Question about flaws

[PxN13]

Hi all! 

 

I've been trying to learn up more on flaws and spotting them and encountered an interesting one I'm not seeing a lot of results for (probably because I don't really know the exact term for it).

 

Anyway, does anyone know the terminology for what this flaw is (picture attached)? My assumption is it's not a fatal flaw since the sword was papered but I'm not really sure what it could be. I think it might be an opening but the indentation seems different... 

 

Cheers! 

[DoTanuki yokai]

I think that is a blister that opened, named fukure. 
 

More info http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/flaws.html 

 

[PxN13]

8 hours ago, DoTanuki yokai said:

I think that is a blister that opened, named fukure. 
 

More info http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/flaws.html 

 

 

That's what I thought....just looked so odd. For a blister that occurs in the hamon/kissaki area..is that  fatal? My novice understanding is that that may be bad-very bad if a bister or crack occurs in the hamon/kissaki area. 

[micah]

8 hours ago, PxN13 said:

 

That's what I thought....just looked so odd. For a blister that occurs in the hamon/kissaki area..is that  fatal? My novice understanding is that that may be bad-very bad if a bister or crack occurs in the hamon/kissaki area. 

it could be if you use it for cutting other than that it  it is fine  you could have it  patched by a smith for looks  and you said it looked odd for it to be in the kissaki they can be anywhere. Micah

[Jwrussell]

I always look at things from a point of view of usability (not that any of us use a sword of course). So for me, I look at that and think, well, how can it be fatal? At worst a smith could have easily (I would think) have reshaped the sword to remove that section.

[ROKUJURO]

I can be repaired cosmetically with an UME-GANE by a good polisher.

[DoTanuki yokai]

The work in old days is simple with rectangular patch.

Recent work is worse, because the patch is done according with the layer pattern. Such work is done to trick beginners' eye. A skilful work makes it difficult to be disclosed.
Be careful, because some books introduce this method as a way to repair flaws. Serious sword lovers never like such tricks.
 

From usagiya.