SPECTER, ARIZONA COPPER
AND THE MODERN HAMON
AND THE MODERN HAMON
The soul of every good blade is in the heat treat.
A hamon (Japanese, literally "blade pattern") is a visual outline of the hardest area of a differentially-hardened blade.
This heat-treat technique was developed in Japan over a thousand years ago. We're one of only a handful of American makers to offer genuine, modern hamon on all of our blades, using a couple of the most advanced steels (CPM-3V and CPM-MagnaCut) in the world.
The core of a true hamon is its differential hardening. The hardest part of the blade (Rockwell 60-61) is the dark area inside the hollow grind, while the lighter area along the flats is tempered to further increase these steel's already-impressive stats for strength, toughness and flexibility.
Our Specter finish elegantly highlights our modern hamon and the striking contrast between the blade's dual hardnesses.
Our Specter finish elegantly highlights our modern hamon and the striking contrast between the blade's dual hardnesses.
All of our blades are differentially hardened, and each has its own unique, modern hamon. It can often be seen beneath the beautiful jewel tones of our Arizona Copper finish as a subtle, iridescent blue hue inside the hollow grind.
Like Specter, our Arizona Copper finish comes out of the steel itself during a specialized heat-treat process. It is never painted on. The specific colors and tones are unique to your individual blade and no two are alike.
FAQs
Q. Is Specter a sprayed/painted-on finish?
Answer: No. While some knifemakers try to imitate the look of a hamon using various methods, Specter is a genuine hamon - a visual effect caused by our specialized heat-treat. It goes all the way through the steel.
Q. Does the Arizona Copper finish have a hamon?
Answer: Yes. It's a little harder to see, but it's there! All of our blades undergo the same differential heat treat process and have their own unique, modern hamon.