Thank you for the perspective, Alan and Ian! I completely agree that casual guesswork from a wide-angle photograph has reached its absolute limit.That is precisely why I wanted to move past speculation and execute a localized material control experiment on my bench.As shown in this side-by-side close-up, I isolated a micro-window on both pieces, polished them to remove superficial patina, and etched them under identical conditions using a concentrated coffee solution .The results show two entirely different material reactions:The Top Window (Reference Bolo Control): Displays classic environmental pitting—deep, jagged, cratered black potholes that physically drop below the surface line, surrounded by a flat carbon steel background that dulled uniformly to a matte gray .The Bottom Window (Twin Blade Specimen): The surface remains completely flat, smooth, and structurally flush, lacking any of the jagged rust cavities of the bolo. Instead of a flat gray blackout, it separated cleanly into a dense, shimmering web of micro-crystalline networks that actively resist the acid.Does anyone else note this distinct difference in how the two steel matrices respond to the same organic etch? It seems to suggest we are looking at two completely different historical tiers of metallurgy hiding under the patina
|
15th July 2026, 04:34 AM
Threaded Mode