Sayashi - Saes Skills

Sayashi
Fitting the Shinken
in the Modern Age
(Koshirae Tosogushi)
By
Erik Nelson
February, 2012 v.7
Sayashi: Fitting the Shinken in the Modern Age
Terms used in this article
To simplify in the understanding of this article, the first section included is on
terminology. Refer to this section when you encounter terms you do not
recognize.
A. Mune (the ridge)
B. Shinoge-ji (flat part between the ridge and the line that parallels the ridge.
This is the area where the Bohi resides, a cut-in groove)
C. Shinoge-suji (the line that separates the Shinoge-ji from the edge side;
also the widest part of the blade)
D. Mune-machi (the end of the ridge)
E. Mekugi-ana (hole for the mekugi pin that holds the tsuka to the blade)
F. Hamon line (shows the edge of the tempering)
G. Ha (the edge)
H. Ji (the part of the side below the Shinoge-suji that comprises the edge)
Kissake - The blade point
Tsuka - the handle.
Same-gawa - the skin of a Sea Ray
Menuki - decorations used on the tsuka
Mekugi - a bamboo peg used to secure the tsuka to the blade
Tsuba - the hand guard
Seppa - a spacer for tightening the fixtures around the tsuba
Habaki - a brass fixture that seals and reinforces the area where the blade
joins the handle
Fuchi - the ring that secures the front of the wooden tsuka
Kashira - the end cap for the tsuka
Ito (tsukaito) - the silk wrapping for the tsuka
Sageo – the cord that affixes the saya to the obi, or belt
Shitodome - the decorative liners that protect the silk ito that pass through the kashira
Saya - the sheath
Koiguchi – the end of the saya where the sword is inserted. Usually made from buffalo horn
Koijiri – the end “cap” of the saya. Usually made from steel, silver, or buffalo horn
Kurikata – the fitting on the side of the saya that the sageo runs through
Ura - the "palm" or right side of the tsuka when the edge is facing downward and away form you
Omote - the "finger" or left side of the tsuka when the edge is facing downward and away from you
Introduction
This book is the seventh version of the series of books on the construction of and the fitting of the shinken
(steel sword representing a Japanese design) in the modern age. This book goes beyond the last versions in
two ways: one, I bring more traditional methods of fitting to the practitioner than before based on requests for a
"middle of the road" method that includes traditional methods but doesn't entirely rely on obtaining traditional
supplies and parts that can be expensive and hard to find. Second, where the methods depart from traditional
ways, I try to explain what the traditional ways are.
The reference to the "modern age" is based on the premise that almost everything is different about fitting
swords now than it was in the 1500's, an era that is arguably the dawn of the samurai sword as it's known
today. There is little traditional fitting of swords nowadays. Most of the fittings are made in different ways such
as by casting in steel or machine manufacturing. Wood is provided by modern methods from modern sources,
and steel is made differently. To write about fitting the shinken in the "traditional way" would be a very different
book than this, and would go into detail about how the Japanese made steel, created and cast fittings, polished,
wrapped the tsuka, and how other specialties were accomplished, because few of those craftsmen did any of
the other's jobs. Fitting swords in the modern age requires the practitioner perform multiple jobs in order to
complete a project. The old Japanese ways of individual specialty is preserved culturally in Japan, and in few
other places. Today, fitting combat ready Japanese-style swords is very different to people than it used to be.
Do not let this dissuade you from practicing to preserve the arts handed down by each of those Japanese
craftsmen, who over a thousands of years developed all that we strive to copy today.
This book is about SAYASHI, accepted today to be the art of fitting the koshirae, or furniture to a bare blade.
Traditionally, the term meant, "maker of the saya." Techincally, "tsukuru" is the term that means "to make,
create, or manufacture." When coupled with the term "tosogu", which literally means sword-furniture, perhaps
the book should be titled, Koshirae Tosogushi, which is why the subtitle on the cover. What will be discussed in
the book is making and fitting all the koshirae, not just the saya.
Also, this book will focus more than the previous versions on the blade. This is mainly out of respect for the
blade makers, who have taught me a lot over the last several years. The reason is, that if someone is going to
take on a task fitting a blade that mandates dozens (or more) hours of work, one will want a blade worthy of that
work. The blade is the lifeblood of your sword. Putting a substandard blade in a properly fit tsuka and saya is
like placing a lawnmower engine in a Ferrari. The primary concern of a well trained Sayashi is to deliver an
exceptional product that enhances the capabilities of the blade. A poorly made blade not only renders this
wonderful art wasteful, but the damage done by poorly made blades can ruin the reputation of the one who fits
it. This book is not about blades, but this book requires the ability of the Sayashi to attain a blade worthy of his
work. For that purpose, before one can glean any hope of benefitting from this book, he must understand what
makes a blade good. For the purposes of this book, what makes a blade good is proper manufacture. A blade
does not have to be made in Japan, as long as it corresponds to the proper way that the blade is made. Be
very wary. Do not spend hundreds of hours fitting an improperly made sword blade.
Part 1 - The Blade and Tsuka
Traditionally, Japanese blades are made from iron sand, mainly found in the mountainous regions of Japan.
The sand is taken to a forge master who uses a "Tatara" furnace to smelt the sand into iron. The furnace is
built out of clay, and when completed, fired with charcoal. When the Tatara is ready, charcoal is at
temperature, and the iron sand is added. Over three day's time, more charcoal and sand are added. The forge
master must constantly watch the process to assure that the temperature of the Tatara is correct. When the
process ends, the Tatara cools, and is broken apart to reveal the iron. Two modern-day masters who still use
the Tatara furnaces are Gassan Sadatoshi and Kihara Akira. Tatara furnaces are widely in use by independent
blacksmiths in the USA. The annual Mid-Ohio Blacksmith gathering in Columbus in June is a place to bet on
seeing a Tatara in use. Swords made in Japan are made out of two different irons: Tamahagane and
Hochotetsu. Tamahagane is the carbon-rich product of the smelting process, and the Hochotetsu is the lower
carbon product. The forge master mixes the irons as well as he can to meet as many orders as possible.
Non-traditionally, blades are made of an array of steel types, the most common being 1060, 1075 and 1090.
Occasionally one will see a tool steel blade, such as L6 or T10, and more common than before, competition
and modern war blades are being made of spring steel, such as 9260. T10 and 9260 are sometimes
considered to be in competition with one another, although it's really comparing apples and oranges.
