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The making of katana bracelets

Order made bracelet.

 I was comissioned to make a forged bracelet out of an atinqie Katan blade. For this I used a special katana with its own story. Unfortunatly I could not date the Katana, but this one has a special storie. In 2019 visiting le labo of Kenjiro, my Japanese blacksmith friend in Kanagawa, he offred me a couple of katana blades that were found in a antique " Kura" that had burned ( a Kura is a traditional Japanese whearhouse in Clay and wood, were valuables on food were stored ).

Enevtually the aura burned and when cleaning up the remaining two kana have been founded. they have been Hidden there for a long time. Bon now they had suffured the fire so were unkwinched and bended. 

Kenjiro received those two blades and eventually offered them to me. 

This is the steel I used to make this order.

You can fin a video of the making of this bracelet on my personal Facebook page :

https://www.facebook.com/100075917677762/videos/952192339910231/

Lampes art Deco

 3 lampes art deco / acier et verre. Une commande faite sur mesure. Une belle maison art deco, une bibliothèque sans luminaire un beau projet qui a pris from avec la conception et fabrication de 3 lampes sur mesure pour cette bibliothèque tous en respectant les besoins et le style de la maison. 

Les bagues en argent

Deux bagues en argent, pieces uniques. Rien ne se perde tous se transforme...

La première est une partie de bracelet Indien en argent. Il fut un jour ou une partie de ce bracelet est venue sur le chemin de mes chinages. Une partie a ete surcyclées en bague il me restait une petit bou qui aujourd'hui a trouvé sa place sur un aneau en argent pour créer cette nouvelle bague.

La seconde bague, " La bague du legionair ". Elle est aussi en argent est une chevaliere, qui n'avait plus sa partie central. Et il me restait un seul bouton d'uniform de la "Legion etrangere" qui avec un peu de travail sur la chevaliere y trouve sa place. C'est une piece unique avec un bouton asser rare a trouver. 

Lampes : une petite serie en cour.

Travail en cours. Une des étapes étant d'assembler les pièces de jumelle de théâtre, partie de vieux socket electric et lampe à huile. Toutes ces pièces en laiton que je découpe assemble, sont généralement visser et parfois souder à l'argent. C'est dans ces pièces que j'installe le socket pour metre l'ampoule.

Une première lampe finie, la partie en laiton avec l'ampoule, une autre en acier forger et le pied qui est un assemblage d'un engrenage et d'un socle en bois qui servait à reccoir une cloche en verre. C'est une lampe qui donne une belle ambiance. La lumière pasaant a travers la pièce de la lampe à huile cree un bel effet.

La petite dernière dans le même stile. Mais ici avec une basse provenant d'une vielle machine à coudre. Vielle... Vu les années qui passe c'est devenu une antiquité.

 

Bracelets forgés

La fabrication des nouveaux bracelets forgés "Hibashi". 

Upcycling les baguettes en acier dans une collection `

de bracelets unique. Upcycling et slow fashion. 

Un Hibashi en acier a moins de valeur qu’un bracelet. 

Fait à la main en petite série 

ou pièces uniques il n’y a rien d’industriel ici.

C’est ce que je fais: 

Premièrement trouvait ces baguettes directement au Japon. 

Les ramener et les recoupés a bonne taille. 

Puis en forgé une partie, et les mètre en forme sur la bigorne de l'enclume. Viens la patine noire mate obtenue avec une technique Japonaise basée sur le thé vert. Et finalement appliquer la cire d'abeille.  

 

Lampe focus

Nouvelle lamp dans la collection ! Un peu spécial ! Cette nouvelle lampe a une lentille de caméra faite à Berlin qui permet d’avoir un certain contrôle sur le faisceau de lumière. Avec une tige en acier forgée & différentes pièces vintage et antique provenant de lampes à huile et des jumelles de théâtre...

Une des 3 pieces d'une petite series dans le meme style en preparation.

 

Lampe

Nouvelle lampe fabriquée a partir  de pieces vintage et antiques. Une de plus dans la collection de lampes forgées et upcycled. Acier forgé, pièce de machine à coudre, socket électrique vintage & pièce de verre antique. Ma touche dans ma collection de lampes forgées est que tout peut être demonté. Ce qui signifie que chaque partie de la lampe pourrait être à un point re-upcycled en un autre objet. Pas de fin...

La forge

L'extraction des fumées de la forge.

