Files & Chisels

Mokume is a mixed-metal laminate with distinctive layered patterns. Literally translating as "wood eye (i.e., burl) metal", the name was borrowed from one type of pattern welding used to forge katana blades. more...

Home
Building & Hardware
Dining & Bar
Electrical & Solar
Food & Wine
Heating, Cooling & Air
Home Security
Kitchen
Major Appliances
Outdoor Power Equipment
Plumbing & Fixtures
Tools
Air Compressors
Air Tools
Flashlights
Generators, Home-Use
Hand Tools
Clamps & Vises
Bar Clamps
Bench, Table Vises
Other Clamps & Vises
Spring & C-Clamps
Files & Chisels
Hammers
Knives & Cutters
Other Knives & Cutters
Pocket Knives & Cutters
Utility Knives & Cutters
Leatherworking Tools
Levels & Plumb Bobs
Laser Levels
Other Levels & Plumb Bobs
Standard Levels
Measuring Tools
Calipers
Measuring Tapes & Rulers
Other Measuring Tools
Squares
Mixed Tool Sets
Other Hand Tools
Planes
Pliers
Other Pliers
Plier Sets
Single Pliers
Pry Bars
Pullers
Punches
Saws
Screwdrivers
Craftsman Sets
Other Screwdriver Sets
Other Screwdrivers
Screwdriver Sets
Single Screwdrivers
Snap-On Sets
Stanley Sets
Winches
Wrenches
Adjustable Wrenches
Allen & Hex Wrenches
Other Wrenches
Pipe Wrenches
Socket Wrenches
Torque Wrenches
Wrench Sets
Meters, Testers & Probes
Other Tools
Power Tools
Safety, Protective Gear
Tie Downs, Straps
Tool Boxes, Belts & Storage
Welding & Soldering Tools
Vacuum Cleaners &...
Wholesale Lots
Window Treatments

As another recent variation, has also been used to describe similarly-patterned laminations among different colors of polymer art clay.

First made in 17th-century Japan, the mixed-metal was used only for sword fittings until the Meiji era, when the decline of the katana industry forced artisans to create purely decorative items instead. The inventor, Denbei Shoami, initially called his product "guri bori" for its simplest form's resemblance to "guri", a type of carved lacquerwork with alternating layers of red and black. Other historical names for it were kasumi-uchi (cloud metal), itame-gaine (wood-grain metal), and yosefuki.

The traditional components were relatively soft metallic elements and alloys - copper, silver, shakudo, shibuichi, and kuromido - which would form liquid phase diffusion bonds with one another without completely melting. After the original metal sheets were stacked and carefully heated, the solid billet of simple stripes could be hammered flat and folded to increase the pattern's complexity.

The modernized process typically uses a hydraulic press, which can apply far more force than hand-forging and induce solid-state diffusion between the interleaved layers, allowing the inclusion of many nontraditional components such as titanium, platinum, stainless steel, bronze, brass, nickel silver, and various colors of karat gold including yellow, white, sage, and rose hues.

A semi-traditional small-batch billet making method

The metal surfaces must be slightly roughened but absolutely clean without any dust, dirt, grease, or other contaminants. Prepare two steel torque plates by painting their inner surfaces with yellow ochre or Scalex to prevent them from adhering to the billet. Handling the clean metal sheets only by their edges, stack them together between the torque plates, which should be sandwiched tight around them with corner bolts, clamps, or wire.

Wrap the torqued sandwich inside a thin steel sheet (no thicker than 28 gauge or 0.40 mm) or a stainless steel foil bag, also enclosing some charcoal to get rid of any oxygen. Put the entire thing in a preheated furnace and bake for three to twelve hours, keeping the temperature 50 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit (25 to 55 degrees Celsius) below the lowest melting point in the stack.

When ready, remove the billet from the furnace, steel wrap, and torque plates. Strike while the billet is hot. A billet with silver in it must be forged at 'black heat', or when the billet isn't glowing red. Cool the forged billet and saw about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch (about 5 mm) off the edges of the billet to prevent stress-cracking. Reheat the billet with a torch and continue forging. At this point you can start pattern development using burrs, drills, files, punches, chisels, and mills. Anneal with borax often.

Read more at Wikipedia.org