removing clear varnish from a old blade

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by werecow

Interesting. Would varnish protect against such cracks, or do they still form regardless?

FWIW I don't expect my kabeala to be particularly old. Does the presence of varnish itself say anything about the likely (minimum) age range, or people still do that today?

I think that those cracks are already present when someone will coat an item. They come from age and handling.
I would place your example carefully as mid. to end 20th century, judging by the color of the wood but keep in mind that light/flash can cozen.
People coming to the most crazy ideas, I've seen shellac coated items (most of the time early collected items, to varnish with shellac was popular from end 19th to first quarter 20th century), here works benzine, this items were most of the times good preserved), chromed blades (a real horror ), many elbow grease required, items coated with clear modern varnish (every time difficult to find the good solution), the most annoying is when people "cleaned" a blade with a grinder or something else. Disgusting is a blade coated with centuries old grease.

Regards,
Detlef