T10 tool steel is similar to 1095 carbon with tungsten added. 9260 is similar with silicon added.
Where T10 may be harder, a mono-tempered 9260 blade is significantly more springy and forgiving.
Differentially tempered blades will feature little difference. Something that you do not want to consider
is any grade of stainless steel. Stainless is too brittle for large blades, and is inferior in every way to
high carbon steels. For more about steel types, and which is better for what, visit blacksmiths and
organizations, their websites, and ask questions.
Whatever the mixture of the iron is, the Japanese katana focuses on manipulating two different irons in the
construction by separating the outside (or highest carbon) iron which is the hardest, and contains more
tamahagane, called Hitetsu, and the inside softer, or lower carbon iron called Shintetsu. This provides a wearresistant outer section and a softer, more shock absorbent inner section. In modern times, it is common to
harden and heat treat one portion, and work it into the overall sword in a way that layers harder and softer
steels.
The iron is heated, hammered out, and folded in a special method that preserves the design of the inside and
outside of the blade. Generally, the final hammering out of the blade, the harder steel is folded over the softer
core, or layered in a way that forms the construction method. It is then hammered out to take on the shape of a
katana.
Scale of
hardness
very hard
medium
soft
For example, where the Kobuse method of forging a blade wraps a softer core in a very hard layer, the Wariha
Tetsu style inserts a very hard layer of steel for the edge, into a softer, more flexible steel body.
Following the manufacture of the blade, it is polished. The art of polishing is called Togi. It is a very specialized
field, and requires the appropriate tools, technique, and stones to do correctly. Togi includes first shaping the
edge, or Shinoge, and then polishing the blade to it's desired level. Generally, cutting blades are less polished
than display or Iaito blades. The reason is that the blade will look better longer when cutting if it's not so shiny
that it shows blemishes and tiny scratches from contact with the cutting targets. This is something to keep in
mind when selecting a polish level for your blade. For more information see the Usagiya Sword shop site
online at: http://www.ksky.ne.jp./~sumie99/
At the stage of polish that the blade is in "rough white" the traditional Japanese method is to differentially
temper the blade. This is done by the sword smith painting on a mixture of clay, charcoal, and other secret
items to the blade, but leaving the edge exposed. Clay can be painted on in unlimited numbers of patterns,
creating very beautiful effects by leaving some steel exposed, or varying the thickness of the clay mixture. The
sword is heated to the point of non-magnetic quality, and then quenched. Traditionally, the Japanese quench in
water. Modern sword smiths quench in water, saltwater, or oil. Some of the more common basic hamon
classifications are: Suguha, or basically straight line; Choji, a clove-like pattern; Notare, a billowy wave;
Gunome, which featured a wavy line of varying peaks; Sudare, a chrysanthemum pattern; or Fujiyama, which
looks like Mount Fuji. For specific information on hamon, consult experts such as the NihontoClub.com.
Enhancing a Hamon
When the blade is basically done, the last traditional step that the
Japanese adhere to with the blade is enhancing the hamon. Hamon means, "edge" "pattern"; or "symbol" and entails bringing
out different hardness of the blade so they are visible.
Traditionally, there is one way to do this, and that is to apply
Nugui to the edge. The complexity of this is that there are many
formulations of Nugui used, and depending on the steel and
polish, you'll get significantly different results with one when
compared to others. Nugui is a mixture of a diluted acid, an oil,
and some sort of iron oxide. The point is to get the acidic mixture
to react with the harder steel but not with the softer steel of the
blade.
In the modern age, there are alternate ways to do this. Many of the modern smiths use an acidic mixture that
will provide an etching to the harder parts of the sword and not the softer parts.
I had covered in earlier versions of the book methods of using ferric chloride (FeCl) to enhance the harder
steel, but having done that many times over the years have come to believe that it does more harm than good.
For one, if you etch the hardest steel, that will include the fine edge, which will become more dull and require
polishing and sharpening that has frequently thrust the fitter into a nasty loop of etching and polishing. For
those who are not polishers, the task becomes frustrating at best.
Either use nugui to enhance the hamon, or leave it alone. Acid etching is counter-productive and erodes
unevenly with time and maintenance. For more information see Appendix 1.
With that said, any given blade may or may not have a visible hamon. You should know that even with the use
of nugui, it may not be possible to bring out a hamon. A hamon is only possible if the blade is sympathetic to
the process.
Polishing is an art of it's own, generally not one that a Sayashi traditionally will attempt. This is generally left to
the polishing authorities. However, because polishing is very expensive to have done, I will go over a basic
method that can provide meager results.
First, it must be assured that the blade is differentially tempered. If not, a hamon can not be enhanced because
it is not there. The metallurgy must support a hamon, even if the blade is differentially tempered. A steel type
containing chromium or vandium content generally is not able to enhance a hamon in the traditional way.
Following the instructions in this book, and not revealing any type of a hamon should lead you to the
assumption that a hamon is not possible to be enhanced. In this case, if you have your heart set on a hamon,
make sure that the blade you are going to use is tempered correctly and is of a steel that is sympathetic to
developing a hamon. Most blade smiths can help you with this.
So, assuming that's where you are, there are a couple of steps to take to enhance a hamon. This is one that
works pretty well. First, assure your polish is acceptable enough to take on enhancement of the hamon. A
blade that is highly polished only need be degreased to get it to take on enhancement. If it has a cutting finish
or less than mirror-like finish, the blade should be polished carefully.
When polishing the edge, be very careful to not work all the way to the edge. This can dull the edge. Start with
600 grit, moving to 2000 grit. Switch from one grit to the next when all the scratches are the same size. Even
with the finest grit, you can see them if you look. If you use a polishing compound, do not use one that has wax
in it. When the blade is prepared, and nice and shiny, you will need a nugui mixture. One formulation for nugui
is black iron oxide and clove oil on a cotton pad that is wetted with a very light acidic mixture and water. Rub
patiently until the edge takes on a slight color difference. For details, see Appendix 1.
Bringing out a hamon is only done for new, custom-made shinken, and should never be attempted with real
Japanese blades.
The Tsuka
The tsuka takes a lot of pressure, and therefore, it can not be made in equal halves. The thin bottom edge (ha)
of the nakago must not rest on a seam in the wood. In order for the tsuka to be strong enough, it must be
constructed so that the bottom edge of the nakago presses completely against one half of the two pieces.
