OK. this is a distinct step up in my blade game. Hopefully I wont fuck it up 😉
This design is roughly in the style of an Oakeshott type X “arming” sword, but is not an attempt to replicate any specific sword or design. I am not going for historical accuracy
The construction will be “go mai”, which just means “5 layers” in Japanese. It will consist of a core steel of 1095 which will be the edge steel, then a layer of 15n20 on each side of the core, followed by 2 outside layers which will be damascus composed of 1084 and 15n20
Since the outer layers will be damascus, which I will make first, in point of fact it will be a lot more than 5 layers because the outer “cladding” layer on each side will be 144 layers, so the real total number of layers overall will be 291.
With any forging, and particularly when it comes to multi-layer damascus, the outcome cant be predicted absolutely, so this image shows the basic idea.
The border arounf the edge will etch quite dark as its plain 1095. The cladding, which should cover the majority of the center of the blade will be damascus, and there should be a relatively bright, solid border between the two. It will have an irregular border as depicted due to how I intend for forge out the length of the blade using drawing dies alternately with squaring dies, which will compress the billet in varying amounts.
Under the blade is a cross section showing how the layers in the blade should be laid out.
The dark border may be wider than is depicted here depending on how proportionately the layers of steel compress. If the outer layers reduce more than the core the dark border will be wider. Its a crap shoot. This will be my first effort at a blade like this, so the image is kind of a fuzzy target…
Dimensions will be a 30″ blade length from guard to tip, and the blade will be 2.5″ wide at the guard.
Heres the original stock.
One 3/8″ x 2.5″ x 20″ bar of 1095
Two 1/8″ x 2″ x 48″ pieces of 15n20
Two 1/8″ x 2″ x 48″ pieces of 1084
One 1/16″ x 4″ x 48″ piece of 15n20
The horizontal bandsaw making short work of it.
All cut and stacked 15n20, 1084, more 15n20, and 1095. The go mai billet that will be built from all this will amount to over 10 lbs of steel, but the finished blade once all the forging and grinding is done will be more like 3.5 lbs
