Hey Everybody,

Work has just recently been completed on a customer project. This tanto is forged from 1075 and is shobu-zukuri. The blade was traditionally clay heat-treated and water quenched. The blade length is just at 11.5" and the copper habaki was fabricated, not cast. The traditional polish is by Brandon Thell and the Shira-saya is by Mike Virgadamo.

[ Linked Image ]

More pics and text can be found here: http://tigerclawforge.net/1075_shobu_tanto

Very nice, Jason. There's something about the shaping on your Japanese style blades that make them very distinctly your work. I also really like the Togari-like hamon -- don't see that as often. The compression on the images hides it a little, but it also looks like Brandon's typical very nice and crisp polish.

Looks like you'll definitely have a happy customer.

Hey Jason, That is a beauty! Nice looking hamon. Did you also make the Shira-saya? ANd if it has not gone to the customer yet any chance to see some close-ups of the habaki you made for this beauty? BTW very nice website with as many custom knife and sword websites I have bookmarked yours is one of the better ones out there! :eek:
B

Hey Jason -
Nice to see the TigerClawForge site up and running. Nice job.

Gordon

I feel that this tanto is a great example of Jason's skill. At the end of the polish I found myself wishing that it was not sold. I would of loved to add this to my collection ( that is a hint Jason ; ) ) In the end I feel it was just a wonderful piece of art that speaks for itself.

Keep up the great work Jason I look forward to polishing many more of your blades.

A wonderful tanto in a wonderful polish. Excellent work , Jason and Brandon .

Hi Guys,

Sorry I have been out of touch on this thread, I was hammered with a very bad case of the flu and have been laid up for nearly a week.

The shira-saya was done by Mike Virgadamo, who does almost all of my Japanese woodworking. Mike is very good, fast, and is more or less an industry staple.

The habaki is one that I forged, and features textured edges. This is a jewelry technique (whose name escapes me right now) that Randal Graham showed me during his tenure at Albion. It is a fairly common technique in jewelry making, and give a decent resemblance to the Japanese Koke (moss) finish without having to deal with mercury. I use it as a standard finish as it is simple to achieve. I can do other finishes at customer request.

I have unfortunately shipped this piece of to its' owner, but I do have a finished habaki for a wakizashi still at my house. I'll try to take picks of it tonight and get them posted asap.

If there are any other questions, feel free to ask or drop me a line.

Cheers,

You give me too much credit Jason, I learned it from Rob Valentine, and it's an awesome way to finish stuff, without the toxic bits.

Nice piece Jason, I love the profile of that blade, it's so much classier ( IMO) than the big blocky untaperd look so common in tanto. You have a good eye.
Nice polish too...crisp and clear...what more could we want?

Randal

Jason,

As an ex-collector of Japanese swords and weapons, I must say what a wonderful piece you have created here! Truly a work of art ! The fittings as well are just beautifully created.My compliments to the craftsmen concerned,very fine work indeed.I just love blades in shira zaya.
Though I have never been a fan of shobu zukuri this is a truly stunning piece.Now what about a nice Soshu den hira zukuri........ hitatsura or Midare ha in nice shira zaya.etc. ;)

Truly stunning work!

Regards as ever,

Russ