In previous versions of this book, I outlined how to make a tsuka that entailed filling the cap. I received enough
criticisms that found as many problems with that technique as it solved that I went back to the traditional way of
fitting the tsuka. When pressed, I wrote about more traditional fitting, and when I had received more requests
to fit tsukas traditionally, I abandoned the easy way and in place of the more traditional. Although more difficult
to fit, is a technique that is worth learning because it works very well and is extremely strong. I appreciate all
the feedback and criticisms I had received and learned a lot about how many issues all the home-project sword
fitters are facing.
Begin with two pieces of equal size. Traditionally, tsukas are made from Japanese Honoki or Magnolia.
Traditional wood can be gotten from Japanese sword fitters supply houses. It can be expensive, and tough to
choose if one is unfamiliar with it. It's also difficult to examine bought on-line from supply houses. The closest
American wood that is easily obtainable is Poplar. The problem with any wood that is bought commercially that
is not intended to be used as a saya is that it is not seasoned. A traditional Sayashi will store wood for years to
assure it's dry and stable. Using non-specific woods, like poplar one should know that moisture and warpage is
imminent. Wood to avoid is oak, as it is acidic.
When selecting wood for the tsuka, wood should be selected that is evenly grained—it’s best if the grain runs
straight down the length, or is sympathetic to the curvature of the nakago. When looking at the end, the grain
should not be rounded much, it should also be straight. It may be hard to find good wood grain, but consider it.
Shaping the Tsuka
Over the years, I’ve learned a lot from cutters, Japanese artisans, dojo leaders and their teachers. What I’ve
learned has really only convinced me that there is no “way” to shape a tsuka, but that tradition holds certain
guidelines that vary from authority to authority. Its based mainly on the era that the sword was made in. Based
on the era that you choose to consider, the tsuka will be anything from straight to hourglass shaped. What I do
suggest is that if tradition is of interest to you, use the era of blade to define your tsuka. It makes little sense to
fit an Edo-era blade with a Hein era tsuka design. If you are fitting for actual use, which those in our dojo do, do
what you want.
More meaningful training I have received from Shozo Kato Sensei, (8th Dan Kyoshi Kendo, 7th Dan Kyoshi
Iaido) and many wonderful conversations with those who I consider authorities, such as Ben Kreiser Sensei,
moves me to consider that tsuka shape in the modern recognition of tradition follows two primary rules: that it
follows the geometry of the blade, and that it’s length is related to the style of the user. I’ll go a bit into the
geometry issue, but the length issue is another story—it’s highly individual, and anyone who uses a sword a lot
will tell you how long a tsuka he or she wants and why. If you are making one for yourself, and you’re not sure
about the length, tradition will have it 10 to 11 inches (25 to 28 cm) long, considering the bulk of styles. The
total length should allow for a proper grip, and the heel of the left hand should rest just above, but not touching
the kashira. So basically, hand size dependent. For more on shapes and eras, look ahead to: Shaping the
Outside Dimensions
Sometimes the blade is not a continuous arc, and it’s not symmetrical. This is where things get interesting.
The bottom line is, the more the tsuka is curved, the more aft you shift the weight of the shinken. Be careful in
making assumptions at this point because as the curvature of the tsuka is altered, the location of the blade is
being moved relative to where the hands are, and thus messing with the cutting stroke. This will be much more
sensitive to people who cut a lot, or are higher ranking swordsmen. I have usually kept within traditional
Japanese stylistics as those support the style of teaching by all my Sensei. The end note here is that you can
do whatever you want. I’m just explaining why I do what I do.
To begin, the arc of the blade should be studied and the arc continued on to the extent of the tsuka. Once the
basic curvature of the tsuka is established, the nakago should be traced onto paper. Sometimes, the desired
curvature of the tsuka is not supported by the nakago. When the nakago is too straight for the rest of the blade,
the solution is to cut the nakago so it fits. Certain era of even Japanese swords had straight nakagos, and in
this case, a Sayashi will want to consider fitting the tsuka straight as that is proper for the era of sword.
A graphic showing the amount of steel
that was recently removed from a nakago.
There are some reasons this should never be done. One is that the sword is a collectible. Another is that the
era and design of the sword demands a straight tsuka. Also, there is a story going around of a safety “ratio” of
not having the tsuka longer than 1½ inches (4 cm) longer than the nakago. However, if you’ve seen many real
Japanese swords, that rule was not always followed. There are easily verifiable tsukas from centuries old
Nihonto that were as much as 5 inches (13 cm) longer than the nakago. If the tsuka is made correctly, it will be
strong enough to be 5 inches (13 cm) longer than the nakago.
Once the general curvature and length is known for the tsuka, the dimensions are traced to a piece of wood
that will become the tsuka. One reason to start with a piece of paper is that the shape can be preserved, and
both sides used to transfer the shape to wood, or corroborate the shape later. Save the paper with the original
tsuka design on it.
Inletting the Tsuka for the Nakago
The nakago has to be traced on to the tsuka and the outline maintained in order to successfully remove the
wood necessary to fit the sword. It is important to note here that the nakago has to fit into the tsuka so that the
bottom edge is not resting in the seam between the two pieces. Placing the thin bottom edge of the nakago on
the tsuka seam is dangerous and may lead to failure of the tsuka.
To solve this problem, the nakago has to sit deeper in one side
than the other. One side is inlet far enough so that the bottom of
the nakago is sitting completely inside of the "deeper half".
The nakago is measured, and the measurements applied to the
wood. The nakago should be measured in various places, and
those measurements computed to be a percentage of the nakago
that allows the ha to sit completely in the deeper tsuka half.
The nakago should be traced onto the wood in all dimensions. If there is an angled spine on the mune of the
nakago, it should not be included at this point. The line drawn on the wood should represent the base of that
angled tip. The angled mune will be cut later.
The red lines represent the outline of the nakago, and the blue outline
represents the approximate outline of the tsuka when cut out. Keep
close track of these areas.
When laying out the outline, make both ends of the tsuka about ½ inch
(8 cm) longer than it will be when finished. You may need the buffer
zone later when adjusting the fit.
Consider the direction of cut. If you start to chisel and the cut "runs deep", meaning the chisel tends to dig
deeper than you want because it's following the grain, turn the piece around. If you cut a direction that the
grain runs downward, the wood grain may support the chisel running deep. Making sure the chisel is sharp is
the best defense against running deep.
