the etch looks different.....it reminds me of some of the blades that I've etched with ferric chloride.... maybe its the photo......does the etch look greyish?
sometimes when you forge a blade you will get these weird cracking/delaminations.... and the only cure is to grind it out....then keep forging... this gives the blade a very dendritic pattern... almost tiger stripey
stock reducing... cuts through the sheets in wootz... and gives the pin like carbide waterings..... just look at the rungs in the ladder pattern... the rungs are very pin like
just my 2 cents
Greg
by the way..... super nice sword !!
