-
Shoto Saber Pair
Alongside the Steel Kota hilts I’m working on, I’ve also started working on a mirrored pair of short, one-handed, ‘shoto’ saber hilts. I began these hilts some time ago, but it was only recently that I felt I had some exciting solutions for parts of the design that I’d not previously settled on. To begin…
-
Steel Kota Weathering and Finishing
Steel Kota Weathering and Finishing I use a multi-stage process to achieve the finish on the current run of Steel Kota hilts. The main parts go through rounds of post-machining buffing, sanding and distressing, followed by staged chemical processes (etchant, darkener, patinator) and heating with blow torch, then selective cleaning and finishing through grades of…