The stages of cutting:
The outline should be cut straight down into the wood a millimeter
or so with a narrow chisel in order to keep from accidentally
removing wood from this part. When inletting, a sharp blade
should be used and small amounts of wood should be removed on
each pass. Care should be taken when near the edge to not cut
outside, or too deep. When inletting, edging must be carefully
repeated many times. A flat edge must be maintained. If not, the
work will be ruined as the fit will be loose. A tight fit can be fixed.
A loose fit is very difficult to repair.
Second, the depth of the ha should be inletted. The cut should be as
deep as the ha is wide. This cut can be deepened later if necessary.
Third, the depth of the shinoge-ji should be inletted. This will be the
widest part of the opening. It doesn't really matter which side is cut
flatter, the ha or mune, as both areas will be joined by removing the
wood in-between them later. The key is to get the depth close to the
actual dimension, and then take care to not cut it deeper when
removing wood from between the two cuts.
At left you see the ha and shinoge-ji cut to depth. The wood between
then must be cut away to bridge them.
Fourth, the angle from shinoge-ji to ha should be inletted. It
can be cut straight initially. An examination of the nakago will
tell you how much curvature there is. This is called the
shinoge-suji. When working the curvature into this part, be
careful to avoid deepening the ha or shinoge-ji.
Fifth, the mune side should be inletted, and left flat on the side. The
angle of the mune (if one exists on the nakago) should not be cut at
this point. It should be cut later as a dedicated action. Assure the
measurements are correct, and keep the inletting tight. Lines may
have to be frequently re-drawn. Do it. It will prevent headaches later.
Last, the overall inletted tsuka should be measured again, and if a
mune exists, cut at this point. The angle and height of only the mune
should be drawn on the wood and cut from the base of the inletted
tsuka to the edge of the line.
Considering chiseling, above all make sure they are sharp. Take the time to learn how to sharpen
them. It pays big dividends later. When removing wood, use a wide chisel to get the bulk of the tsuka
hollowed out. It is possible to shape the chisel so it’s the same width as the shinogi-ji. If a chisel isn’t, it
will save time and frustration to grind the width of the chisel to the same width as the shinogi-ji.
At this point the nakago should be test fit to the wood. It probably
won't (it shouldn't) fit at this point. Note where more inletting needs to
be done and work it slowly. The fit must be re-tried very frequently,
twice as frequently as one would think.
Measure and mark frequently, so errors are minimized at this stage.
The fit should be tested frequently and carefully inletted until the nakago almost fits. 180 grit sandpaper can be
used to flatten area of the tsuka but take care that the sandpaper does not alter the geometry or molest the
edges. The tsuka must fit tight enough so that the sword does not move inside at all, but not so tight that it
won’t slide in and out when the tsuka is put together.
The fit of the nakago should be tested noting where the ha seats
into the tsuka. The ha side of the nakago must fit entirely below
the edge of the tsuka. When a good general fit is achieved, the
seating of the nakago in the tsuka can be fine tuned by using a
carbon paper transfer to identify areas to be smoothed.
Without carbon paper, the nakago can be coated with a soft-lead
pencil or art charcoal.
The carbon-paper technique entails laying the paper in the
hollowed out tsuka, and then placing the nakago in over the paper
and sliding the nakago back and forth slightly to transfer carbon to
the areas where the steel hits the wood.
The first "rub" looked like the picture below.
The steel is resting on the tsuka is at the front and at the
rear. Hardly as level as one might think it would be. They
almost always look like this the first test.
After a bunch of hand scraping with a sharp chisel and some
rough sanding, a better "rub" like the picture on the right is
usually achieved. Most of the "bed" of the tsuka is in contact
with the steel. Most importantly, almost the entire line of the
shinoge-ji is in contact with the tsuka.
Take control of your final scraping or sanding and be careful
that you don't remove too much wood. The fit must be
watched carefully to make sure the nakago doesn't get too
deep. One technique is to draw a line on the shinoge-ji,
mune and ha on the tsuka with a pencil or marker and try
not to sand that off. Smoothing is needed, not enlarging.
150 grit will remove wood quickly initially, then 180 grit is good to smooth it over. When a good fit has been
accomplished, the nakago slides in relatively easy but is not loose, you are ready to measure and make the
second half.
A NOTE ABOUT SANDING: Extreme care must be taken when sanding so that no particle is left in the wood
that can later scratch the steel. In general, when working on valuable Nihonto, I do not use sand paper, but
only blades to chisel and plane. Learn to sharpen your blades so that they function correctly. A very fine file
can be used in lieu of sandpaper for tsuka and saya for valuable swords.
The second half of the tsuka is easier than the first and requires less
inletting. What needs to happen on the "shallow" side, is that wood
should be removed only where steel sticks up. On the second half,
an important concept is that wood will not be cut from the ha side.
The nakago's ha is set completely down into the first (deeper) half of
the tsuka. To compute what needs to be inletted from the second
half, determine where the wood must contact the nakago to hold it in
place.
Measure where a flat edge contacts the nakago, and mark it on the
nakago with a marker.
Complete the line on the nakago, and measure the difference from the
outline of the nakago to where the line is. This measurement needs to
be left on the tsuka second half.
The measurement should be transferred to the second half of
the tsuka wood. The second half will be smaller than the
deeper half. The idea here is that this half holds the sword
against the deeper half.
The second half should be inletted in the same manner as the
first half. Measurements should be made on the second half
also, to keep track of progress. The second side will go much
faster than the first side. When nearing completion, the carbon
paper rub technique should be used to identify and remove
high spots. The second half is complete when it fits over the
nakago and you can not slip a piece of paper under the joint.
Take care that not too much is removed, and the fit is correct.
When the shallow half fits over the nakago and a piece of paper
can't be slid under any part of the joint, the two halves should
be placed together and test fit. Align the mune first, and slide
the second half into position. Clamp them and test fit the
sword.
Be very careful you don't cut yourself. The sword can be taped or wrapped to protect you from the edge. A
proper fit provides a sword that is tight, but will slide out without striking the tsuka with anything. If it's too tight
(it usually is at this point) continue to do carbon paper rubs, and lightly sand away until the fit is tight, but the
sword can be slid out by hand. It should NOT be able to slide out on its own or without applying some force.
When satisfied with the fit, the mekugi-ana should be drilled. The nakago should be properly fit in the tsuka
half, and a hole drilled through the hole that is in the sword all the way through the tsuka. If you do not have a
mekugi-ana in the sword, see Appendix 3, Drilling a Mekugi Ana before continuing with the tsuka. You can
proceed to the saya.
