Wakizashi with white spots

[DoTanuki yokai]

Hi today i have got a wakizashi with white spots on it and im not sure what to think of it ?

 

accidentally tobiyaki ? removed rust spots ? something to do with beeing tired ?

 

And some extra pictures tell me what u think of it

 

Two piece habaki

[Ken-Hawaii]

Your blade looks too healthy for the cracks to be shingane, but they are likely small forging flaws (shinae) that don't really detract from it. Oil it carefully (except the nakago, of course), & keep it in the shirasaya when you're not studying it.

[ROKUJURO]

Ken,

to my knowledge, SHINAE are not forging flaws but stress cracks from bending.

[Ken-Hawaii]

I've seen them both ways, Jean. My sword mentor has one Nanbokucho blade that is utterly straight, but with obvious shinae. Can't really tell on Christian's blade, though.

[Hawley]

That is the result if someone use the wrong oil !

Especially in Germany many people think that the cheap WD40 is good for conservation of steel!

It is not !

In this oil some aggressive elements etch the surface and the result is you have these white , blind looking spots on the surface.

[Alex A]

If you look through a magnifying glass you should be able to tell if it is Tobiyaki

[Geraint]

Dear Ken.

 

I was about to say that a sword bent and then straightened = shinae but having checked I discover that it is not so simple. See here, http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/flaws.html

I had not realised that the transverse cracks caused by poor work in the steel were also called shinae.

 

However I do not think that either of these cases apply to the sword posted.

 

All the best.

[DoTanuki yokai]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I checked the spots under the magnification glass and it looks like crystals, tobiyaki.

I just never saw them in such unregular shape i think

Can someone provide some more examples ?

[Alex A]

Hi Christian, it was the image with the red line that made me think it may be tobiyaki, the way it followed the hamon, reminded me a bit of some hizen blades, 

 

Do a search of Tadayoshi, Tadakuni and tobiyaki, you should find some.

 

http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/hamonpatterns.html

[DoTanuki yokai]

Ohh wow thanks, i thought i saw everything on usagiya more then twice but i couldn't remember that pics of tobiyaki :D

I think i expected every tobiyaki to look more like the typical on hitatsura blades.

[Hawley]

 

in the red marked area you see white spots in the Hamon ! 

That mean to me that the spots can´t be tobiyaki.

That was the reason why i write that it might be possible that someone use agressive oil and damage the surface.

 

 

And here is a exampel of a blade where the owner tell me that he use WD40 for conservation .........the result is terribel !

I have see this blade absolut clean , without these white areas 6 Month bevor by the previous owner.

 

But .....these are just my two cent´s

[Blazeaglory]

Sometimes white spots are actually little areas of black nie (tobiyaki?) Or similar

 

Usually in the dark, using a LED flashlight, you can see that theyre actually black spots.

 

Then again it could be anything. Scratches, old removed rust spots, a bubble under the steel, etc...

 

Here is what the "white spots" really look like under certain light. Little clouds of Nie

[DoTanuki yokai]

Ive got the blade from Japan and i think nobody there used WD40 on it.

Here another picture with other light.

 

EDIT: I forgot to say that they are only on one side of the blade.

[SAS]

Beginnings of spider rust?

[peter k]

spider rust is highly probable; uchiko powder being the culprit

[Stephen]

White rust.

[DoTanuki yokai]

Something in need to do ?

[Ganko]

I agree with Peter, it looks like cleaned spider rust to me.

[Blazeaglory]

Up close its definitely old rust

[Ken-Hawaii]

Spider rust isn't anything you can do about, Christian. Do oil the blade well to keep it from spreading.

[DoTanuki yokai]

Thank you all for the help