Forging a Copper Damascus Katana
Tyrell Knifeworks・12 minutes read
A "cumai" katana is crafted using twisted damascus with 1095 and 15n20 steels, starting with a billet forged in kerosene before being shaped, twisted, and flattened to create a specific pattern. The process also involves blackening steel fittings with hot salts, engraving a maker's mark, wrapping the handle, and constructing a scabbard through milling, gluing, shaping, sanding, and painting for the final product.
Insights
- The process of building a "cumai" katana involves intricate steps such as forge welding a billet of 1095 and 15n20 steels, twisting the bars to create a unique pattern, and using a hydraulic press for forging.
- To complete the katana, additional steps include blackening steel fittings with hot salts, engraving a maker's mark and "Tyrell Knifeworks" in Japanese on the blade, constructing a scabbard through milling, adding felt for protection, shaping, sanding, and painting the final product.
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Recent questions
How is a "cumai" katana made?
By using twisted damascus with 1095 and 15n20 steels.
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Summary
00:00
Creating a "cumai" katana with damascus
- Building a "cumai" katana involves using twisted damascus with 1095 and 15n20 steels.
- The starting billet consists of 1095 steel in black and 15n20 steel in white.
- After a dip in kerosene for forge welding, the billet is heated and squished to set the weld.
- A 30-ton hydraulic press is used for forging the billet into a square bar.
- The bar is squared on the diagonal and then re-squared to introduce a curve.
- Twisted bars are rounded before actual twisting to avoid sharp edges.
- Twisting is done using a pipe wrench after heating the steel.
- The twisted bars are forged flat to achieve a specific pattern.
- Kiss blocks are used on a press for consistent thickness down the billet.
- The billet is stretched and flattened repeatedly to reach the desired length and thickness.
21:56
"Blacken steel fittings, engrave, construct scabbard"
- Use hot salts to blacken steel fittings by soaking them for 15 minutes, then proceed to wrap the handle. Engrave a maker's mark and "Tyrell Knifeworks" in Japanese on the blade, wash it in acetone, dip it in acid, then hot coffee to blacken it. Construct a scabbard by milling two halves, adding felt inside for blade protection, gluing, shaping, sanding, and painting it for the final product.
