Good news /bad news Tulwar.

Pukka Bundook · 16th February 2007, 04:47 AM

Well my Tulwar arrived today,
Very much good/bad news!
I'd purchased it privately after seeing photos
What Didn't show in the pics, and seller failed to tell me, was that a previous owner had for some reason run all over the blade with an angle-grinder, or grind- wheel!
I took some pics & will add them tomorrow.
The seller Did say it had ; "Been way over-cleaned and sharpened" but this is serious gouging with the grinder!
Blade is hard, and a file won't touch it (Wouldn't have tried the file if it wasn't alredy ruined!!)

Has about a 5" false edge at tip, this seems short?
In the grinding frenzy it May have lost an inch of tip, but by what remains of the scabbard, no more than an inch.
The grinding may have occured trying to remove some percussion damage 2/3 of the way up the blade, as some old damage still remains.

On the positive side, it has remains of silver coft-gari on the hilt ...not much, but some...
First thought was chuck it back at seller, but as he's in another country, this too is costly.
Second thought was ,.."OK this is a mess and ruined!!........Good challenge to put it right...Good opportunity to mess with a blade without de-valuing it!!"

Esteemed company, I seek your input!

G. McCormack · 16th February 2007, 06:46 AM

Sounds like a good project for you! Lets see some pictures. If its as bad as it sounds, I'd guess you'd be well served by removing the blade from the hilt and polishing it completely, starting with some pretty rough paper.

Pukka Bundook · 16th February 2007, 09:48 PM

Here are the pictures:

Rick · 16th February 2007, 10:39 PM

IMO the point has been reground; yelman seems too short.

Jens Nordlunde · 16th February 2007, 10:52 PM

I have a tulwar with a yelman of the same size, but i will write mort to morrow.

katana · 17th February 2007, 01:14 AM

A belt sander may be a good idea to remove most of the deep scratches, but used lightly....it is too easy to get 'carried away' and remove too much metal. Once the worse scratches are removed, I would recommend coarse 'wet and dry' abrasive paper used with light mineral oil or WD40, progressively using finer grades.
It may be a good idea to give the blade an 'etch' before you reach the final 'sanding ' to see if you have an interesting pattern in the blade

From there you could decide whether to polish or smooth the blade a little more and then re-etch. my 0.02 cents worth.

16th February 2007, 04:47 AM	#1
Pukka Bundook Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 803	Good news /bad news Tulwar. Well my Tulwar arrived today, Very much good/bad news! I'd purchased it privately after seeing photos What Didn't show in the pics, and seller failed to tell me, was that a previous owner had for some reason run all over the blade with an angle-grinder, or grind- wheel! I took some pics & will add them tomorrow. The seller Did say it had ; "Been way over-cleaned and sharpened" but this is serious gouging with the grinder! Blade is hard, and a file won't touch it (Wouldn't have tried the file if it wasn't alredy ruined!!) Has about a 5" false edge at tip, this seems short? In the grinding frenzy it May have lost an inch of tip, but by what remains of the scabbard, no more than an inch. The grinding may have occured trying to remove some percussion damage 2/3 of the way up the blade, as some old damage still remains. On the positive side, it has remains of silver coft-gari on the hilt ...not much, but some... First thought was chuck it back at seller, but as he's in another country, this too is costly. Second thought was ,.."OK this is a mess and ruined!!........Good challenge to put it right...Good opportunity to mess with a blade without de-valuing it!!" Esteemed company, I seek your input!

16th February 2007, 09:48 PM	#3
Pukka Bundook Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 803	Pics Here are the pictures: Attached Images

16th February 2007, 06:46 AM	#2
G. McCormack Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Tallahassee, FL Posts: 131	Sounds like a good project for you! Lets see some pictures. If its as bad as it sounds, I'd guess you'd be well served by removing the blade from the hilt and polishing it completely, starting with some pretty rough paper.

16th February 2007, 10:39 PM	#4
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,293	IMO the point has been reground; yelman seems too short.

16th February 2007, 10:52 PM	#5
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	I have a tulwar with a yelman of the same size, but i will write mort to morrow.

17th February 2007, 01:14 AM	#6
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	A belt sander may be a good idea to remove most of the deep scratches, but used lightly....it is too easy to get 'carried away' and remove too much metal. Once the worse scratches are removed, I would recommend coarse 'wet and dry' abrasive paper used with light mineral oil or WD40, progressively using finer grades. It may be a good idea to give the blade an 'etch' before you reach the final 'sanding ' to see if you have an interesting pattern in the blade From there you could decide whether to polish or smooth the blade a little more and then re-etch. my 0.02 cents worth.