Construite uniquement avec des matériaux de récupe, elle fonctionne parfaitement depuis dix ans. Aujourd'hui une petite vidéo où on voie très bien l'aspiration des fumées. À savoir que ma forge n'utilise pas d'électricité. Il n'y a pas d'extracteur de fumé mais comme vous le voyez très bien sur cette vidéo les fumées sont bien extraites ... C'est la magie du tambour de machine à laver! Phénomène naturel, la chaleur monte. Dans le cas de ma forge je commence par allumer un feu dans le demi-tambour de machine à laver ( la pièce à l’arrière de la forge)Cela permet de préalablement chauffer cette pièce et de chauffe la cheminée. Une fois chaude la fumée de la forge suit son chemin et s’évacué par le tambour et la cheminée. Je n’ai donc pas besoin d’électricité. Magic ! 

 

Novelles bagues

Bagues en laiton

Deux nouvelles bagues en laiton surcyclé a partir de Hibashi vintage ou antique
(baguettes Japonaise ne laiton qui sérvait a manipuler des charbons de bois dans un petit meuble qui sera à faire le thé). Un nouvel essai avec des restes de la fabrication des bracelets. Un travail assez délicat pour un petit bijou. J’ai dû être très sensible et ferme à la fois en les transformant en anneau. Ces bagues passent parfaitement avec les bracelets ayant les motifs. J’adore! 

Ma fidèle Enclume!

 Un peu d'histoires. 

Un objet formidable fabriqué à Brooklyn New York entre 1892 et 1925. D'après le numéro de série qui se trouve sur la mienne, elle daterait de 1892... Cette enclume de 100 lb. ( 50 Kg.) m'a été gracieusement offerte Il y a 15 ans à Armentiere en France et voici plus de 10 ans que je forge avec. Un outil de plus de 100 ans qui remplit encore sa fonction comme au premier jour! Pour ceux que son intérès il y une page Facebook sur Hay Budden.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2272376036381125

Work shop

2020, je demande pour un atelier plus grand.

Après 10 ans de travail dans un petit atelier, j’ai déménagé dans un endroit plus grand. Enfin avoir une plus grande forge et un atelier de bijoux plus grand et lumineux avec du plancher au sol et bien plus lumineux! Je me suis offert plus de confort de travail. Pendant ces 10 années j’ai réussi à rassembler tous les outils dont j’avait besoin et gagner pas mal de compétences. J’ai maintenant un bon chalumeau et j’ai développé différentes techniques et outils pour effectuer de bonnes et belles soudures. J’ai trouvé un laminoir sur un marché aux puces, une deuxième enclume et on m’a donner une très petite enclume pour les bijoux, joli petit cadeau qui a son utilité. Mettez quelques piques pour la fabrication de mes bracelets. J'ai aujourd'hui un triboulet pour mes bagues et un autre triboulet ovale pour mes bracelets. Après plusieurs années à formé sur la bigorne de mon enclume j'ai finalement des outil plus modern...

Rampe d’escalier forgée

Rampe d’escalier forgée. 

Création sur mesure réalisée avec mon appartir Martin, il y à déjà deux ans ....

Bien sur la patine noire est obtenue avec ma technique au the vert, plus cette fois si une dernière couche de propolis pour que l’acier ne rouille pas! Encore une technique transmise par kenjiro. 

 

Katana

A little word about those great Japanese swords.
( Of much interest for any black smith in the field of making knife or swords )   

 One year ago I got my hand on what is called " Zanketsu " : a Katana cutter in 3 . The reason those great objects are cutted with a grinder is that in order to keep a sword in Japan you must have a licence. So any person not been abel to have a licence will have its katana cuted in 3.
 Any way out of those Zanketsu part I forged a collection of bracelets which turned out to be very nice jewellery after a long life of violence. Not always easy to trace back the origine & date most of the bracelet that came out originate from forged katana that date around 300 years ago up to more recent piece made for japanese officer during the second world war. Those last one are made from different steel and this you feel when forcing it. At that time I did not try to requinch the bracelets and experienced the hardnes of the steel with the grinder when cutting them appart. ..

 Eventually this year I had the chance to attend a deomstartion and lecture at Jidayubori Park’s Old Farm House Garden, in Setagaya , Tokyo by one of the last black smith that is stile involved in the making of katana the ancient way.  This was quite instructive about a few details that make the way of the japanese. Like the use of pin charcoal cutted at a certain size and a very fast way of anealing the quinched blad. The quincking of the blad is the smae of what is applied to a blad of simple steel, bassed on a knwoleage of the temperature and color of the metal. The sneaking of the quenched blad was very simple and fast in apparence. This happent by knowing the correct temperature according to the way water evaporate when sprinkled on the steel hot blade. From what I could observe it is basically the time that the water takes to evaparte away. It is something that happens very fasty in a mater of a second or lest . It is really the sound and time it take that determin the proper point of anealing. Only experience can teach you this. It is a very fast way but experience and knwoledge of temperature is crucial at that point.

