....The perception of scroll vs. star is a fascinating subject, as I'm one who initially sees scrolls. I also see stars, but only when I intentionally look at them. Consequentionally, my QC standards are based upon the clarity of the tiny scroll welds, which are the smallest feature of the pattern....
I think the value of seeing the 'stars' in the pattern might be to help understand the components, as they are the 'rods'. The rods are an intentionally created component that probably most control the appearance of the pattern.
I think it's good to note that the scrolls are welds, sometimes the C's line up, sometimes they're offset, some have more 'zipper' that Steve described. The weld surfaces have no where near a decent finish before they're joined and probably contain slag. I think it's a good thing that your finishing schedule can uncover detail, but a weld may be the least controllable part of creating an intentional appearance feature.
A 'star' was buried on the inside of a rod, protected from the forge, then uncovered by machining and finishing. A 'scroll' or a length of weld is visualizing, from the side, a surface of the rod that was likely directly exposed to the forge environment, maybe flux, and more working than the star. I'd agree though, better barrels for finish appearance, probably came from smiths that did more meticulous, not necessarily slower, forge welding.
