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ajhuff

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Why do so many of you like them? I don't. I'm probably alone in that I know. I'm not asking you to change my mind but please explain to me what you see in them that you find beautiful.

-AJ
 
You are probably alone :)

The effect of the different hardening is stunning. All from wavy pattern to a mix of skies meeting the blade :)
Guess you don't like sanmai either then?
 
It's just a something different for your eyes to look at. It creates interest. The hardening thing is cool too, I guess.
 
I don't know if I can explain why I like something. It's just visually pleasing. Kind of like how three pins in a handle looks better than two; I can't explain it but I prefer the way three look.
 
Make a knife with one and see if you like 'em then.

Hoss
 
Honyaki knives got hamon line and is much more difficult to make than the kasumi knives.
Hamon line stands for quality! :)

I like it :)
 
+1 to Andrew and Lefty. Hamons are cool although 99% of the ones I like have been on honyaki or Bill Burke's blades.
 
My primary reason for liking is cosmetic.
With that said, a few will look lots better than most.
My thinking is that if the maker takes the time to produce a beautiful hamon,
he probably took a lot of time to get the rest of the knife just right as well.
 
... My thinking is that if the maker takes the time to produce a beautiful hamon,
he probably took a lot of time to get the rest of the knife just right as well.

+1

but after a while though, won't the patina mask the hamon and it becomes a faint memory?
 
I never really get into Hamons on kitchen knives, because the patina often covers it up.

But the big appeal of it is that it visually breaks up what is otherwise a uniform flat plane. If a uniform flat plane were visually captivating, there'd be art galleries full of blank canvases.
 
A hamon displays not only the makers patience, but his ability as well. Hamon's, when developed properly, are one of the most beautiful things in all of blade making. They display the skill levels of a maker, and as a maker, they are sometimes a pain. There is a lot of polishing involved in creating one. I personally love them.
 
Yeah. Some of those Wheeler hamons are pretty freaking cool.
 
Very interesting. They look unfinished to me but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

-AJ
 
Don is beyond amazing. Without a doubt one of the best in the biz...Good call Hoss!!!
 
I like hamon as it falls into a category of unknowns, like B&W photography and other things, where do you don't quite know what it will look like until you see it.

I haven't experimented much with hamon, but did get a wavy pattern often seen on a honyaki knives. Been thinking about doing some more, this thread makes me want to give it another try.

M
 
+1

but after a while though, won't the patina mask the hamon and it becomes a faint memory?

Not always.

IMG_1465.JPG
 
Hmmm, that patina on that MR is comming along very nice.
 
The hamon will react differently on the hardened area of the blade as it will on the sifter steel. It is basically a really slow etch that causes patinas. It will not "hide" the patina, but it will be a different look than that of a fresh, highly polished on a blade with hamon.
 
Because of the tradition of Samurai and their swords.
 
Here is a video of a hamon on a Japanese sword being made.
[video=youtube_share;o_voOugYgag]http://youtu.be/o_voOugYgag[/video]
 
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