It is here that you must have your fittings in order to proceed. Those are, the fuchi, kashira, seppa, and
tsuba. If you do not yet have these fittings, go to the next section, Sword Fittings, before proceeding
with the tuska.
Setting Furniture
The fuchi should be placed on the nakago appropriately, and
the limits of the tsuka marked. Before the two halves can be
glued together, the primary deeper half must be fit and trimmed.
The outline of the tsuka must be traced on the wood. This half
should be cut out and sized first.
The habaki, tsuba, and seppa should be installed and centered
with the fuchi. The fuchi should be perfectly centered with the
habaki and lined up perfectly with the seppa. Lines should be
placed on the tsuka where the top and bottom of the fuchi will be.
The size and location of where the kashira will be should be
marked on the outline of the tsuka that is to be followed when
cutting it out. This measurement should also be placed on the
other side.
It is wise to leave the length of the tsuka three-eighths to a half
inch longer than desired. The length can be shortened later if
the itomaki won't end in a correct position to knot on the correct
sides.
Next, the position of the front end of the tsuka needs
to be determined before the tuska is cut down. Two
measurements need to be made: one is how much
space the habaki, tsuba, fuchi and two seppa take up.
The second is how much of the tsuka needs to be cut
off in order to fit on the blade with the other items
installed.
All of the furniture should be installed and a line
marked at the end of the space they take up. It won't
be possible to draw a line on the nakago with the
fuchi installed, so the thickness of the fuchi should be
measured and added to the space taken up by the
habaki, tsuba and seppa.
Once marked, the furniture should all be removed and the end of the
deep tsuka half marked.
The difference between the two lines should be measured, and
applied to the deep tsuka half. That is what must be cut off to
properly fit the tsuka.
Final Steps in Shaping the Tsuka
The deeper half of the tsuka must be cut out. Care should be taken and some extra room allowed for sanding.
Once the tsuka has been cut out, it should be sanded down to near the size that the fuchi and kashira will fit.
Because the exact position of the fuchi is not known, extra room should be left to sand on one or the other
sides.
Once again the fit should be tested with clamps and the nakago
inserted. Clamping on the edges is more accurate to the final
product than clamping in the middle. The blade should slide in and
out fairly easily, without forcing it and especially without being
loose. If it’s too tight, do some fine sanding to very gently enlarge it
until it does. You may need to use the carbon paper technique to
find high spots again.
For problems here, see Appendix 4.
After final adjustments are made and the fit is acceptable, the
tsuka should be glued together and clamped. The sword should
be inserted when gluing.
A note about this: If the tsuka is too tight, the horrific task of
sanding it while it’s together with a special jig will be the only way
to make it fit right without splitting it open again. If it’s too loose,
you may lose the blade in practice! For more see Appendix 4.
After the glue dries, the tsuka will need to be unclamped to see if the blade can slide out relatively easily. It
shouldn’t come out too easily, but it shouldn’t be forced. It shouldn't slide out on it's own, and probably not
even by shaking it. You may have to strike it with a mallet initially as some glue may have gotten on the
nakago. If so, once you've whacked it to free it, you should have a good fit that doesn't have to be forced and is
not loose. Check the nakago to assure that there is no residual glue on it.
Once the tsuka is glued, and released,
the second half should be cut, and
sanded it to match the first half.
Now the sides of the tsuka must be shaped. The shape of the sides as with the design and curvature of the
side dimension is personal preference. Generally, the era of koshirae determines the shape.
Whether simply flattening, or tapering in an hour-glass shape, remember that the opening in the tsuka is not in
the middle of the wood, because one half is cut deeper than the other. It also may not be straight up and down.
The sword may be sitting in the tsuka at an angle. Slide the tsuka on the sword, hold it straight and look at
whether the tsuka is angled or not. A guideline should be placed on the front (fuchi side) of the tsuka to mark
what is straight up and down.
The dimensions of the inside of the fuchi, as indicated in the picture on the right should be
taken and transferred to the tsuka.
With the center and dimensions marked and extending all the way to the
edges of the tsuka, lines should be placed on the tsuka indicating what
should be trimmed off. As stated previously, there will be more to cut off one
side than the other. There is a good chance that the cuts will also be at an angle.
When the final cuts are made, the tsuka should be nearly the same size as the two dimensions
of the inside of the fuchi.
If the sides are to be tapered, the taper should be
marked onto the top and bottom of the tsuka with
a marker. Also the dimensions of the nakago
should be transferred to the tsuka to assure that it
is not cut too deep.
Consider that when wrapped with same-gawa and tsukaito, the tsuka will be much larger in circumference. So
starting out, the tsuka will have to be smaller than the finished product.
Sand the taper carefully into the tsuka and test fit the fuchi and kashira. The width should match the inside
dimension of the fuchi and kashira.
At this point, the furniture should be reinstalled as well as the
tsuka. The alignment of the fuchi with the seppa should be
established, checked for accuracy and the corners marked on
the tsuka that need to be cut off.
The same should be done with the kashira. The markings should run from the front to the back, that represent
the borders of the corners that have to be cut off. This will help keep the cuts straight. Care must be taken to
only cut off the corners.
Shaping the outside dimensions of the tsuka
Traditionally, wood is removed with a plane. Traditional Sayashi use several different types of plane, most
small and rounded rather than flat like a box plane. However, a small block plane can be used quite effectively.
A table/belt sander could be used, although be very careful because errors are hard to fix and if you sand
through, it's big trouble.
The plane should be adjusted for a very thin shaving. The
dimensions of the tuska are different at nearly every aspect.
Many readjustments of the plane blade will be necessary. Do
them, or suffer poor quality. Finish sand it by hand. It is
important to continually check the progression and retrace the
dimensions in the event they get sanded off.
To traditionally size the outside dimensions of the tsuka, it should
be narrow. In fact, it will have to be more narrow than you think
because after adding same-gawa and tsukaito, it will get quite fat.
Also, the top and bottom should be rounded and a bit sharper than
just rounded. The sides can be nearly flat, as the tsukaito will form
the roundness to the sides. The front, at the fuchi, the tsuka should
be taller than at the center, and the kashira, it should be bigger than
the center, but smaller than the fuchi. The shape of the tsuka is
personal choice, usually tailored to the style of swordsmanship.
