Chen Kami

[malvern man]

Hi,

Here's a few photos of my Paul Chen Kami.

http://i13.servimg.com/u/f13/12/93/90/57/pict0126.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=160&u=12939057)

http://i13.servimg.com/u/f13/12/93/90/57/pict0127.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=161&u=12939057)

http://i13.servimg.com/u/f13/12/93/90/57/pict0128.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=162&u=12939057)

http://i13.servimg.com/u/f13/12/93/90/57/pict0129.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=163&u=12939057)

http://i13.servimg.com/u/f13/12/93/90/57/pict0130.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=164&u=12939057)

http://i13.servimg.com/u/f13/12/93/90/57/pict0131.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=165&u=12939057)

http://i13.servimg.com/u/f13/12/93/90/57/pict0132.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=166&u=12939057)

http://i13.servimg.com/u/f13/12/93/90/57/pict0133.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=167&u=12939057)

http://i13.servimg.com/u/f13/12/93/90/57/pict0134.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=168&u=12939057)

http://i13.servimg.com/u/f13/12/93/90/57/pict0135.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=169&u=12939057)

http://i13.servimg.com/u/f13/12/93/90/57/pict0136.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=170&u=12939057)

http://i13.servimg.com/u/f13/12/93/90/57/pict0137.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=171&u=12939057)

http://i13.servimg.com/u/f13/12/93/90/57/pict0138.jpg (http://www.servimg.com/image_preview.php?i=172&u=12939057)

[wolfhound]

Hummm, I've seen the exact same pictures before elsewhere, I wonder where :-?

[Maynar]

Is that a chemical etch hamon over the hada?

The more I see of Chen etching, the less impressed I am. Why can't they just be happy with a natural hamon? I know I would be.

edit: Really nice koshirae, tho.

[malvern man]

Hummm, I've seen the exact same pictures before elsewhere, I wonder where :-?

I wonder where too, but didn't those photos include a girl in a santa outfit lol.

[malvern man]

Is that a chemical etch hamon over the hada?

The more I see of Chen etching, the less impressed I am. Why can't they just be happy with a natural hamon? I know I would be.

edit: Really nice koshirae, tho.

Hi Maynar,

The Kami has a hand-forged and folded ASSAB-K120C powder steel blade, differentially tempered to produce an HRC60 edge, HRC40 back and a distinctive hamon.

Hope this answers your question.

[wolfhound]

I wonder where too, but didn't those photos include a girl in a santa outfit lol.

Oh yeah we all had a good belly laugh over that one at the Dojo Christmas party. :))

[Maynar]

Hi Maynar,

The Kami has a hand-forged and folded ASSAB-K120C powder steel blade, differentially tempered to produce an HRC60 edge, HRC40 back and a distinctive hamon.

Hope this answers your question.


It does, MM. Thanks, and congrats on a marvellous blade. :)

[zentredi]

i agree with Maynar I would rather have the natural hamon even if its not that prominent. beautiful koshirae and tsuba though.

[Takatom]

Hi Maynar,

The Kami has a hand-forged and folded ASSAB-K120C powder steel blade, differentially tempered to produce an HRC60 edge, HRC40 back and a distinctive hamon.

Hope this answers your question.

A real hamon is in the structure of the steel. Stonepolishing highlights it. A Chen blade has a chemical hamon. Im not saying that there no hamon is.
I had a Practical Performance katana. I tried to polish on the white hamon with a cloth, and it fainted. I decided to polish it all away to let the real hamon appear. Underneath there was a wake but visible hamon. It was possible to see the differential hardened steel. In the right light the hamon turns dark bluish. I'd rather have this kind instead of a etched hamon.
But I respect Paul Chen for making great blades.
Im thinking of buying the Practical Pro katana for my next project.

.................................................. .................................................. ............
One kind word can warm three winter months.

[Mako]

I don't think there are many modern production katana that haven't had the blade chemically enhanced to some degree, a traditional stone polish would add an enormous amount of money to the price, probably far more than what most of them cost.

