I'll get pictures up later tonight, I experimented with painting a design on with mustard and then evening it out with vinegar. I think I like the vinegar better, it looks more natural, so it might be due for a bit of polishing then a re-staining later.

Definitely wasnt cell rot, scales were wood, and the scales I put on were also wood. The original scales are soaking in mineral oil right now to seal them up a bit!

Overall I like this, its easy enough to play around with, and mistakes are way easier to correct than if I were to try to buff or sand the blade!