Yu-Shoku V-toku2 prelaminated steel

[milkbaby]

I just saw that BladeGallery has a bunch of this Yu-Shoku V-Toku2 in stock now. It's basically mokume cladding (copper, brass, stainless) cladding over V-Toku2 core. They recommend not forging it to avoid delamination, so I originally thought the mokume was already "pre-forged" to give it patterns when the knife is ground, but I see Hinoura and Saji seem to be making with this material like this:

And it definitely looks like it's a multilayer mokume cladding and is forged? So then I'm wondering how do you cut a billet of this and forge it without melting out all your copper and brass? Is there a simple way to cut the billet and weld the edges shut? I'm guessing forging is only for producing the suminigashi pattern in the laminate?

Edited to add: The BladeGallery listing: https://www.bladegallery.com/shopexd.asp?id=99508
They actually say "We recommend not upset forging this material as this can cause delamination." I don't get it...

 

[chefcomesback]

You can forge it , if you go too hot brass or copper will melt depending on your temperatures . Electro etching your makers mark won’t work since it will be most likely touching parts of the copper or brass , had to do stamp

 

[milkbaby]

You can forge it , if you go too hot brass or copper will melt depending on your temperatures . Electro etching your makers mark won’t work since it will be most likely touching parts of the copper or brass , had to do stamp

That is very beautiful as always, Mert!

Sooo I would only want to heat enough for forge down the cladding and not move the core or am I mistaken? The info on the site seems to be for V-Toku2 saying don't forge below 1000C but it seems that would be high enough to melt the brass and close to melting copper.

 

[chefcomesback]

That is very beautiful as always, Mert!

Sooo I would only want to heat enough for forge down the cladding and not move the core or am I mistaken? The info on the site seems to be for V-Toku2 saying don't forge below 1000C but it seems that would be high enough to melt the brass and close to melting copper.

When you start forging you will be shifting the cladding first since it’s closer to surface but the core as well , especially the flat stock is quite thin to begin with it will only take couple hits to move the core all over . Forging around 800-850c worked for me