Japanese Chisel

[Boeng Agus]

Hello guys
I just bought this cheap Japanese chisels
So, like we know i tune up this chisel
First flattening the back of chisel with diamond plat from 400-1000 grit, and sharpening on bevel
And finishing use wet stone 3000-6000
And sharpening on bevel with 29 degree and in finishing on end bevel 30 degree
But and unfortunately the steel of this chisel is not good, when trying to sculpt, this chisel quickly dulls.
Any someone have problem like and how make it harder.

 

[Eric Rorabaugh]

@Arn213

 

[2feathers Creative Making]

@RJBud1 or @Bear Custom Builds might be able to point you up on the art of heat treating an edge

 

[Mike1950]

Looks like it has had a lot of use. Maybe you are worn past the hardened steel part blade and now to the soft steel.

 

[Boeng Agus]

I just buy, and i know it’s not laminated high carbon steel, but seriously if i past the hardness stell it’s soo short

 

[RJBud1]

If you are able to I would remove the wooden handle and attempt a quench in Parks 50.

If it's a low or medium carbon steel, I do have a method of hardening even low carbon but don't expect anything above 40-45 hrc.

 

[Boeng Agus]

If you are able to I would remove the wooden handle and attempt a quench in Parks 50.

If it's a low or medium carbon steel, I do have a method of hardening even low carbon but don't expect anything above 40-45 hrc.

Thank you, maybe will only be a display

 

[trc65]

Something to try is to grind the bevel back slightly and resharpen. At times, depending on a manufacturers steps and processes, the leading edge has problems. Grinding a small amount off, may get you back to properly hardened steel.

 

[brown down]

Something to try is to grind the bevel back slightly and resharpen. At times, depending on a manufacturers steps and processes, the leading edge has problems. Grinding a small amount off, may get you back to properly hardened steel.

I’ve only had that luck with them being the opposite to hard. Had a set of chisels that chipped badly for a while until I ground say the first ⅛ away. I think either it wasn’t heat treated properly or like mike said he’s into soft steel now I guess it depends on the smith but I thought the whole backs of Japanese chisels were white steel and the other layer is blue steel??

 

[Arn213]

I’ve only had that luck with them being the opposite to hard. Had a set of chisels that chipped badly for a while until I ground say the first ⅛ away. I think either it wasn’t heat treated properly or like mike said he’s into soft steel now I guess it depends on the smith but I thought the whole backs of Japanese chisels were white steel and the other layer is blue steel??

Japanese chisels body, neck and tang traditionally is made of iron and low carbon steel. The higher steel carbon is laminated onto this via forge welding (the machine welded version/commercial grade is called “rikizai”). The scraped “ura”- that is the concave part. It is concave for a reason to allow for ease of sharpening as oppose to it being flush. Typically you will never have a white steel laminated under a blue steel body. The blue steel is a lot harder (it cost more too) compare to white steel and it defeats the purpose of the functionality of having iron or low carbon steel for the chisel body, neck and tang.