Shihan now up to 1500 on both sides. Need to find my fingerstones to bring out some details and contrast between the layers
A convex unchi bought from I believe a former sword polisher.
Convex unchi’s are the sh!t.
Thanks for sharing that! I always wondered if/how polishers convexed their stones without wasting those corners. I'd been doing something similar, but only to keep my stone flat without lapping.It's easy to make any stone go convex if you just polish your knife on the end at an angle facing downwards.
Takes time but it will happen. I have a few stones that I'm doing that to at just one end so I can polish with.
Driving the corner of the stone that way onto the blade will allow you to polish in one spot easier.
So so beautifulAs a busy guy with a new kid on the way, I feel like I found a cheat code with fingerstones…
Shi.Han
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Children! The ultimate cheat!Looks great. How did you cheat 😉
Because they don’t make tamahagne much anymore there is no Watetsu. It is being reclaimed from nails and hinges etc….
Higos aren’t monosteel. They are iron clad. Blue 2 for the brass ones, some SK steel for the black and silver ones.Prepping some higo as gifts, yes, a week before Christmas when I should be doing a million other things. Call it a sanity preserver. Here’s the finish off Marou renge shiro suita.
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I found an odd thing with these a couple years ago - despite being monosteel (afaik), there’s a significant variation in hardness throughout the blade from top to bottom. Harder near the edge, softer near the spine. Small difference in hardness but weirdly consistent/straight. Some light “banding”, or likely impurities shown as well, which I’m planning to pull out with a more acidic stone. I suspect the sulphur content is relatively high. Real stinky the last time I etched one, but the results were beautiful.
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Last, the finish isn’t as clean as it usually ends up on a harder, more pure steel. More glitter bomb than mirror polish. Takes deeper scratches than core steels, but shallower than iron would on the same stone. Wouldn’t say this rendition of SK steel is a tactile joy on jnats.
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PS - this stone is worth it just as a backdrop 🤣
Higos aren’t monosteel. They are iron clad. Blue 2 for the brass ones, some SK steel for the black and silver ones.
From what I can tell you did pretty well. In particular I love seeing the convexity on your bevel. Looks consistent and tasteful.First time ever trying to polish. Need more practice 🥴
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Thank you, yeah i just got scratches from one of the last stone, not sure why. Gonna do again and again 🤓From what I can tell you did pretty well. In particular I love seeing the convexity on your bevel. Looks consistent and tasteful.
What was your last stone? Could be that the last stone uncovered scratches from an earlier stone that were hidden by a less fine finish.Thank you, yeah i just got scratches from one of the last stone, not sure why. Gonna do again and again 🤓
Still nice "mirror" against the natural light.
Tips are welcome.
You have some scratches that are rather coarse still left, you'll need to start from at least 800 grit to work them all out (if that's the goal). Never fall into the trap of thinking the next stone will finish removing a scratch - it never works out. Just be patient and climb up the grits alternating scratch patterns slightly as you go. Check your scratches often.Thank you, yeah i just got scratches from one of the last stone, not sure why. Gonna do again and again 🤓
Still nice "mirror" against the natural light.
Tips are welcome.
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