Gap in Peen?

[u/NameUser1000]

I recently received this Type 18c sword by Swordier and noticed that there’s a gap in the peen. It’s mostly on the one side but the other side has a slight gap too.

Should I be worried about this? It’s wide enough to fit a exacto blade through the gap. I’ll contact Swordier and see what they say but is this a normal amount of gap?

[u/Automatic_File9645]

Realistically it's probably fine. Unless somehow the other sides of the peen weren't wide enough to actually hold it and it slips out it's very very unlikely to be an issue.

With that said were this my sword I would take it and wedge it in a vise (protecting the blade with leather or wood from the vise jaws) and give it a few taps with a hammer to widen the peen.

I wonder if this is why every swordier blade I have has a + shape chiseled in the peen to make sure it's spead enough.

[u/cofificus → u/[deleted]]

You can't move metal without marking it my guy, if you put wood or leather over it it'll spread the force and just dent the softer material which (vs the hammer) should be the tang but would end up being the wood.

[u/metametapraxis → u/[deleted]]

I don’t think peening is normally done without striking it directly. They look hammered in historically accurate swords.

[u/Automatic_File9645 → u/metametapraxis]

You can use a (die I believe it's called?) Between the hammer and what you're peening to get a specific shape.

But that's something they'd habe to make.

[u/metametapraxis → u/Automatic_File9645]

A die is a lump of very, very hard metal. I have a bunch of them. It isn’t something soft to absorb the shock. They are used for striking shapes into things, mainly. 

Not sure why you would use a die to flatten a peen over the peen block, though can mean you can be less accurate with the hammer as you hold the die against the thing you want to strike.

[u/javidac → u/[deleted]]

That finish is a hammer finish. It will look no different with hammer marks, since the finish is already just a hammer mark.

Adding wood would just prevent the force from being transfered into the piece, as the wood will take will the force of hammer blow; and it will probably also go everywhere and ruin the finish even more than youd ever be able to by just hitting it with a hammer.

[u/AssistanceCheap379 → u/javidac]

That finish is polished.

[u/javidac → u/AssistanceCheap379]

Yea, but with a polishing wheel and paste; not sandpaper and stone. It takes like 10 seconds to get it to that point.

[u/AssistanceCheap379 → u/javidac]

Does OP have a polishing wheel and paste?