Large pit appearing on forged blade

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spaceconvoy

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Has this happened to anyone else? Not sure what to call it exactly. All the synonyms I can think of are used to discuss other features, which makes searching for other examples difficult.

3770753C-42C3-419D-AE41-280F61712A17.jpeg


This wasn't here when I bought the knife, I just noticed it the other day after washing it. Pretty sure the pit was covered by a thin sliver of metal that flaked off suddenly. Here is how it looked originally, you can see some tiny marks where pit is now, so it must have been just barely below the surface:

5C0D74CB-0755-43FA-AC7E-8E54539BDF85.jpeg


It is a Goko Kogetsu honesuki from Kataba Hamono in London. They claim this is typical and are unwilling to do anything about it. I wouldn't mind so much if it were a vegetable knife, but I don't feel great about using it on raw chicken.

The pit is oddly shaped, not a clean crater but almost a cave. You can see the shadow of an overhang on the tip-facing side that makes cleaning it difficult. Seems like my options are:

1. ignore it
2. clean it with a little brush
3. dremel the overhang to make cleaning easier
4. fill it with something (?)

I'd prefer to fill it but not sure with what exactly. Seems like epoxy would be equally unhygienic, and something like solder would ruin the temper (probably not food safe either). Any advice?
 
Clean well and dry throughly - leave the overhang as it will hold epoxy in pit . Over fill with a clear or gray epoxy. Once completely dry sand flush.
For smaller pits I’ve used Testors enamel paint and multiple layers (wait for previous layer to dry as it shrinks) until slightly overfilled. Then carefully sand paint flush with micromesh.
 
You have a good excuse to buy another knife!


I don't think this tiny pit is worth worrying. Unless you don't need an excuse for new knife and want to fix. In that case, I'd add another option to your list: convert to WA (that would involve removing bolster and repolishing blade)
 
Weld flaw where they’ve welded on the integral. If that’s typical then they should get better at welding.
Either fill with epoxy, or if more adventurous take some annealed copper wire and pein it in with a hammer, it’ll swell to fill the void and could be ground smooth. Downside with copper is you may make a little galvanic cell which would promote corrosion.
Epoxy is easy and pretty seamless.
 
i'd do clear epoxy or even cyanoacrylate. prep the surface (inside of pit) very well first. get in there with a qtip and alcohol. after it cures, shave it flush with a razor blade. done.

sanding is unnecessary imo. just makes more work for you because you're scuffing up the knife.

i say cyanoacrylate should be ok because i've used that to fill small voids in countertops that get heavily used. years later, it looks fine. holds up to real world use. knock yourself out with epoxy if you want though. smoke em if you got em.

for razor, i'd use a thinner one. i get better results in 'precision scraping'. i.e. i would rather use this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Single-Edge-Dispenser-25-Piece-HKHT19059/304014171and not this:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Anvil-Utility-Blades-100-Piece-84-0169-0000/309993742
for epoxy, jbweld clearweld is a reasonable choice.

also, if it were me, i'd consider gently drilling it out a little before filling to expose fresh, clean metal. up to you though.
 
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I believe the bolster is welded on there so a pit just in the weldline.
Weld flaw where they’ve welded on the integral.

I agree with this... Western handles are often welded on. That defect is in line with the weld line and rather large for localised pitting... given the surrounding area is largely fine!

Not sure what to call it exactly.

Could be incomplete fusion or penetration in the weld? In either case, the weld bead may not have fully fused the joint. Perhaps the welder was moving too fast or the temperature was too low? It is not an obvious fault. Puddling metal on the surface and grinding it flush can hide crimes (cold shuts) below. It could be an honest, rare mistake...

If this is the case, the weld is probably weak. Fine for kitchen tasks, I am sure - just dont go prying stuck things appart with it. Not that you were going to! Fill it with epoxy if you are worried.

What is going on with the spine there?

3770753C-42C3-419D-AE41-280F61712A17.jpg


Another defect?
 
Thanks everyone for the suggestions (except the one about converting to a wa handle, that's like turning your car into a motorcycle just because you blew out two tires). I guess epoxy is the way to go, but can't help feeling like it's cheap. I actually have a sheet of copper and I'm almost tempted to try that route, but it seems fraught with pitfalls. If the weld is weak, maybe peening isn't such a good idea.

I agree with this... Western handles are often welded on. That defect is in line with the weld line and rather large for localised pitting... given the surrounding area is largely fine!



Could be incomplete fusion or penetration in the weld? In either case, the weld bead may not have fully fused the joint. Perhaps the welder was moving too fast or the temperature was too low? It is not an obvious fault. Puddling metal on the surface and grinding it flush can hide crimes (cold shuts) below. It could be an honest, rare mistake...

If this is the case, the weld is probably weak. Fine for kitchen tasks, I am sure - just dont go prying stuck things appart with it. Not that you were going to! Fill it with epoxy if you are worried.

What is going on with the spine there?

View attachment 141264

Another defect?
Good eye, yes that is another weird spot, but it seems to be superficial. Kataba said this is typical for their stock of Goko Kogetsu blades.
 
I guess epoxy is the way to go, but can't help feeling like it's cheap.

doing something the right way isn't being cheap. :)
although doing things the right way the first time around is always cheaper in the long run. so in that sense, yes, it is cheap.
 
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