How to recognize a tired blade?

[Drago]

Hi,

 

I have been following some discussions here lately and realized I don't really know how to recognize a tired blade. My only clue so far as the size of hamachi and mune-machi, but that isn't that realiable. I also know that on very tired blades the shintetsu might "shine through" or show, but I'm not entirely sure I might be able to recognize that.

 

So can you give this beginner some tips? Or is there some sort of visual guide?

 

If this has been covered already, please link me to it. I used the search but failed to find anything clear.

 

Thanks.

[mdiddy]

Tobias,

 

Besides looking at the hamachi you can also compare the width of the nakago mune to the width of the mune above the munemachi. A tired blade - or at least a blade that has experienced previous polishes - will show a larger width of the nakago mune in comparison to the mune above the munemachi.

 

As blades are polished down the width of the hamon will decrease as the ha is taken down to remove damage like hakobure (nicks). Hamon running off the blade can be an indicator of tiredness. So can a greatly reduced hamon if you observe this in a blade from a swordsmith or school where you expect different.

 

Considering the shape can also be an indicator of tiredness. Nakahara considers uchizori in tanto the result of reshaping and tiredness rather than by design. I recommend picking up a copy of his book if you want more insight into assessing tiredness, as well as other aspects of a blade: http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/4770031300.

 

Besides shintetsu, prevalent ware can be a sign of tiredness. I may have pictures of a good example of this if I can dig them up.

 

Those are a few thoughts on the subject from my perspective. Hope they help.

 

Matt

[Grey Doffin]

Shintetsu often presents as dark, grainless patches; I'm sure someone will either post or link to a picture. The width of the ha-machi can be enhanced to disguise overpolishing by moving (filing) back the ha of the nakago. Nakago are supposed to have nakago fumbari (widening as it approaches the machi). If you find a nakago with its ha parallel to its mune below the machi, wonder if the ha has been moved to make the ha machi more robust.

Grey

[Brian]

Those dark areas that don't have proper grain structure. Core steel, inferior to the outer tamahagane.

 

 

Brian

[cabowen]

"tired" refers to a sword that has had a lot of steel removed from many polishes due to use and/or abuse, or one that has lost most of its original shape from damage repair.

 

As mentioned above, when the skin steel has been polished through to expose the core steel, dark, shiny patches show here and there. Tired.

 

Sometimes rough steel will be exposed with lots of ware. Tired.

 

The blade can become very narrow and thin, with a tiny kissaki due to extensive reshaping to repair chips and/or rust. Tired.

 

The hamachi can disappear and/or the nakago can become oddly shaped to create a new hamachi (as mentioned by Grey) due to extensive polishing. Tired.

 

The hamon can become very narrow and run off the blade in areas. The boshi is thin or missing in spots. Tired.