I'm a pretty new knifemaker, and my current project is a stock-removal 200mm Yanagi ba using 1095 CRA.
I am using this knife as a learning experience. I have never done a chisel/single bevel before, never done a knife this long, and never clayed a blade/attempted to make a hamon before.
I am not expecting a masterpiece by a long shot, but I do hope to come out of this with a usable blade with a visible hamon for the next time I make sushi.
Not sure if it was during grinding, or when I cut out the blank, or if just came cold rolled that way, but my knife has developed a little bit of a warp. It seems almost arched in the middle.
Whats the best way/time to remove a warp like that.
Current the knife has been normalized (3 times to non-magnetic, air cooled), but not heat treated.
(Image is pre-normalization, but it looks pretty much the same, just a little darker steel now)
Plan is to apply some clay and try and get a Hamon, heat treat, try a little convex grind, and maybe even try to do an Urasuki on the back.
Now to the many questions...
Firstly, how\when should I remove the warp in the blade. I tried a little while I was normalizing, but not enough.
Second, given its current state, is there anything else I should do before I apply the clay and heat-treat it?
Third, after HT, my thought was to only temper once, 1hr at 400. Seems this type a knife would benefit from being harder, since I would only use it for making sushi, or maybe slicing boneless meat. Anyone see a problem with this?
Finally, any critiques on the shape/workmanship so far? It does not look quite "right" to me, I kind of free-formed the shape. Maybe its just because its short for a Yanagi.
Thanks for any feedback!