[Crex]

If you are not forging your blades (which might impart these "artifacts" into the steel), what I'm seeing is defects in the steel itself. I've used a lot of 1095 in the past and have never had pitting like that caused by the heattreating process. If you look closely at the first pic there is evidence of sporadic lemon peel pitting. This would be a defect in the steel not caused by your process. Not all that common and most steel suppliers will replace that chunk of steel. I would have had to send it back. Each pic indicates to me that the imperfections were in the steel that usually occur near the beginning or end of a steel mill run. Normally these areas are cut off and returned to the mix for remelting.

Andrew - little concerned that you would have a forge running in your shop with loose (un-coated) K-wool inside. Everytime you fire up and/or disturb that wool, micro fibers are being blown out into your breathing air for you to suck down into your lungs. Not a good thing. Alternative is to make a small half tunnel from fire brick to place at the rear of your forge just big enough to protect the thinner tip. Make something easy to install/remove as needed.