Tool marks
 

Any thoughts on what would create these marks? I would normally suspect a power tool, but these appear to be old and limited in area impacted. This is a Kachin style dha marked with the "running tiger" stamp that has been attributed to HuSa on this forum. Where human-powered sharpening wheels in use in early 20th C in this region?

I would think so Jeff. The foot powered grindstone has been in use for centuries and I cannot think of any tool other than a grindstone that would leave such evenly spaced marks on the steel.

I'm with Rick. I've had to polish marks like these out of blades before. They are usually grind marks and are harder to get out. They aggravate the snot out of me. :mad:

Yes, I agree with Rick and Jose, power tool marks.

Probably grinstone yes, it could also be angle grinder, but generally, it is less spaced for angle grinder

Hi Jeff,

I also think some form of power tool, using either human power or other means. These are typical "chatter" marks from a coarse grinder.

In my experience with HuSa dha these grinding marks are common, although not usually as deep as your examples..

Could you post a picture of the entire sword for context (and because swords are fun to look at)?

I'm not convinced that the marks are the results of a powered grinding wheel. The marks are too patterned (narrow & broad marks) to have been ground. The pattern changes slightly along the blade as if they follow the contour of the blade and the edge taper. The edge looks rough ground due to the randomness of the marks and back & forth as one would use a grinder.

Are the marks on both sides of the blade? Are the marks along the full length of the blade? Would appreciate a pic of the entire blade. Also, can you get a micro shot of a mark pair?

What would be the purpose of modifying the blade so as to produce the marks?

I can't yet offer an alternative tool source of the marks; just that it's not from a wheeled grinder.

Additional pictures as requested.
1.& 2. For context and fun :)
3. Full extent of marks being discussed
4. Close-up of marks
5. Other side, can see course edge marks but no "run away" chaater on this side.

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

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.

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.

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

Grindstone
 

Old painting of sharpening.