The main styles of tsuka shape are:
1. Haichi-monjii This is the most common, the edge-side almost straight, the spine-side slightly tapered,
following the lines of the sword
2. Ryugo These are hour-glass shape, where the center is thinner in both dimensions than the fuchi and
kashira
3. Imogata Or, potato shaped. Both sides are straight
4. Morozori These closely follow the shape of the Saya. Where they are usually seen on Tachi, these tsuka
can be beautiful if applied to a katana
The fuchi and kashira should be test fit often. They will fit when least suspected. At this point, don't adjust for a
layer of same-gawa. That can be done later when what adjustments to be made are ascertained.
Work must be done carefully so the tsuka fits correctly into the
fuchi and kashira and correctly and centered against all the sword
furniture. Prior to wrapping same-gawa, the fit of the tsuka must
be adjusted for the mekugi pin. With the tsuka fit into the fuchi, the
overlap is determined and the front of the tsuka is sanded squarely
until the mekugi-ana lines up with the nakago.
When the fit is acceptable, the mekugi-ana is drilled through the
second half.
Fitting the Same-Gawa
There are two ways to fit same-gawa to the tsuka. In panels, or as a single piece. I prefer to fit two panels that
meet. It's easier, and a good compromise to difficulty of fitting, and strength of the tsuka. Regardless of which
way is chosen, A decision has to be made whether the same-gawa is placed under the fittings or not.
Historically, the Japanese tsuka are fit both ways. The tsuka is greatly strengthened when same-gawa is
placed under the fittings. However, it’s personal choice. What determines for me which way I install the samegawa is whether or not the fittings will be too thick for tsuka-ito to fit correctly. If the fittings are made of thin
metal, the same-gawa is placed under the fittings because in order for the tsuka-ito to lay even with the fuchi
and kashira, the same-gawa has to be underneath. If the fittings are thick, the same-gawa must raise up the
tsukaito in order for it to be flush with the fittings. In that case the same-gawa is not run under the fittings.
When cutting the tsuka to place same-gawa under the fittings, space should be provided only for when the
bumps are sanded off. The same-gawa has to be examined to determine how thick it is at the point it is sanded
down. This is the only way it's stronger. The bumps can be sanded down a bit off the top and bottom of the
tsuka if necessary, although consider leaving it if possible to hold the tuskaito from slipping.
On wrapping same-gawa: It can be a pain to get it right. Traditional
same-gawa-maki is done by an expert in the art, and is “glued” on with
rice paste. For modern-day shinken for actual cutting, one would be well
advised to use a high quality white marine epoxy. Same-gawa must be
dampened to work with as when dry, it has the consistency of rigid
cardboard at best and sheet metal at the worst.
In order to use the sweetest area of same-gawa, a full sheet must be
used. This is because there is only one line of big nodes—down the
center of the sheet. These are traditionally placed on the “omote” side of
the tsuka, exactly opposite the menuki on the “ura” side towards the rear.
Recently, there has been some difficulty in obtaining same-gawa. As of this edit, cost is over $80 per sheet.
Higher—grade same-gawa from Japan is over $100. Where most customers with custom fitting being done,
they simply have to pay for it. Personal projects or for non-high grade fitting, which people consider more
recently with the increase of prices, panels can be used with excellent results. The largest nodes should be
placed near the center of the tsuka at two to three wraps from the kashira. The large nodes should be visible
through the openings in the folded tsukaito.
Same-gawa has to be wetted to soften it. Do not soak it too long or it expands too much. About four to seven
minutes is sufficient. Place a towel over and under the same and soak the towels.
The same-gawa should be cut a bit long in both
dimensions, and pre-wrapped on the tsuka to dry. It
should be affixed with the edge straight at the eleven
O'clock position, and wrap it right over the tape, and pull it
tight. Allow it to overlap. Although this can be quite
frustrating, don’t give up. It’s tough to work with but just
be patient.
To use panels, they should be cut slightly larger, and one
wrapped and allowed to dry. After it dries, it should be
trimmed to the correct size and then installed and glued.
Once the glued panel has dried, the second should be
wrapped, allowed to dry, and then trimmed to fit perfectly to the first fit. Place the seams on panels at the
eleven O'clock and five O'clock positions.
Same-gawa is effectively held on while the glue dries by wrapping it with cotton ribbon made from cutting a Tshirt in thin strips. Do not over-tighten the wrap, only tight enough to hold the same on with no gaps. Wrap it
several times if necessary, dampening it as necessary until it lays satisfactorily. Once dry, the tsuka should be
unwrapped and the same-gawa marked where it should be trimmed at the ends. The same-gawa should be
removed from the tsuka, and finish trimmed. A thin coat of glue should be applied to the tsuka only where the
same-gawa will lay, and the same-gawa carefully reinstalled.
There is no real need for wetting the same-gawa when it is
glued unless there is an area that will not lay correctly. The
same-gawa should only be wetted enough to get it on the
tsuka correctly. The same-gawa should be wrapped only tight
enough to hold it on correctly. Clamps or rubber bands may
be used to squeeze the ends inward or whatever part that
needs to be held in the proper position.
One of the biggest challenges is to be careful to keep the samegawa lined up properly when being wrapped. The same-gawa
will tend to move or twist as it is wrapped. Be determined to
keep it straight. The same-gawa should be resituated as
necessary until it’s correctly positioned.
The fuchi and kashira are fit by measuring how deep they are, and transferring that to the same-gawa and then
sanding off the bumps off as necessary to fit them correctly.
If no shitodome are used, the kashira will require at least a
slot cut into the end of the tsuka so that tuskaito will pass
though the slots in the kashira across the nakago and through
the other side. This slot or groove can vary in depth and width
unless you are using shitodome. If a horn kashira is to be
used and the tsukaito passing over it, the end should be very
straight.
If shitodome are placed in a kashira, they fit inside the kashira
and will require a groove cut into the end of the tsuka precise
enough as to not crush or pinch the shitodome. Shitodome
are often delicate and much pressure on them will make it
very difficult to thread tsukaito through the kashira.
If you want shitodome and they do not fit your kashira, you may need to use a very small rat-tail file to carefully
enlarge the openings in the kashira until the shitodome fit with no excessive space. Make sure that the groove
in the tsuka is slightly larger than the shitodome before installing it with any force.
ABOUT SHITODOME: These were not frequently used in typical Samurai koshirae and are often thought of to
be simply something to keep the silk tsukaito from snagging on poorly made kashira. I've seen very few of
these on genuine Nihonto. I use these when requested, and rarely as a personal choice.