 This year I was given the chance to get my hand on two sword that had suffered fire in an old house. When I was offered the blads they were all bended due to the heat they suffered from and obviously were unquinched in some part. One had nothing on it to give an origine of place or maker but on the other one we could read " Tchikuzen " which refers to place were the blad has been made, here some here in Kuichu. You must know that at a time blacksmith were not signing they blads but were engraving on the handel the place were they were made. I decided to cut out the part needed to make bracelets and keep the top part to try making two tantos ( short katana ) out of them as those part of the blads did not bend mutch in the fire. Rechaped I decidid to quinch them again according to what I saw at Jidayubori lecture. The quinching here is the same as what you would do with a simple steel, quinched by the colors of the steel, orange. At that point the steel is extremely hard and breakable and I did drop one and broke off the handel part with the holl for the rivet, so decided to regrind it and dril a holl ... IMPOSSIBLE !
No effect with HSS drill , then tried the tungsten drill which as well did not work, so we turn to the dyamon drill which even did live a mark on the steel...
After all those year of forging different blads and steel I had never encounter any think like that.  Every body in the workshop that night were left speach less. I was having in my hand a steel stronger that dyamond ! It is only after experiencing this that you can understand the great beauty and strength of this unique metal and craftman ship requiered to make a Samurai sword. A blad at it ultimate perfection, stronger that dyamond but stile having a certain flexibility. So finally I had to unquinch the blad I made to do quinching and anealing prosses the ancient way. Finally I came out with two tantos stronger than dyamond but still whit a certain flexibility. One that I offered to my Japanese Sempai and the second one for my self. One more little detail that was quite surprising when working with this steel was that when unquiched this 300 year old steel was extreamly soft ...

Desplay units

  The new collection of display units made with vintage type writers & sewing machines a few steel rods and brass objects upcycled into display units at the forge. The forge is used her to transform steel rod to the shaps needed to assemble  type writer or sewing machin parts together. As well the heat of the forge allow me to apply the natural black patina based on green tea. Other display units are assemble parts of existing machines of objects. All the display units are tight fixed, riveted or screwed together. All parts can be taken appart, rebuilt or upcycled into other objects.

#1. Display unit for earrings. /.  Brass & steel 

Upcycled from : sewing machine part / clockwork part / bracelet  

H 11cm. / W 10cm. / 240 gr.

#2. Display unit for short necklaces.   /   Steel & forged steel

Upcycled from : sewing machine part / typewriter part / steel plate & steel rod

Natural black patina & bee’s waxed

H 28cm. / W 10.5cm. / D 4.5cm. / 420 gr.

 

#3   &  #4    Display unit for earrings. / Steel 

Upcycled from : sewing machine part / steel rod & steel plat 

#3 : H 9cm. / W 15.5 cm. / D 4.5cm. /  300 gr.

#4 : H 19cm. / W 15.5 cm. / D 4.5cm. /  300 gr.

#5   Display unit for earrings   /   Steel 

Upcycled from : sewing machine part / typewriter part / steel plate

H 12cm. / W 15 cm. / D 5cm. / 270gr.

#6  Display unit for earrings  /  Forged steel & cast iron 

Upcycled from : steel rods & well 

Natural black patina & bee’s waxed

H 17cm. / W 8cm. / 160gr.

#7  Display unit for earrings  /. Steel, brass & wool

Upcycled from : sewing machine part, type writer part & steel rod

H 17.5cm. /  W 10cm. / D 7.5cm. / 100gr. 

#8   Brass weight display unit for earrings or short necklace   /   Brass & steel 

Upcycled from : antique or vintage brass weight, steel rod, bracelet & different brass objects.  

20 gr. / 7.5cm. / W 4.5cm. ( clock work gear )

20 gr. / 8cm. / W 7.5cm. ( bracelet )     &     20 gr. / 10.5cm. / W 5.5cm. ( flower base ) 

50 gr. / H 9.5cm. / W 6.5cm

100 gr. / H 11.5cm. / W 6.5cm 

100 gr. / H 14.5cm. / W 7.5cm

200 gr. / H 24cm. / W 7.5cm

#9   Display unit for necklaces  /  Forged steel & steel 

Upcycled from : vintage Remington type writer part, steel plate & steel rod. 

