark knife that I've never sold.

[@Edgunsuk]

you can only i etch stuff with a carbon content , carbon steel will always etch darker than mild steel , even 15 n 20 if you ,added a layer of say 1095 it would be darker than the 15n20 AND darker than the mild steel one of my college projects was a spinning top with the shaft heat shrunk to the plate used as the top it had 8 facets and those were numbered i tried to resist etch numbers on them with nail varnish , it came out terrible , that's when i realised you cannot etch mild steel lol

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks for watching

[@morgenstern3958]

Привет мой друг. Это было очень круто. Ещё желаю тебе гораздо больше удачных экспериментов.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Я рад, что вам нравится сборка!

[@darcybrawataakaontariostac6835]

Where abouts in Canada are you?i’m north of Toronto

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

I’m from Canada, near Toronto, but I’ve lived in California for 21 years.

[@sudo_nym]

Looking great, Denis! Congratulations on passing the 2k milestone, dude 🇬🇧✌🏻🇨🇦

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks! It’s been a great ride. Thanks for being here through it all!

[@Aleeknives]

Denis is going to blow up on youtube!

[@sudo_nym]

He certainly is! Knife makers around the world appreciate both your work! 🇬🇧🙏🏻

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

@@Aleeknives thanks Airin! I really appreciate you!

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

@@sudo_nym thanks Pete! You’ve been a loyal viewer since the start and I appreciate you being here!

[@brandonquintana9943]

I did want to say one thing. You do have a great sword. I'm just now watching you. You said traditional. I get san Mai it's a 3 piece but tamahagne is 2 different steels from the same lump. Carbon as you know forms in different levels throughout the metal. Folding the material brings out the junk. Crap steel. Impurities. So I thought you would fold it. Love it though!

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

You don’t fold a San mai, you’d screw up the layers. Thanks for watching

[@brandonquintana9943]

@Tyrell Knifeworks absolutely yeah you run into a huge problem of delamination and warps. Just commenting but you've done it longer than I have lol.

[@Aleeknives]

Really cool Denis! Stepping up the game man!

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks Airin. Should be clear sailing from here. Tedious but doable.

[@nateand3]

What ...or how do you get warps out in the temper?

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

You can use a three point system. If you’ve seen my other videos where I straighten a tang, it’s the same process, but during the temper in the oven.

[@nateand3]

@@TyrellKnifeworks that's what I was thinking you probably did, but....i had already asked and figured someone else might be curious too. Plus, don't wanna take away from the algorithm lol

[@DavidMoonForge]

Thanks for the video dude! 🤙

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks for watching, David!

[@jord505]

Was really hoping to see this sword water quenched, since you had spoken about keeping it traditional. Unfortunately there wont be anywhere near as much activity within the sword, but I'm a Nihonto snob. your doing an amazing job.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Though that may be "traditional", modern bladesmiths do not quench in water. It's just too risky. Engineered quench oils do the same thing at a fraction of the risk. Thanks for watching.

[@jord505]

@@TyrellKnifeworks i understand mitigating risk - but every single nihonto smith in japan still water quenches. Maybe rather than saying “modern” we can say that modern “western” smiths oil quench Either way, your sword turned out awesome

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

@@jord505 they follow traditional ways, which aren’t modern. I get the mystique around these weapons but don’t think that all traditional ways are better. Sone modern methods are more progressive.

[@dapeters19751]

Awesome next stage of the build man.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks!

[@lancemillward2462]

"Dinners ready"😁

[@user-xs9lx2vb9m]

Anyone know why the odd colour change?

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

What color change are you referring to?

[@bjmaguire6269]

Really cool, like a photo negative blade! Great series! Thanks so much.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks for following along and watching, BJ!

[@nevermore1045]

Just now catching up on the build. Looks great man! Could it possibly be that the 15n20 wasn't 15n20 maybe mislabeled from where you got it from instead a 1095? Just curious since I haven't worked with 15n20 yet.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

No, it’s definitely 15n20. I think it’s reacting a bit with the mild. It’s fine though, I’m pleased! 👍

[@nevermore1045]

Cool. No doubt it looks great. I like that dark edge with the mild banding.

