First apperance of Hamon?

[xxlotus8xx]

What period was hamon introduced in forging techniques?

Reason I ask is that I am comparing the characteristics of period blades and I do not see promiment hamon until late Kamakura. But all the photographs I am seeing are black and white and it's hard to tell if the hamon is straight and short or just nonexistent.

 

Thanks!

[tagonagy]

At the Art of the Samurai exhibition in the Metropolitan, the oldest sword that had a hamon was a chokuto from the Kofun period 7th century. According to legend, the curved single edged nihonto was first forged in the 8th century.

[cabowen]

Believe the earliest blades found in Japan are thought to have come from the continent (China and Korea). They have forged steel blades with hamon...

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

  xxlotus8xx said:

What period was hamon introduced in forging techniques?

 

China is the homeland of differential hardening, later introduced in Japan.

This might be of some interest to you :

 

http://www.webalice.it/tsubame1/

 

(right click and download if it doesn't open directly).

[Bugyotsuji]

Carlo, thanks for the link. Wow! I really want to read this when I get some time... :D

[Carlo Giuseppe Tacchini]

  Bugyotsuji said:

Carlo, thanks for the link. Wow! I really want to read this when I get some time... :D

 

Piers, I bet you already have read it. Otherwise I'm very poor at advertising myself. :lol:

[xxlotus8xx]

Once again this msg board proves itself by far to be the most responsive and informational.

Thanks.