I'm not a bladesmith but I recently started searching for a chef's knife. I found one online (and I'm really sorry I didn't find this forum first) and bought it. When I received it, I noticed what looked like grinding marks on the one side near the handle. Then I looked even closer and saw a very small crack on the handle. I contacted the company I bought it from and was told that is normal for a hand-forged blade. I was also told that the reason for the crack is because it had a knot in that particular spot. I'm hoping I can get an answer here because, honestly, I've looked at many of the knives shown here and they are perfect. Can any of you look at these photos and tell me if this is, in fact, normal? Thanking you in advance.