Natural black patina & bee’s waxed

H 45cm. / W 21cm. / D 9 cm. / 1.8 Kg.

#10  Display unit for necklaces  /. Forged steel, steel & brass 

Upcycled from : vintage Remington typewriter, steel plate, steel rode & brass parts. 

Natural black patina & bee’s waxed

H 49cm. / W 17cm. (top ) 7.5cm. ( base )  / D 11 cm. / 700gr.

#11   Display unit for necklaces   /    Steel & ceramic

Upcycled from : sewing machine parts steel rode & plate, ceramic dolls hand & rubber. 

The hand on the unit can mooved in different position thanks to the little screw on the side . 

H 28cm. / W 9cm. / 350gr.

H 34cm. / W 9cm. / 370gr.

Forged bracelets : Singer, Remington & " Hibasi "

  A new series of 5 bracelets forged out of a Singer 28K from 1923 came out of the forge. This series is quite sick and heavy as our customer asked us to keep it that way. To this I added two more pieces forged out of a Remington Rand 17 type writer dating from 1946. For this one I used the steel rods were the page of paper was placed, a rod with numbers that remain on the forged bracelet. The last series of 3 is forged out of antique " hibachi " which are steel shopstick that were used to handel charcoals. This series has a brass screw upon the requeste of our customer. This time those series have actually been made under some request from Le Grand Magasin in Saint Remi de Provence.

From top to bottom / Forged bracelet from Singer 28K dating 1923 serial Number Y1003457 with the original screw from the swing machine / forged bracelet from a Remington Rand 17 type writer of 1946 with a small screw belonging to the singer 28 K . / Forged steel bracelet from antique Japanese shopsticks with a brass screw . 

Forged bracelet " suite & evolution "

      A forged bracelet collection composed of a series forged out of very special steel. . .

  It was a long time ago planned project for which I need to aquire more knowledge in order to forged it well. It is after 6 years of forging many types of recycled steel and the quinching of those unknow steel gave me the knowledge to handel with confidence steel stuch the one used to make samurai swords. I need to thank Jean Michaux my friend & black smith that thought me much about quinching and propreties of steel. 

  I started last spring with the bloom of the cherry blooms in Tokyo. Collection on the Tokyo antique market the new material of this collection, I started to forged bracelets out of antique samurai sword steel in Sagamiko at the work shop  of the LABO Phenomena Factory, were I seeked addvice to my friend and black smith Kenjiro in order to forged this versatil & unquie steel.  I would not have started to work on this noble metal without the advice of my friend Kenjiro.  

           Eventualy I found 3 " Zanketsu " which referes in Japanese  to

           a katana Blade that has been cutter in 3 . Here a the images and 

           sign of 2 of the katna remain I founded on the antique markets

           in Tokyo. On with the name of the black smith carved in the 

           steel of the handel of the blade the other one with the name of 

           the place were the katana blade has been forged. 

  First step was to cut the " Zanketsu " in smaller parts that fit for making bracelets. I had quite a surprise were cutting it ! what take normay a few minutes to be cutter turned out to take a good half hour. Each blade showing different hardeness, one having particularly hard material in the inner part of the the blade. 

     

Then the magic starts! Light up the fire and slowly start to heat the
material. Each steel been made at a different time in history it has a different composition and need to been forged in a different maner. Here temperature and strength of the hamering is crucial, one mistake and the steel will split, working time is very limited as the range of working temperature is very small. It was very challenging  to forge this steel and eventually had to reweld at the forge some parts. During the forging I could strongly feel the properties of this steel that I never had touch before. A beautiful steel charged with history and knowledge.        

   3 days in Kenjiro's workshop were not enough to finish the collection. So the steel followed me into my workshop were I finished the collection of 13 pieces. A very rare and unique collection forged out of antique jappantes swords that at a time in history had belonged to a Samurai. Each bracelet is forged out of a different part of the blade. Some time using the handel with the sign or the " mune " back of the blade with it specific shape. Locking remain the as before with a screw of the flat of old swing machines. Finally patinated black with a natural japanese technique based on green tea.  

     Find the full collection online at : https://tabitojewelry.jimdo.com/necklaces/

Singer  27/127 

Serial Number : G959011

 Series of 4 bracelets forged out of steel axels of a 1922 swing machine. This machine has a storie. This Memphis or Egyptian model had been at a point of it history imported into Japan. It was originaly a mechanical machine that was working with the power of the feet of the operator. By time this swing machine has been adapted to work with an electric engine. Later on this machine has been been used by our grand mum to be left to take the dust until
we unbuilt it and transfored it into bracelets . . .