How to determine if blade has bloodstains??

RSWORD · 5th September 2005, 08:24 PM

In my opinion, one does find the occasional blade that does show evidence of blood pitting. Blood pitting is typically deep cratery pits that still have a deep blackish coloration deep in those pits because blood is very corrosive. Take a simple fingerprint. If you do a poor job of wiping off a blade but you leave that one fingerprint check it out in a few weeks. It will be rusting. Just from a fingerprint. If someone just lightly wiped off blood and stored away for awhile it will create deep cratery pits. My friend Philip Tom has polished hundreds of blades over the years, several of which have been ones I owned. He once talked with me about an Arabian Saif of mine that had deep cratery pitting near the tip. He was convinced it was pitting that was the result of blood. He also referenced me to an excellent book which discusses different levels and types of patination on metal but it escapes me at the moment. I will have to dig through my notes and see if I can find the book he had referenced.

Robert · 5th September 2005, 09:48 PM

I think that very few if any stains on edged weapons are actually caused by blood. As Justin said "Collecters get far too caught up in these things,Im content with believeing that most of the older swords/knives/daggers that I own were used in battle,people have never had a problem finding reasons to kill,and it was much easier to get away with prior to modern forensics". I totaly agree with Justin on this. But what sounds better and more exciting when showing to or telling someone about one of your favorite weapons, that the stains were caused by it being bloodied in battle or that it was poorly taken care of. Most people I think would like to believe the first.

5th September 2005, 08:24 PM	#1
RSWORD Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greensboro, NC Posts: 1,087	In my opinion, one does find the occasional blade that does show evidence of blood pitting. Blood pitting is typically deep cratery pits that still have a deep blackish coloration deep in those pits because blood is very corrosive. Take a simple fingerprint. If you do a poor job of wiping off a blade but you leave that one fingerprint check it out in a few weeks. It will be rusting. Just from a fingerprint. If someone just lightly wiped off blood and stored away for awhile it will create deep cratery pits. My friend Philip Tom has polished hundreds of blades over the years, several of which have been ones I owned. He once talked with me about an Arabian Saif of mine that had deep cratery pitting near the tip. He was convinced it was pitting that was the result of blood. He also referenced me to an excellent book which discusses different levels and types of patination on metal but it escapes me at the moment. I will have to dig through my notes and see if I can find the book he had referenced.

5th September 2005, 09:48 PM	#2
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	I think that very few if any stains on edged weapons are actually caused by blood. As Justin said "Collecters get far too caught up in these things,Im content with believeing that most of the older swords/knives/daggers that I own were used in battle,people have never had a problem finding reasons to kill,and it was much easier to get away with prior to modern forensics". I totaly agree with Justin on this. But what sounds better and more exciting when showing to or telling someone about one of your favorite weapons, that the stains were caused by it being bloodied in battle or that it was poorly taken care of. Most people I think would like to believe the first.