Koshirae refers to the ornate mountings of a Japanese sword used when the sword blade is being worn by its owner, whereas the shirasaya is a plain undecorated wooden mounting composed of a saya and You would make these wide enough so there wont be any wood showing on the sides after the tsukamaki (start about 1/4-3/8 from edges) and deep enough so the skin sits flush with the rest of the surface (about 1- 1 1/2mm). So plan accordingly ;) There is a lot of room for your own personal adaptations so you can follow this guide loosely and change it to fit your needs if you like. 4. I use a pencil or marker to mark where I need to remove more material as I go. Well, thats it! Clamps A variety of these can be used, from C-clamps to squeeze clamps or even cord or used ito is fine. See more ideas about katana, japanese sword, samurai swords. Step 5 Transfer the position of the nakago. I always let it sit for a day or at least a few hours after I think Im done and then come back to it because with fresh eyes, I usually find some spots that need a little refining. With a pair of calipers or ruler, determine the accumulated thickness of those pieces, making sure to include the thickness of the top piece of your fuchi (usually about a millimeter) and then transfer this measurement to the top of the core. If you will be using samegawa, whether full wrap or panels, remember to allow for the thickness of the skin and remove the appropriate amount of material. For about a dollar you could also pick up a non stretching fabric tape ruler in most craft stores. Go slowly using a round needle file and constantly test the fit of the mekugi. Then draw an outline continuing from the edge of the saya down to the other end of the board just to give you an idea of the tsukas finished width/thickness. They can be found for very little money in most any hardware store. There is a lot of room for your own personal adaptations so you can follow this guide loosely and change it to fit your needs if you like. Ive also tried out a couple of different wood types and I have chosen to use American Yellow Poplar as it has what I feel is the best mix of characteristics for this purpose as well as being easily obtained. Really, any good wood glue should be fine. the tang is being held by one or two Wipe up any misplaced glue right away with a damp cloth. Start taking off a little wood from both sides and both ends but go slowly. Dont remove too much where youre too close to the nakago but you can always build up the size later on. Making a habaki is an art in itself, Ive tried several times to make one but the result always was a pile of molted copper, therefore I grind the Habaki into the blade. Feel free to contact us: These take into consideration your own body ratio. Make a Paracord "Knife" Handle Wrap -Simple West Country Whipping Knot - CBYS Wrap around your knife handle with this simple tutorial. Once youve scored the lines you will begin carving the channels. Jun 21, 2017 - Explore Norman Andrew's board "Tsuka" on Pinterest. The base of the habaki should be pressed up against the edge of the board even though there will be the later addition of the tsuba, seppa, and top of the fuchi. The wood on the outside of Japanese sword tang is called the tsuka, which is used for encircling the blade tang, allowing people to carry the sword conveniently, and it is also a part of samurai sword mountings. Use the tip of the tool to tuck in the edges to make it as narrow as possible. BUILDING UP A TSUKA Thin wooden shims are glued along the upper and lower edges of the tsuka. For typical 10mm silk ito the ramp on the omote side will be approximately 17-19mm long depending on how tightly the ito is wrapped or just about two increments up from the kashira rim. I refined the tip with a bull nose edge and bent the shaft at around a 30 degree angle to make carving a flat board easier on my knuckles. Include the marks for the habaki and saya, Spread an appropriate amount of glue on the flat surfaces of the two boards. Some techniques call for carving the entire depth on one board while using the other as just a cap but I like to split the difference at about 2/3. The rayskin is cut to shape and glued on to the tsuka core. You can add some wood veneer shims before the boards are glued, which will be every bit as good as the original wood and is commonly used to adjust fit. This step is very important! Let this set and cure. Tie wrap to handle and push under wrap. The rest of the thickness on the side that will give the tsuka its overall slightly oval shape will be provided by the folds of the ito and the hishigami. When youre done it should look similar to this. Tsuka cores should be relatively thin and flat on the sides while having nice slender oval edges. Extend the outline about a 1/4 at the end of the nakago and add a secondary set of lines about a millimeter inside of the traced outline since you want the fit to be tight. Before you start shaping the core you need to know where the nakago lies so you dont get too close to the edges. Since many of the shops that make and assemble the furniture for these swords are making tsuka as one size fits all, they tend to overcompensate for a good fit by making them overly thick. I measure the width of the ito I will be using while it is stretched tightly and then mark in increments down the length of the tsuka on the edge of both the ha and mune sides. You want to extend the neck down past where the fuchi covers it since you will be removing some of this length later to compensate for the thickness of the tsuba, top of the fuchi, and seppa. What is the function of the rings on broadswords? If you are placing the emperors node in the first open diamond from the kashira, you want the ramp to start just after that node. In this tutorial I will demonstrate how I carve a new tsuka core from scratch. I typically use a coping saw or a small electric jigsaw. Chisels I use a decorative wood carving, flat head chisel that Ive slightly modified for most of the preliminary channel carving. With a drill or Dremel, use a small diameter bit and drill a hole in both boards. The length and depth of these ramps are determined by factors such as the type of ito you are using and the style of the kashira, as well as the thickness of the samegawa. until the area is built up enough for a tight fit. I have illustrated the hard to see grain lines in this example. It is joined while shaping the outside. Once youre satisfied, slide it back on the nakago with the fittings and make sure everything fits nice and snug. If youve removed a little too much from the parts under the kashira or fuchi you can glue small strips of a thin wood veneer such as this. I use a coping saw and needle files to shape the slot in the kashira end. I use a standard steel hammer and get most tsuka removed within 4-5 blows. (pics.6 and 7) , just like the knife makers do (called a ricasso). Any small hand saw will work but if you have a band saw or scroll saw, go for it. Another important factor is price and I find that on average, enough good quality kiln dried Poplar for an average length tsuka runs around $3-$4. How to Pick The Best Katana Handle Length. With a pair of calipers or ruler, determine the accumulated thickness of those pieces, making sure to include the thickness of the top piece of your fuchi (usually about a millimeter) and then transfer this measurement to the top of the core. It's a bit involved, but with our free detailed DIY tutorial guide, with some patience and a steady hand it is possible for anyone to make one in 10 clearly illustrated steps. until the area is built up enough for a tight fit. Once the mekugi-ana is shaped and finished, you should measure for the placement of the kashira. Remember to make sure youve removed enough material by using pieces of the samegawa and ito you will be using to check. The tsuka is wrapped with a single tsuka-ito, which is supposed to be wrapped while alternating the top and bottom tsuka-ito at each fold, meaning that if the first diamond fold is wrapped with the left tsuka-ito on top, on the next diamond fold it should be at the bottom. A variety of these can be used, from C-clamps to squeeze clamps or even cord or used ito is fine. What is the best size for the tsuka handle? We have all had problems with a tsuba that just wont fit right and wobbles back and forth and side to side despite how tight the tsuka is on, or how many seppa you have. Once youve decided on the positioning go ahead and mark out the edges of the habaki and koiguchi, and then trace the shape of the nakago including the mekugi-ana and continuing shinogi if applicable. Then start near the edges and go slowly while not placing a lot of pressure on the chisel.

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