Shibuichi

Shibuichi(四分一) is a billon which can be patinated into a range of subtle muted shades of blue or green. Its name means "one-fourth" in Japanese and indicates the standard formulation of one part silver to three parts copper, though this may be varied according to the desired effect. However, as the pure hues of the patina are generated by copper oxides and greyed down by silver oxide, the proportion of silver should never exceed that of copper.

For most of its history, shibuichi was mostly used to ornament various fittings for katana until the Meiji reforms, when most swordmakers began to make purely decorative objects instead. Similar alloys have been used elsewhere but the use of shibuichi to achieve different colored patinas has remained nearly unknown outside Japan, despite recent interest from artisans in the West.

External links

* [http://www.reactivemetals.com/Data_Instructions/ShiningWave/d_ShakShibu.html Reactive Metal Studio Inc. -- Shakudo & Shibuichi Data Sheet]

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