Making a San Mai Tanto - Chapter #2: The Habaki (picture intensive)

[ArielSalaverria]

Making a San Mai Tanto - Chapter #2: The Habaki


Here's the previous installment:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=307304


Piece of 2.5mm thickness flat nickel silver stock to make the habaki.

Ensambling a device to help me properly bend the piece of metal. This device has been made with two square section (35mm) pieces of steel, two screws (1/2") to work as spacers and a couple of hand vices to provide stability.

Placing the piece of metal centered according to the separation between the steel pieces

I place a piece of steel on the exact same thickness of the blade (7mm) on top of the meta, right above the space between the steel pieces.

Using the hydraulic press to bend the piece of nickel silver.

 

[ArielSalaverria]

Already bended piece for the habaki.

Checking the bending angle on the actual blade.

Missing side of the future habaki.

Positioning an extra piece of nickel silver to be welded to the main piece.

Welding both pieces together with an oxiacetilene torch and a nickel silver wire.

Grinding the welding process residues and polishing.

 

[ArielSalaverria]

Ground and polished piece.

Hand filing the place that will keep the piece in place.

Finished and installed habaki.

Detail of the stopping upper bezel (Hira-Zukuri blade style.) That part of the blade stops the habaki to go forward while the tsuba on the other end will prevent it from going backwards. Nonetheless, the piece has an exact fit to the blade, making it harder for it to slide to any side.

Edge side.

Regards,

Ariel

 

[S2nd]

Wow Your attention to detail never ceases to amaze me.

Curious... Is this how habaki are normally made?

 

[dfarmerknives]

WOW, I love your tutorials.

 

[ArielSalaverria]

Thank you

Curious... Is this how habaki are normally made?

All the methods I use to make knives and knife parts are a personal interpretation or compilation of methods I've seen, read about it or tested myself. I wouldn't say that anything I do is the traditional method out of respect of the artisans that follow those rules strictly

Ariel

 

[MadDaddy]

I am really enjoying all the pics and step by step on this incredible Tanto. Only problem is , the more I see, the more depressed I am it's not mine Great work, you are a gifted maker and an artist.

 

[ZOO]

I love your posts. So when are you moving to Florida to become my
teacher/master.....I will try to snatch the pebbel from your hand.

Nice work thanks for the post

Zoo

 

[SKIVIE]

Ariel, Your posts and tutorials are the BEST ! Always a wealth of information and each time I go away with something learned. Thanks for sharing.

shane

 

[ArielSalaverria]

Thank you very much

Regards,

Ariel