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Jason Dingledine
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 Posted: Sat 01 Jan, 2005 10:35 am Post subject: New Forged Tanto completed |
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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.
More pics and text can be found here: http://tigerclawforge.net/1075_shobu_tanto
Jason Dingledine
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Jeremy Scott Steimel
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| Posted: Sat 01 Jan, 2005 3:12 pm Post subject: |
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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.
Dum spiro, spero
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Jason Dingledine
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| Posted: Sun 02 Jan, 2005 8:18 am Post subject: |
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| Jeremy Scott Steimel wrote: | 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. |
Hi Jeremy,
Good eye actually. In the research that I have done, I have noticed that (depending on the suguta) Japanese and European swordmaking has at least one thing in common: parabolic shaping. I've found that some, but not all, Japanese blades that are of a hira-zukuri and shobu-zukuri tend to have a shape that starts curving almost right away. The rate of this curve changes (increasing) as you get nearer the point, this is similar to the way the oakeshotte type 18 family works. This in effect changes the way the entire sword looks, and makes it hard to answer people that ask where the point begins.
This is not a hard and fast thing though, I've seen tanto with straight edges that you can tell fairly well where the curve to the point begins, and it is completely non-existent in shinogi-zukuri blades (the yokote is there as part of the transition to the point/kissaki). It can also sometimes be difficult to detect in a heavily curving (sori) blade as you cannot get a bead on a straight line.
Jason Dingledine
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Ben Sweet
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| Posted: Sun 02 Jan, 2005 11:39 am Post subject: |
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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! 
B
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Gordon Clark
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| Posted: Sun 02 Jan, 2005 12:14 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Jason -
Nice to see the TigerClawForge site up and running. Nice job.
Gordon
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Brandon Thell
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| Posted: Wed 05 Jan, 2005 2:21 am Post subject: Tanto by Jason |
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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.
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Mumtaz Baber
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| Posted: Sat 08 Jan, 2005 12:35 am Post subject: |
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A wonderful tanto in a wonderful polish. Excellent work , Jason and Brandon .
Regards
Mumtaz Baber
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Jason Dingledine
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| Posted: Sun 09 Jan, 2005 9:18 am Post subject: |
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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,
Jason Dingledine
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Randal Graham
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Thu 13 Jan, 2005 5:53 am Post subject: |
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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
R.H.Graham
Swordsmith
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Russ Thomas
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Wed 19 Jan, 2005 4:57 am Post subject: |
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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
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero !
http://www.living-history.no
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Jason Dingledine
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| Posted: Wed 19 Jan, 2005 8:58 am Post subject: |
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| Russ Thomas wrote: | 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 |
Hi Russ,
Thanks for the compliments.
My experiences with swords started with the Japanese blade, and their culture as a whole. I started studying in junior high and it is still my foundation today, even though I do work in other genre. Given the option, I'd likely make something of a Japanese decent 3 times out of 5.
I still owe this thread a couple of pictures, and I'm trying to get some smaller pieces finished up and ready for sale soon.
Buzz me off-board if you want to talk about that Soshu den piece further.
Cheers,
Jason Dingledine
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This is a standard topic