Mando damage: how bad?

[Rob Sharer]

Are we talking about the same thread?

[brewerpaul]

That just looks like a surface scratch to me. Unless it's deeper than it looks, I'd leave it alone.
You could drop some water-thin cyanoacrylate glue (aka Crazy Glue) into the area if it's really a crack. This is one way I fix whistle cracks with great success.
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Jeez, I'm sorry I mentioned CA glue...
I should mention that when I use this on my whistles, it's often for an uncompleted whistle which has developed a crack before turning down to final OD. By the time the whistle is finished, the repair is usually invisible unless you're really looking for it (depending on the wood).
On a finished whistle repair, I'll drop the glue into the crack as I've noted. When it's fully cured, I scrape all the excess off, then remount the whistle on the lathe and refinish the area. Again, I can usually get this to be virtually invisible.

BTW-- we have no idea of the quality of this mandolin and how much effort and expense it's worth putting into it. Of course, it's value to the owner may exceed it's "book value".