Hamon (swordsmithing)
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In swordsmithing, hamon (刃文 hamon?) (from Japanese, literally "blade pattern") is a visual effect created on the blade by the hardening process. It is the transition between the region of harder martensitic steel of the blade edge and the softer pearlitic steel of the back of the sword. This difference in hardness is the objective of the process; the appearance is purely a side effect.
Many modern reproductions do not have natural hamon; their hamon is faked via various processes such as acid etch, or more crude ones such as wire brushing. Some modern reproductions with natural hamon are also subjected to acid etching to enhance that hamon's prominence.
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