Sword Fittings: Tsuba, Seppa, Fuchi, Kashira, and Shitodome
When I build a blade for an individual, the parts are very intricately selected. Most of the time, I end up using
the blade owner’s choice of antique parts. Those occasionally need some fitting, but I try very, very hard to get
those which can be included with no changes to them at all.
When I build a practical blade, I try to use only use steel parts. Sometimes, I use gold plated bronze, such as
for seppa. I’ve used Herculoy before, as it’s easy to work with and polishes up nicely. For those who are
sourcing new parts, the list of possibilities are almost endless. Something to know about Japanese parts is that
they are counterfeited by the thousands, maybe by the hundreds of thousands. If you want to use real
Japanese fittings, be careful about where you buy. Consult collectors. Antique Japanese fittings tend to run
small, as real Samurai were smaller than the typical modern-day American hand. Some things to think about
when sourcing fittings include design and size based on the style practiced, accuracy of the era the sword is fit
after, and cost and availability. Check measurements and make sure that what you want will work with the
blade you want to fit. Verify that a fuchi will be large enough to allow ample wood and room to sand the tsuka
as far as it will have to be sanded in order to fit same-gawa and the fuchi. Be sure that the nakago isn't too
large for the fuchi that's desired. Don't end up having to cut the tsuka so far that it's weak or ruined.
Sword fittings almost invariably have to be fit to the blade in some way. Seppa are easy to fit when too small,
difficult to fit when they are too large. Simple inletting, while assuring that they remain lined up correctly, is all
that's necessary to fit new, untrimmed seppa. If they are too big, they have to be soldered to make the opening
smaller so they fit with no movement. To do this, you need scrap pieces that are placed in the opening and
tinned and soldered. File them smooth, and then fine fit them to assure they are centered and straight, and are
appropriately fit to the fuchi and tsuba.
The tsuba will be more time consuming to fit. If it is too small
for the blade, it should be measured and cut carefully to fit
centered. When inletting, be very careful to not take too much
metal off each time you file it. It is surprising that a little bit of
metal removed will make a lot of progress as to how much
farther it will slide onto the blade. It will take less filing than
you think, and you will be happy you take your time and fit it so
many times. It will slip right on when you are convinced it
needs more taken off!
It is more difficult to make the opening smaller. The inside of the
tsuba or seppa opening must be cleaned and tinned, and strips of
copper soldered in, or the space should be filled as necessary
with solder. The tsuba must be properly heated in order to
properly apply solder to it. Nothing other than soldered or silversoldered metal should be used to take up these spaces. Using
wood, glue, etc., can weaken the design and create dangers from
parts not fitting together correctly.
After soldering, use small files to adjust the fit of each of the
altered pieces.
Fittings should be test fitted and examined carefully to assure that
they line up correctly, and fit solidly together.
The fuchi should be fit so that it is centered with the seppa,
and within the designated area of the tsuba. Again, here it
may be necessary to inlet the fuchi so that it fits properly.
Soldering the fuchi is not necessary because it is not critical
for the opening in the front to be lined up with the sword
blade. In fact, many fuchi are simply rings, and do not have
a face that fits against the seppa.
Finishing the tsuka - Tsukamaki
This entails wrapping the tsuka with ito, adding menuki, and tying off the finishing knots. Cotton tuskaito is
difficult to make look really good. Silk is much easier to work with and is worth the extra $15.00 or so. The
formula for length of tsukaito is to convert the length of the tsuka in inches to feet, and add 4 feet (11 inch tsuka
means 11 plus 4 feet... I'd order 15 feet). Or in metric, for every 2.5 cm of tsuka length, plan 30 cm of ito, plus
120 cm. For a 28 cm tsuka, use this formula (28/2.5)(30) + 120 = 456 cm (4.5 m).
Menuki were originally installed on the tsuka to hold in the mekugi. Over the years, they became fashionable
and now serve as primarily decoration. Using menuki is a personal choice. I have fit objects for people that are
not traditionally menuki, (such as a military device) and I have fit many swords with menuki in non-traditional
locations, or not at all. I rarely use them for my personal swords. Menuki range in price from $60 to thousands.
Traditionally, rice paper is used to build up the areas
of the tsuka so that tsukaito is level with the fittings.
Not every tsuka needs this. Thin fittings may provide
for a good fit when tsukaito is stretched over the
same-gawa. If there are seams in the same-gawa
that provide any gaps, those must be filled and then
covered with a layer of paper.
The strips are glued using boiled Japanese rice
mashed into a paste (with a little water added). This
glue can be made easier by mixing Elmer's glue with a
touch of water.
The next task is to make hishigami. Hishigami are the
more complicated aspect of tsukamaki. Hishigami are
rice paper triangles that are folded and inserted under
each fold of tsukaito to hold it's shape. The first task is
determine the formula about how to size the hishigami.
Make the hishigami about one third the overall height of the complete tsuka. Depending on the shape of the
tsuka, there may be varying sizes needed. In most cases of hour glass—shaped tsukas, only two sizes would
be necessary, one for most of the folds on the ends, and a lesser number for the center folds.
Traditionally, hishigami is made of rice paper. A strip of
paper about 7 inches (17.5 cm) long should be folded 7
to 10 times the size of the height of the triangle that the
tsukaito makes as it's folded. Once the strip is folded up,
it should cut it into pieces equal to slightly less (perhaps
2mm) the width of two pieces of stretched ito.
Fold the small cut pieces into equilateral
triangles. Folding the piece into a triangle
provides a higher area where the hishigami
contacts the folds.
Many hishigami will be needed—one for each fold.
Generally a tsuka will use about sixty of them.
A more modern method is to follow the formula above,
simply cutting hishigami out of pressboard instead—
like what backs a notepad of paper.
Wrapping the ito – tsukamaki
What type of wrap do you want? There are a number of them... In fact, there are more than twenty established
methods of wrapping a tsuka. Personally, I do what the customer wants, if I can. I've had requests for
tsukamaki that I don't know how to do. Those are sent out. If I choose, it depends on the sword, his/her
personality, what they had in the first place, artistic considerations, etc. The wrap that is mostly seen these
days is the folded over, alternating wrap called Ito Maki no Katana. This is often also referred to as the
"Merchant wrap" and was used mainly at the latter parts and after the Edo period. There are other popular
styles used today such as the "battlewrap" or Katate maki, and Tachi Tsukagashira Kaki maki. where the top ito
is pinched under where it crosses above a lower fold. The thing that one should know is that there is no
"correct" wrap. Use what you want. If that is to be a traditional wrap popular in the Kamakura period, you'll
have to study and practice in order to do it correctly.
