Tool marks

Edster · 13th March 2023, 02:19 AM

JeffS

Thanks for the informative pics. Just a guess, but it looks like the blade may have been struck by a rotating machine with spaced hardened blades not unlike a simple cotton gin. Either on purpose to remove stuck something in the machine or by accident. Not the best illustration of a cotton gin attached, but you get the idea. I can see no reason for marking the blade of such a beautiful sword as part of its fabrication.

http://jimsfortheloveofhistory.blogs...-whitneys.html

Best,
Ed

Ian · 13th March 2023, 07:28 AM

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the new pictures. They seem to solve the riddle. If you look at the picture with the "running tiger" mark in the top left corner, you can see the same intermittent marks on the actual blade edge. It appears the offending tool was used to sharpen the edge. Perhaps a hand held tool against a fixed blade, or perhaps running the edge along a fixed tool.

At some point the blade and tool became misaligned. and the grinding tool departed from the edge and rode up the blade, creating a sweeping series of marks along the blade, initially deeper near the edge and getting less so along the way as the blade was removed from contact. The same problem looks as though it occurred several times, although less seriously.

I doubt this happened with the original manufacture of the blade. Probably some time later, by someone who did not know what they were doing. The sharpening tool might have been quite small, maybe something like a Dremel wheel. I've seen attempts to "decorate" Filipino blades using a Dremel wheel and it looks somewhat similar to your marks.

Incidentally, in the "running tiger" picture, you have a good example of the usual faint grinding marks running obliquely across the blade. Those look like a "fine grind" finish. The next stage would be polishing, but the HuSa blades don't often get polished smooth in my experience.

JeffS · 13th March 2023, 01:12 PM

Guess there is nothing to do but polish it out. That is going to take some elbow grease. Upside is it may have a fine hairpin pattern.

Jens Nordlunde · 17th March 2023, 05:33 PM

Here you can see how I did it.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...light=grinding

David R · 17th March 2023, 10:01 PM

Old painting of sharpening.

13th March 2023, 07:28 AM	#2
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,361	Hi Jeff, Thanks for the new pictures. They seem to solve the riddle. If you look at the picture with the "running tiger" mark in the top left corner, you can see the same intermittent marks on the actual blade edge. It appears the offending tool was used to sharpen the edge. Perhaps a hand held tool against a fixed blade, or perhaps running the edge along a fixed tool. At some point the blade and tool became misaligned. and the grinding tool departed from the edge and rode up the blade, creating a sweeping series of marks along the blade, initially deeper near the edge and getting less so along the way as the blade was removed from contact. The same problem looks as though it occurred several times, although less seriously. I doubt this happened with the original manufacture of the blade. Probably some time later, by someone who did not know what they were doing. The sharpening tool might have been quite small, maybe something like a Dremel wheel. I've seen attempts to "decorate" Filipino blades using a Dremel wheel and it looks somewhat similar to your marks. Incidentally, in the "running tiger" picture, you have a good example of the usual faint grinding marks running obliquely across the blade. Those look like a "fine grind" finish. The next stage would be polishing, but the HuSa blades don't often get polished smooth in my experience. Last edited by Ian; 13th March 2023 at 09:20 AM.

17th March 2023, 10:01 PM	#5
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,116	Grindstone Old painting of sharpening. Attached Images

13th March 2023, 02:19 AM	#1
Edster Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 411	JeffS Thanks for the informative pics. Just a guess, but it looks like the blade may have been struck by a rotating machine with spaced hardened blades not unlike a simple cotton gin. Either on purpose to remove stuck something in the machine or by accident. Not the best illustration of a cotton gin attached, but you get the idea. I can see no reason for marking the blade of such a beautiful sword as part of its fabrication. http://jimsfortheloveofhistory.blogs...-whitneys.html Best, Ed

13th March 2023, 01:12 PM	#3
JeffS Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Singapore Posts: 423	Guess there is nothing to do but polish it out. That is going to take some elbow grease. Upside is it may have a fine hairpin pattern.

17th March 2023, 05:33 PM	#4
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Here you can see how I did it. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...light=grinding