Making a Bamboo Scoop for Water Forging (竹の水差し)

Simple technology for pouring water on the anvil, made from a piece of bamboo.

Forging with a thin film of water on the anvil and hammer prevents forge scale or oxide from being hammered into the surface of the steel. The hot steel instantly vaporizes the water and the resulting steam explosion blows the scale off of the work, keeping it clean as it is worked. This type of bamboo scoop (take no mizusashi) is a traditional style tool for evenly applying water to the surface of the anvil or the hot steel.

Unlike steel, forge scale does not move or compress at forging temperatures. If a piece of scale is hammered into the surface of a blade it creates a depression and the entire surface of the blade will have to be filed down to remove the scale and pitting later. Water forging is one way to keep the blade clean and smooth and reduce work and waste during finishing and polishing. Swordsmiths usually keep a bucket of water right next to the anvil to supply water to the surface and to periodically dip the hammer into while working.

This is about the quickest and most useful traditional tool for controlled application of water, taking only minutes to create from natural materials. The best starting point is structural/timber bamboo that is about two inches inside diameter, is not cracked, and has at least one or two nodes or joints in it.

read more about the process: http://islandblacksmith.ca/2015/07/making-a-bamboo-water-scoop-for-water-forging/