Sakmar Mokume-Gane is a modern form of this ancient art. Each individual bar of Mokume starts out as 45 to 89 individual layers of copper, brass, or nickel silver or any combination, the individual pieces are meticulously cleaned and then fused under heat and pressure. Each billet is approximately 2′ x 6″ long. Depending on the pattern we want to achieve, depends on how to proceed if a twisted pattern is desired, the bar would be drawn out into an octagon and then twisted and then forged into the desired shape oversized to be machine to eliminate any surface delamination. And the pattern runs completely through the bar, as in like a random pattern that would just be forged down to desired thickness.

The ladder and raindrop patterns are made using a ball nose end mill. Essentially, the billet is forged to a thickness that’s about 3 to 4 times thicker than what the finished bar would be. Then the grooves are cut into the bar using a ball nose end mill. The bar is re-forged flat and then grooves are created from those grooves by disrupting the layers with balls on the end of an end mill.