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An interesting katana I bought - opinion please - Dr Watson.


Cuirassier

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Hi Brian

I once went to a blacksmiths. He made horseshoes. When he heated and quenched, there formed a black, tough as nails "gunk" / layer / carbon coloured residue on the horseshoe that flew off when hammered, as he then did. It is that to which I refer. It is not resin. Resin is plastic. This is or rather was (as I banged it off), tough metal carbon residue.

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I have been forging blades of all types as well as pot racks and such for 20 odd years and I assure you nothing is formed when you quench forged steel.The scale comes from heating the blade to the proper temp for forging then oxidising.If it comes in contact with water at this point it tends to blow off and you will see Japanese smiths dip their hammer in water often while forging a blade,scale is bad because if not removed it gets pounded into the blade and causes pits that are hard to remove.

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JB weld ,a popular two part epoxy glue has a sort of metalic look to it.I'm thinking the gunk was something like that. No idea what 70's style fittings could possibly mean unless they were made of plastic.

 

HI JB, no, 100% this was not glue.

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Surely it was some form of adhesive since it could not be product of the forging process unless of course they mixed some scale into the glue like substance. Nothing mysterious or magical here.

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Mark - if it is forge scale on your tang then the tang will have been heated to such a degree that the hamon in the blade will be adversely affected.

I'd be hoping it is pine resin or some other glue residue if I were you.

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Surely it was some form of adhesive since it could not be product of the forging process unless of course they mixed some scale into the glue like substance. Nothing mysterious or magical here.

Nope, again, it was slag.

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Mark - if it is forge scale on your tang then the tang will have been heated to such a degree that the hamon in the blade will be adversely affected.

I'd be hoping it is pine resin or some other glue residue if I were you.

 

As already stated, there was glue and there was slag. I have removed them both. The hamon is just fine.

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I just shake my head each time I read further comments about this sword with its mystery residue . The hamon and blade are not exceptional as stated . This is not a fine piece . It is a very very ordinary blade ( I am tempted to say rubbish ) which is not worth the attention given to it .The mystery residue seems pointless to speculate on unless there are photos of it . Perhaps I am being too harsh ?

Ian B

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