Thread: Anyone seen anything like this before? Cracked tang.

It looks to go in around a millimetre at least, for it is in the hollow grind, too. I would agree, though, that it is a forging seam, in a blade which has never actually gone "spink!", and is both technically not a crack, and unlikely to deepen or lengthen. It has probably remained this way, without fracture or visible corrosion, for a long time. We could be wrong, of course, and I would be very careful about dropping this one.

I'd run boiling water over the blade until it gets really hot, then set it on a hot surface I could only bear to touch momentarily, and make a pool of hard wax in the hollow near the tang. If that seeps into the... er... defect by capillary action, it will prevent rust, and if it doesn't, water probably won't either.

Originally Posted by Caledonian

I'd run boiling water over the blade until it gets really hot, then set it on a hot surface I could only bear to touch momentarily, and make a pool of hard wax in the hollow near the tang. If that seeps into the... er... defect by capillary action, it will prevent rust, and if it doesn't, water probably won't either.

That might be a good idea. I hadn't thought about doing anything to it.

Originally Posted by Goggles

That might be a good idea. I hadn't thought about doing anything to it.

I was talking about largely theoretical dangers, and peace of mind. It has probably survived a good many years od doing nothing about this condition without anything getting worse.

Originally Posted by Caledonian

I was talking about largely theoretical dangers, and peace of mind. It has probably survived a good many years od doing nothing about this condition without anything getting worse.

Yep. We're on the same page there.

It's survived long enough to gain some bad hone wear on one side of the toe, at least.