Stream Kotanto Blade (order-made)

$150$450

A 2-3″ tanto-tip style blade made-to-order, ready to finish in DIY style.

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Description

A reclaimed steel blade hand forged in a charcoal fire, water quenched with clay, and sharpened with waterstones. This diy blade is the size and style of the Tools for Satoyama Stream Kotanto. Design and order a complete knife here.

The narrower blade profile of the compact stream style kotanto is based on a classical yoroidoshi tanto and has a takenoko (bamboo shoot) shape with a gradual drop point.

Island Blacksmith: Charcoal forged knives reclaimed from farm tools.
A comparison of the four types of Tools for Satoyama project kotanto blades.
Custom design a complete knife here.

The temper of these high carbon steel blades is left quite 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. They are intended to serve well as carving, whittling, bushcraft, or utility knives.

The double tapered tang is constructed in a similar manner to a Japanese sword requiring only a single bamboo 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 blade measurements are around 2 or 3″ long with a tang length of about 3″. The spine at the munemachi is usually around 1/8″ to 3/16″ thick. As this is a made-to-order item, there will be some variation, please allow 4-6 weeks depending on the current project load at the forge.

Island Blacksmith: Charcoal forged knives reclaimed from files.

Blade Finish

Choose unfinished (as-tempered) to set your own geometry or choose from three different levels of finish, hammer texture for character and utility, kaji togi to roughly reveal the hamon, or polished for a smooth classy look.

  • as tempered – no finishing (hardened edge will need 1-2mm removed)
  • tsuchime – hammer texture (as-forged surface shows marks of hammer and fire)
  • kaji togi – stone finish (blade is smoothed with files and a coarse stone before hardening)
  • togi – polished (blade is smoothed with fine stones after hardening)
Island Blacksmith: Charcoal forged knives from reclaimed steel.
Tsuchime (Hammer Finish)

Island Blacksmith: Charcoal forged knives from reclaimed steel.
Kaji Togi (Stone Finish)
Island Blacksmith: Charcoal forged knives from reclaimed steel.
Togi (Polished Finish)

Approximate Specifications

Nagasa (blade length): 50-80mm
Motokasane (blade thickness): 3-5mm
Motohaba (blade width): 18-22mm
Sori (curve): uchizori/takenoko
Nakago (tang): 70-80mm, kurijiri, single mekugi-ana
Mei (signature): hot stamped kamon

Potential Materials: reclaimed file steel, reclaimed harrow tooth steel

Process

Island Blacksmith: Charcoal forged knives reclaimed from files.
Shaped from an old file with an anvil, hand hammer, and a charcoal forge.
Island Blacksmith: Charcoal forged knives reclaimed from files.
A forged blade coated with clay in preparation for yaki-ire, heating and quenching to harden the edge.
Island Blacksmith: Charcoal forged knives reclaimed from files.
Hardened with natural clay and rainwater.
Island Blacksmith: Charcoal forged knives reclaimed from files.
After hardening there is still quite a bit of steel to remove from the edge with water stones. This is the “unfinished” stage available above.
Island Blacksmith: Charcoal forged knives reclaimed from files.
A comparison with the tip geometry of a classical tanto.