In sword and knife making, the hamon (刃文, hamon) (from Japanese, literally “blade pattern”) is the visual effect of differential tempering. The hamon is the visual separation between the hardened edge and the softer portions of the blade. In the case of a traditional Japanese clay hardening (Yaki-Tre), the process is be better termed ‘differential hardening’ as it is achieved during the quench / hardening of the blade.