How to bring out the hamon on 52100

[Lerch]

I have been trying to figure out a way to really make the temper lines or hamon show up on some 52100 blades while still having a mirror finish.

My current method has been to achieve a mirror finish ending with a loose flap wheel and green chrome polish. After this is have etched the blades in ferric chloride for 15min and then cleaned them off with dial soap. using Flitz i clean off pretty much all of the oxides until at least the hardenend edge is back to a dull mirror finish and you can see the mulitiple quench lines. At this point is where im kind of lost. IF i continue to polish with flitz i eventually lose the ability to see the temper lines but i am still able to see the darker (cloudy) softer portion of the blade and if i take the blade back to my buffer i get pretty much the same results just with more of a mirror finish on the hardened edge and the same cloudy portion on the spine.


What i would ideally like to get is pretty much what i have now but with of a visible temper line and i was just wondering if there was some trick i was missing. i will try to include a pic of one of the blades tomorrow.


thanks
steve

 

[Rudy Joly]

You may be chasing the holy grail.
Polishing "smears" the steel and destroys any definition. Maybe try going to 1200 or higher hand sanding, etch, then Flitz it . I've gotten good results at 1200-1500 grit with cold blue and Flitz. You wont get a 'mirror' polish but still good hazy reflection.

Rudy

 

[Lagrange]

Gosh Steve, where have you been?

I'm afraid I cant help you very much because I am still in the hunt for that elusive hamon.