A hamon is a specific Japanese technique for displaying the metallurgical properties of a blade.
When I make a knife, I make the edge harder than the spine. This way the spine flexes and doesn't break.
I've been interested in trying to achieve a hamon on my blades for a long time. It's a tricky process. Here's a link to an example of a beautiful hamon on a Don Fogg (my hero) knife: http://www.dfoggknives.com/OssikGent2.htm
Above is a photo of my first attempt. You can see that I've been partially sucessful, but still have a long way to go. The guys on the knifemaker's forum to which I belong have been giving me some tips to improve the next time.
Click on the picture for a larger version. You'll note that the acid etching I did reveals the grain of the steel. Not many people who aren't bladesmith's see this very often. It's facinating to watch up close.
I'll post photos of the finished knife.
--Dave
