Hamon (swordsmithing)

Hamon (swordsmithing)

In swordsmithing, nihongo|hamon|刃文|hamon (from Japanese, literally "blade pattern") is a visual effect created on the blade by the hardening process. It is the transition between the region of harder martensitic steel of the blade edge and the softer pearlitic steel of the back of the sword. This difference in hardness is the objective of the process; the appearance is purely a side effect.

Many modern reproductions do not have natural hamon; their hamon is faked via various processes such as acid etch, or more crude ones such as wire brushing. Some modern reproductions with natural hamon are also subjected to acid etching to enhance that hamon's prominence.

External links

* [http://www.chenessinc.com/hamon.htm Cheness Inc page about Hamons and how to differentiate fakes]
* [http://www.tozandoshop.com/nt999/hm.html Photo of 13 types of Hamon]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Hamon — may be* Hamon Thermal Europe, Cooling Tower Company [http://www.hamon.com] *Benoît Hamon, politician *Jean Louis Hamon, painter *Philippe Hamon, literary historian *Hamon (Song of Roland), legendary commander *Hamon (swordsmithing), visual result …   Wikipedia

  • Katana construction — was the labour intensive bladesmithing process developed in Japan for forging katana and other Japanese blades. Katana and wakizashi were often forged with different profiles, different blade thicknesses, and varying amounts of grind. Wakizashi… …   Wikipedia

  • Katana — For other uses, see Katana (disambiguation). The katana (刀?) is one of the traditional Japanese swords (日本刀, nihonto …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”