Great pics as always Chris...I've just been looking at the others of your Kami and Mrs MM. :)

[wolfhound]

A real hamon is in the structure of the steel. Stonepolishing highlights it. A Chen blade has a chemical hamon. Im not saying that there no hamon is.
I had a Practical Performance katana. I tried to polish on the white hamon with a cloth, and it fainted. I decided to polish it all away to let the real hamon appear. Underneath there was a wake but visible hamon. It was possible to see the differential hardened steel. In the right light the hamon turns dark bluish. I'd rather have this kind instead of a etched hamon.
But I respect Paul Chen for making great blades.
Im thinking of buying the Practical Pro katana for my next project.

Yeah, I'm starting to see why so many of the collectors over here decide to repolish their Paul Chen blades :)

[Caliper]

Like Mako said, a properly well done japanese style stone polish by someone trained will cost more than the blade itself, a lot more

most production katanas polish with chinese waterstones, giving a mirror finish with a faint hamon, the type you find on musashi blades, some give a light acid etch to make the hamon pop out more

Cheness blades give a heavy etch to make the ha white and later use metal polishing paste along the ji to make the hamon contrast

Hanwei katana polish in my opinion are very attratice, they are the only production katana company that gets the idea of how it should at least look. The distaste of many people on Hanwei "frosty" hamon is exactly what Maynar dislikes, there's no good contrast in the hamon making it look fuzzy
Nobody really knows Hanwei's etching method, must be a trade secret, cause they are the only one that do it making it a sorta signature for them, you can tell by a mile when a katana is a Hanwei

the most I've managed to find out about it is that they do a combination of very heavy acid etching and sand blasting

to more knowledgable people on blade structures, the hanwei polish is loath even more, aside from the corrosive effect of acid, the fact that it completely obscures the real hamon, there is no doubt about the blade being differentially hardened, but the polish completely hides it.

In the end, this are production katanas replicas, and Hanwei make some of the best, nothing can be perfect, but at least you know that a Hanwei will perform properly B-)

oh yes, ON TOPIC, awesome katana, I like it!!

[bobO]

As far as the Japanese purist is concerned acid ecth is a SIN! If you look real close at a hanwei hamon you can see where the acid has caused the steel to bubble. Still I'm a big fan of hanwei swords. I just go over the blade wth metalglo which gives the hamon a more subtle look, which I like.

[wolfhound]

Like Mako said, a properly well done japanese style stone polish by someone trained will cost more than the blade itself, a lot more

most production katanas polish with chinese waterstones, giving a mirror finish with a faint hamon, the type you find on musashi blades, some give a light acid etch to make the hamon pop out more

Cheness blades give a heavy etch to make the ha white and later use metal polishing paste along the ji to make the hamon contrast

Hanwei katana polish in my opinion are very attratice, they are the only production katana company that gets the idea of how it should at least look. The distaste of many people on Hanwei "frosty" hamon is exactly what Maynar dislikes, there's no good contrast in the hamon making it look fuzzy
Nobody really knows Hanwei's etching method, must be a trade secret, cause they are the only one that do it making it a sorta signature for them, you can tell by a mile when a katana is a Hanwei

the most I've managed to find out about it is that they do a combination of very heavy acid etching and sand blasting

to more knowledgable people on blade structures, the hanwei polish is loath even more, aside from the corrosive effect of acid, the fact that it completely obscures the real hamon, there is no doubt about the blade being differentially hardened, but the polish completely hides it.

In the end, this are production katanas replicas, and Hanwei make some of the best, nothing can be perfect, but at least you know that a Hanwei will perform properly B-)

oh yes, ON TOPIC, awesome katana, I like it!!

Couldn't agree more but I would have exchanged the word Replica for the words Modern Reproduction, Replica sums up cheap SS Katana to me.

[andysoard]

Very nice sword you got there. the carving on the side is interesting, and the tsuka with its furniture is very nice. :)

[Taygrd]

As far as the Japanese purist is concerned acid ecth is a SIN! .
Very true, the main reason is that acid works it's way into the folded steel and rusts it from the inside out. Similar to sending a blade to get polished. Once you get it back you have to oil it regularly for a period of time since the water from the stones sometimes seeps in during polish then comes back out later to cause rust spots.

[Code-Red]

Beautiful imo. Ive been eyeballing this katana the last two weeks at my friends house and really want one of my own.

[Caliper]

look around, this Hanwei model or similar with the same type of blade are getting discontinued and are on closeouts so you can get a great bargain