Possible Hagire

[Kronos]

On one of my swords that I intend to get polished in the not too distant future I've noticed a few 'scratches' in the ha that could possibly be hagire or not be able to be polished out. None of them seem to go to the other side and there's deep scratches all over the blade like this but there's one of particular concern that I just can't tell how deep it might be. Here's some photo's if you could look or even if I'd have to wait until it gets to a polisher for a better opinion?

The photo's are quite big to capture detail so may be best to download and zoom in/out to get perspective?

 

The scratches are almost like someones keyed it...

 

 

 

[bubba-san]

Kronos , there seems to be a pretty good crack  dead center of 1st picture . I do not see well and could be mistaken or maybe some debris on blade ha.     James

[cabowen]

That would make me nervous as well...It doesn't show on the opposite side?

[loui]

It looks ominous, not exactly like hagire, if it cant be seen on the other side that is a good sign.  oil the blade and leave it for a little while, watch and see if the oil creeps in when you sight down the blade into the light.  hagire will affect the surface tension of the oil.  I have a blade with hagire and will try to show you later.  I suspect it is the same effect as is seen in other areas on the blade - like a spider rust  or weird scratch.

 

Louie

[jason_mazzy]

is it on both sides?

[Kronos]

It looks ominous, not exactly like hagire, if it cant be seen on the other side that is a good sign.  oil the blade and leave it for a little while, watch and see if the oil creeps in when you sight down the blade into the light.  hagire will affect the surface tension of the oil.  I have a blade with hagire and will try to show you later.  I suspect it is the same effect as is seen in other areas on the blade - like a spider rust  or weird scratch.

 

Louie

 

I'll see if I can give that a try Louie. I think it is the same spider rust which i have never seen before, it's just the odd shape and placement that had me concerned being a particularly thin blade already.

 

is it on both sides?

 

Just the  ura.

[SAS]

Does your fingernail catch on it if you run it over the area in question? As a blade smith, I have had cracks that were only on one side.

[Kronos]

Does your fingernail catch on it if you run it over the area in question? As a blade smith, I have had cracks that were only on one side.

 

 

Yes it does barely.

[cabowen]

I have seen hagire on one side only....

[Bazza]

As said, it doesn't look too good, but I note the following:

 

- if a crack there is no impact evident at the very edge, so either not a crack at all and just a gouge of some cause, or a very old crack followed by a polish.

- in the third photo the crack appears to go past the hamon into the jigane.  I have seen this but only where the blade has been distorted with bad treatment.  In this case the blade shows no sign of being abused so I'm surprised to see a crack propagating past the hamon???

 

BaZZa.

[cabowen]

Sometimes hagire can be caused by abuse other than impact (bending, twisting, side impact, etc.) and show no sign of edge deformation.

[loui]

Let's see if these pics turn out.  I think yours is not hagire.

[Bazza]

I'm reminded too that sometimes with hagire one can see a sort of "dimple" at the end of the crack due, I guess, to released stresses inherent in the blade.

 

BaZZa.

[Kronos]

I don't think it's a traditional hagire as posted by Louie but deeper spider rust. so hard to call. Maybe I should send it to a polisher in the uk for a pre-polish, polish?