Fusion Style Stream Kotanto

$1800

A 59mm tanto-tip EDC blade mounted in nihonto style as a small kaiken fusion knife. Design your own bespoke knife online here.

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Description

The temper of this thin high carbon steel blade has been left relatively hard in order to hold a keen edge for tasks such as wood carving and fine work. This particular combination of steel and heat treatment is well suited to users who require a good edge and are willing to take care of it.

The clay tempered blade was hand forged in a charcoal fire, water quenched with clay, and polished with waterstones to bring out the subtle character of the steel. A coarse waterstone inspection polish revealed a notare hamon with ko-maru boshi and a well-proportioned turnback. The blade profile is based strongly on the tip portion of the Aizu Shintogo, but has a very pronounced distal taper to allow for fine detail work.

The tang is constructed in a similar manner to a Japanese sword requiring only a single hardwood peg to hold the knife assembly together. In addition to the sense of beautiful simplicity, this design allows the knife to be taken apart for cleaning, polishing, detailed cutting tasks, or major resharpening work.

The handle and scabbard are carved from local Nootka Cypress and finished with traditional urushi lacquer sculpted in a tree bark pattern. To create the texture using the karanuri technique, black urushi was mixed with egg white to give the base layer enough stiffness to hold its sculpted shape while it cured and then transparent natural urushi finishing layers added a red-brown colour and depth. A narrow forged copper ferrule and wrought iron guard salvaged from the sea complete the mounting and a removable peg carved from Cocobolo holds the knife together.

The blade is just over 2.25″ long and the overall length of handle and scabbard is about 7″. The spine at the munemachi is about 4mm thick.

Specifications

Nagasa (blade length): 59mm
Motokasane (blade thickness): 4mm
Motohaba (blade width): 17mm
Sori (curve): uchizori/drop point
Nakago (tang): 96mm
Tsuka (handle): 102mm
Koshirae (overall): 179mm

Katachi (geometry): hira-zukuri, shallow iori-mune
Hamon (edge pattern): notare
Boshi (tip pattern): ko-maru
Nakago (tang): futsu, kuri-jiri, one mekugi-ana, signed near the tip
Mei (signature): hot stamped katabami-ken kamon
Koshirae (mounting): satoyama kaiken style, issaku

Materials: reclaimed file steel, wrought iron from the sea, copper water pipe, Nootka Cypress, natural urushi lacquer, Cocobolo

This knife is in a private collection in California.

Island Blacksmith: Hand forged knives reclaimed from old files.

Island Blacksmith: Hand forged knives reclaimed from old files.

Island Blacksmith: Hand forged knives reclaimed from old files.

Island Blacksmith: Hand forged knives reclaimed from old files.

Island Blacksmith: Hand forged knives reclaimed from old files.

Island Blacksmith: Hand forged knives reclaimed from old files.

Island Blacksmith: Hand forged knives reclaimed from old files.

Process

Island Blacksmith: Hand forged knives reclaimed from old files.
After forging and profiling (top) shown with two larger tanto-tip style takedown blades.
Island Blacksmith: Hand forged knives reclaimed from old files.
Clay layers in place for yaki-ire (differential quenching, sometimes referred to as “clay tempering”) using water and a charcoal fire in the traditional manner.
Island Blacksmith: Hand forged knives reclaimed from old files.
After hardening and tempering, notice that the spine has straightened slightly, the process of yaki-ire pulling the tip upwards like a strung bow.
Island Blacksmith: Hand forged knives reclaimed from old files.
An inspection with the coarse Japanese waterstone reveals a strong hamon with a nice turnback.
Island Blacksmith: Hand forged knives reclaimed from old files.
Forging the guard from a small piece of wrought iron salvaged from under the sea in the graveyard of the Pacific.
Island Blacksmith: Hand forged knives reclaimed from old files.
Carving the handle and scabbard from reclaimed Nootka Cypress in preparation for lacquering with urushi.

Design your own custom handmade bespoke knife here: Tools for Satoyama