Uchigumori powder on mirrored honyaki - what will happen?

[Knivperson]

I got this honyaki gyuto from smedja aspen. It's mirror polished. I just etched it with ferric chloride and polished it up again which made the hamon much more contrasty.

Today I will get some uchigumori powder from cleancut. What will happen if i use it on the knife? Will the area above the hamon be kasumi and the lower harder part still be mirrored?

And can I use a cotton pad and windex or should it be micromesh and if so what grit? What difference will it make?

 

[ReiHamono]

The powder will lighten the softer portions of the steel and help any (if there even is any) alloy banding appear.

It will retain its mirror like qualities, but whiter on the softer steel

You can use nugui on the lightened steel after that and it will make it much darker

If you want any portions to be even lighter you can use soft hato finger stones

The idea behind these different techniques is to help increase contrast and the hamon

Lemon juice in just the hamon will brighten up the hamon a lot and make it appear stronger

 

[Knivperson]

Thanks! And cotton pads or micromesh pads etc?

 

[ReiHamono]

I personally use felt chair pads that screw in. I tape up the metal part so it can’t scratch if it pops out of my hand and it makes it easier to use