Fatal flaw

[bobjim]

Hello, I was wondering if you could help me identify this as a fatal flaw, im actually not sure if it is ware or a crack, it seems to be going through the hamon:

http://img168.imageshack.us/f/flaw.jpg/

 

Thanks,

Aaron b.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Greetings,

 

Links to help ID and classify types of kizu http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/kizu.htm , http://members.shaw.ca/nihontonut/glossary.html

It's tough to tell exactly what's going on there from the image. One important point to beware of is that ware found within the hamon are pretty much permanent fixtures (though not generally considered fatal flaws) as they cannot be closed or tightened up by the polisher, unlike "some" ware located within the ji. Vertical cracks called hagire are the primary fatal flaw worry with swords.

[drbvac]

Hard to see for sure - I blew it up but the original is so small its hard to say. It looks like it runs parallel to the edge and then turns down and through to the edge. If a crack, like one you can feel as a pick with your fingernail it is a hagire and probably a fatal flaw.

[nagamaki - Franco]

Hello,

 

more about kizu. In the case of hagire the vertical crack must run on both sides in the same location indicating it goes all the way through. There have been instances when some collector starts jumping up and down shouting hagire, only to find upon closer inspection that the two cracks on either side do not quite line up. OTOH, while the crack is clearly visible on one side, there might just be only a hint of a shadow on the other side or even sometimes nothing visible at all. Halogen-quartz lighting is excellent for exposing flaws and imperfections as well as fine detail like nie and other activity, highly recommend. Another point about ware is that while some ware can be tightened in polish, there is always the chance that a ware will open up even more.