[@redsnake93]

Is this going to be for sale

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

It might be, I’ll have to see how it turns out. If you’re interested when it goes up, contact me directly (we can avoid Etsy fees). 👍

[@way2dumb]

15n20 always dark.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

That’s incorrect. 15n20 is 2% nickel so it usually stays brighter. Thanks for watching

[@behnamsh1326]

Very nice blade👏👏👏

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks for checking it out!

[@mitchellwebb5883]

Dinners ready!! 😂😂😂

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

It was delicious! 😁

[@mcrich1978]

My wife was like... what was that.. and I'm like "I think dinner is ready" lol 😆

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

@@mcrich1978 My wife loves that you’re wife was watching and to tell you she was just being silly. 😜

[@mcrich1978]

@@TyrellKnifeworks good stuff for sure lol.. sooo ... what was for dinner? Lol

[@JohnJohnson-bg2oo]

Hate to see someone desecrating American currency, it's still considered a violation of federal law also. And, according to the liberal digital currency movement, there's a coin shortage. Nice blade, but the materials for makume gane are readily available in sheet form.

[@shaungreen679]

i love the dark edge and the light clading, its very anima

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks! I’m looking forward to seeing it after it’s all sanded. 👍

[@nicholaseedy3244]

Ottawa checking in!

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Woohoo! Been there plenty! I grew up in Cornwall. 👍

[@nateand3]

Dinner's ready!!! Lol that was hilarious

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

My wife was being funny. 😜

[@Anderson-HandForged]

you are killing this build love your videos

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks so much! Glad you like them!

[@andrewneilson227]

I’ve been thinking about your grinding technique for a while. You’re the only one who grinds that way, and I like it. Freehand grinding is really tough for me. I tried clamping a piece of stock to my grinder table to use as a guide instead of my hand, which worked “ok” but obviously doesn’t allow fine adjustments on the fly. I’m going to try it exactly as you do. So, my question is, do you try to position the blade at a slight angle and push the bottom against your guide hand and the top against the belt? If you want to adjust the grind, do you find it easier to adjust the guide hand or the hand used to move the blade? FYI I think a video about your technique would be really valuable, as I’m certain others have similar questions. As always, cool build!

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Hey Andrew, I’ve actually done a video on grinding techniques. Checkout Triple-T #7. To answer your question, it’s all about the placement of your finger/thumb on the blade. If you want to bring the bevel towards the edge, put your thumb higher. If you need to pull it back towards the spine, move your thumb/finger down. It’s all about where you apply pressure.

[@andrewneilson227]

@@TyrellKnifeworks thanks! I’ll check the video out. Like I said, I think I can get the feel for your technique and I really like the control it seems to provide. Grinding further up the platen with no support under the blade just isn’t giving me good results. Appreciate the advice!

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Glad I could help! I can’t grind well without the rest, I just can’t keep it steady enough. The rest works well for me.

[@andrewneilson227]

@@TyrellKnifeworks I just checked out the grinding video, super helpful. I suppose it’s comforting to know I’m not the only one that struggles to grind without the rest.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

@@andrewneilson227 👍

[@nateand3]

Am i the only one who had to watch the habaki part twice because I was watching fringer print fog dissipate from the blade?

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Ha, I hadn't noticed that.

[@lancemillward2462]

carbon migration?

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Sorry, what is your question, Lance?

[@lancemillward2462]

@@TyrellKnifeworks the reason your core steel went black?

[@HeavyForge]

That’s gonna be a great lookin blade!!🔥⚒💪🏻

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks Spencer! Now just the rest of the fittings and saya. 😉

[@erikcourtney1834]

That’s great, I was really concerned about the quench. Glad it went your way. I with you on the etch. That’s very strange it came out dark like that.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Yeah, the quench was definitely a concern. I was worried it would come out looking like a scimitar! All is well though. Thanks!

[@JenksBladeworks]

Great Work!

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Thanks! I’m having a blast!