First image shjows one of the brut de forge tantos I forged from antique files a couple of months back, just hardened, hollow ground to sharp, with the foundation polish. Turns out that it's shear steel, though I'm not sure how much pattern I can bring out, and it's much deeper hardening than I expected. When I was polishing the spine, the nakago twisted in the vise, and the edge slammed down onto a hardened clamp with my full weight behind it, with minimal edge damage, so I know my h-t is good, despite the fact that it almost through hardened, so today I made a hollow ground copper habaki for it, which was fun. Thinking wire brushed bog oak for the tsuka, with maybe bone fuchi and kashira...

Second two images show the bog oak tsuka fitted, having drilled the mekugi ana and made a bone mekugi and seppa. After much deliberation I cut in the profile of the handle, which for some reason I still find insanely difficult to get right, but I'm pretty pleased with this one.