flaw ware - along the blade

[shibeni]

Hello all,

I kindly ask you a question about flaw - ware . How fatal it is, if the thin line (ware) runs almost along all lenght of the blade, just above the hamon? Wery thin line is just possible to be seen, if the blade is turned on strong light. The blade that I saw with this flaw was shinshinto tachi, which was also out of polish.

 

Thank you,

Bojan S.

[Brian]

Bojan,

 

While ware are common, I think it would be unusual to see one running the entire length of the sword, as that would indicate pure masame hada, and the grain structure should follow this.

Is it possible that the construction method is one of the other methods such as honsanmai or warihatetsu etc (see http://www.tf.uni-kiel.de/matwis/amat/d ... sword.html which I think is copied from Dr Stein's site?) and you are seeing the join line between the shingane/kawagane/hagane? Based on the fact that you say this is a shinshinto, maybe they were using different construction methods?

 

Just a thought, since long ware are sometimes seen, but usually not as long as you describe. It is it indeed a ware, then I don't think it would be fatal, but definitely undesirable and espcially so on such a late sword. Maybe a fairly unskilled smith?

 

Brian

[Ford Hallam]

Hi Borjan,

 

I would tend to agree with Brian, although I would add that the fact that it follows the hamon is troubling. It may indicate something more serious, like a crack between the hardened edge, hamon, and the softer body of the blade. This would have happened when it was quenched in water at the time of making and is a result of the different rates of cooling and contraction etc. Of course it may only affect the outer layer of steel and not the softer inner core.

Any images of this puzzle?

 

regards, Ford

[shibeni]

Hello,

Thank you Brian and Ford for the answers. "Ware" on sword that I saw realy folows the line of the hamon, sometimes it stops and then runs further. On the other side of the blade "ware" is just on some parts, and they are wery short. Brobably bed welding between the layers.

 

Bojan S.

[Grey Doffin]

Is the sword signed? If it is Shin-Shinto and unsigned then the smith didn't think it was a good sword and you have your answer.

Grey

[Stephen]

a good smith would have destroyed the blade.

[shibeni]

Hello,

You are right, the sword was also unsigned.

 

Thank you all,

 

Bojan S.

[shibeni]

Hello,

get one photo of this longer cracks on tachi blade (runs below the red line). It is not the best photo to see the whole lenght of the "split - ware?".

 

Bojan

[kusunokimasahige]

Also have a photo without the red stripes?

 

looks like a forging/tempering flaw to me

 

KM

[shibeni]

Hi,

here is the picture without the red marking line. Splits are on the both sides along the blade. I was interested on this tachi some times ago, but when holded in hand, I notice this "flow" and not buyed. I yust want to find out that this is not a ware, but fatal split between layers.

Bojan

[Bungo]

here's another example of opening grain along the ha.

The sword has masame hada.

 

worth a polish ?

 

the longitudinal hairline " ware " is less than 1mm from the cutting edge.

p.s. one of those swords I bought years ago that's waiting for closure/polish

milt

[pcfarrar]

worth a polish ?

 

Looks like one to release back into the wild (ie. ebay).

[Bungo]

worth a polish ?

 

Looks like one to release back into the wild (ie. ebay).

 

well, pete, I am not one who's too hang up on fatal flaw as long as it's not distracting from the " beauty " of the items ( at this point I have a good anology but it won't pass censor ).

Since the sword , in my possession, will not be used in anger or otherwise. There's no chance it'll endanger me should I use it and it breaks .

 

I have been known to have swords polished even when I know there's hagiri ( remember my world's most beautiful tsunagi ? ).

So the question should really be......... can the polisher " grind " away the opening ( less than 1mm along the edge ) or just leave that area alone while polishing the rest ?

 

milt

[Jean]

So the question should really be......... can the polisher " grind " away the opening ( less than 1mm along the edge ) or just leave that area alone while polishing the rest ?

 

Sory Milt, but Ted shall answer you, but I shall say no unless being very good and I am not sre for the following reasons.

 

On the shinogi ji or perhaps on the hira ji, by hammering and flatenning you can make some of them disappeared, but on the hardened edge, it could be fatal. Grinding IMHO should worsen and enlarge the ware.