While wrapping the ito, the tsuka should be well-supported. One way is to fashion a stand, another is to clamp
a piece of wood that the tsuka fits over into a vice. The tsuka should be contained in some way so the ito can
be pulled tightly and evenly stretched.
Traditional tsukamaki mandates starting with the ito positioned the center next to the fuchi on the omote side,
which is the side of the tsuka that faces outward when being worn. In other words, the opposite side from
where your palm contacts the tsuka. It is then pulled around to the ura, or the "palm" side. Traditionally, the
tsukaito should be at the same level as the fitting. As the tsukaito is situated on the omote side, it must be
raised if it falls below the level of the fuchi. As the tsukaito is pulled around the mune and ha sides, it should be
lying even with the fuchi at the front, the kashira at the back.
Ito Maki no Katana Wrap
For this style of wrap, the tsukaito is pulled around
tightly, and pinched on the top and bottom of the
tsuka with a clamp of some sort. The clamping
should be contained to only the tsukaito because the
tsukaito will be pulled around again right next to
where it is clamped.
The tsukaito that comes from the bottom to the
top of the tsuka should be folded first. The
tsukaito is folded under, a hishigami inserted,
then the fold continued over with another
hishigami placed under the tsukaito. Hishigami
should be seated towards the center and away
from the top and bottom of the tsuka so that it
doesn't raise up the tsukaito to make a square
shape. A nice, rounded flow from the top and
bottom of the tsuka should continue around to the
fold with no indication that there is something
under the tsukaito.
Here is a graph that further illustrates the technique
that was made by Thomas Buck. I highly recommend
his book: The Art of Tsukamaki (ISBN
9780984377954)
The trick in making these folds is that the ito that is
folded over the top (above, it would be the green
strand of ito) is higher than the ito that is on the
bottom. That makes the overlapping piece of ito more
difficult to hook onto the hishigami.
The hishigami can be folded to get the point of the
"triangle," to stand away slightly from the tsuka when
placed. A slight twist of the hishigami allows one side
to stand up higher than the right, making it easier to
"loop" the tsukaito around.
The folds should be alternated each time around, meaning the first time, the upper section overwraps the lower
section of ito, the next pass, the lower section should overwrap the upper section.
This can be learned very easily with patience and
a bit of tenacity. The picture to the left is a good
rendering of how the ito is folded around the
hishigami.
Once the two strands of ito are crossed, properly
folded, and tightened, they must be adjusted
before moving very far. Unwrapping and rewrapping is common and should be done if
necessary. It is important that the tightness and
fold alignment is right at every turn.
To adjust the folds, an array of fine punches, cut-tosize coat hanger pieces (that have been fine sanded
so they won't damage the ito), and clamps may be
used.
It is inconceivable that adjustments will not need to
occur.
It can be said about the adjustment that the goal is
to make sure the ito is all the way around the
hishigami, each piece of hishigami is straight, and
the folds all break in the same place.
One of the most difficult aspects of the wrap is making all this work over the menuki. Here it is common to
adjust the hishigami to fit over the menuki, and even stuffing additional dampened paper is not entirely out of
order, and has occurred in antique Japanese sword fitting.
It is critical that when engaged in tsukamaki,
the practitioner be downright determined to
work at it until it ends up right—the hishigami
is straight, the folds are lined up, and
everything is tight.
Generally, the menuki are placed after the
third set of folds from the fuchi on the omote
side and three sets of folds from the knot on
the ura side.
The final part of the tsuka-saga is tying the
knot at the end.
Omote side knot work
This is done in two parts, the first is finishing
the ito on the ura side, and the second is
tying the knot on the omote side. The picture
on the left is of the ito finished and run
through the shitodome. I will break this
picture down and try to show you how to
complete this side.
Before the knots area attempted, the last
folds of ito must be clamped in order to
remain tight. Working with the tsukaito at the
end is frustrating and trying to keep the wrap
tight while engaged in the knotting can be too
much.
As you can see from the excellent
picture drawn by Thomas Buck, the
last folds are started on the ura side,
or palm side. Previously, I made the
recommendation to leave the tsuka
long. If at this point the knot can't be
done on the correct side, the tsuka
can be shortened one width of ito.
The tsuka should be wrapped
carefully to protect it when sanding
or cutting.
The omote knot is started by taking the tsukaito strand from the bottom (ha) side of the tsuka (the pink colored
tsukaito in the picture below) and loosely wrap it under the last folds from the outside towards the inside. Leave
it loose because you will have to run the tsukaito from the top of the tsuka (the green) over it, and then under
the folds. Be careful to keep the ito in place where it wraps around the tsuka.
Once the mune side tsukaito (the green one) is threaded over the ha side tsukaito and under the last folds, it is
folded, run under the fold, and threaded back through under the fold (as shown by the red arrow in the third
image from the left above). The tsukaito should be worked tight carefully without pulling it completely under the
crossed over tsukaito. When tightening the tsukaito, it must be worked around corners with tools—not simply
pulled. It must be "brought along" carefully, and tightened consistently and evenly. If the tsukaito is pulled too
tightly, it may bind, collapse, or slip under the last folds.
It is at this point the kashira is placed on the end of the tsuka. The tsukaito
is run through the kashira-ana, or if shitodome are used, through the one
on the omote side first.
Depending on the style of maki, the tsukaito at this point may overlap one
another, or be rolled around a cord or rolled rice paper, or situated side by
side and bloused by packing rice paper under it. It is up to the style of
wrapping and choice of the user.
When finished, the omote knot should look similar to the one in the
picture to the right. The tsukaito should be carefully adjusted where it
runs through the shitodome so that it's centered, or it occupies the entire
space. Take care when moving it with tools that it isn't damaged and
frays.
Ura side knot work
The final side knot should be on the ura or
finger side of the tsuka. The tsukaito
having been run through the shitodome or
half of the kashira must be run through
the other side.
The tsukaito must be tightened to hold the
kashira on with little movement.
Tightening must be done in association
with the wrapping of the knot.
As shown by Thomas Buck's graphic on
the right, the mune side tsukaito should
first be run under the last set of folds, and
then rolled around the folds, and
tightened. This requires that the tsukaito
is cut to the correct length prior to tucking
it in under the fold. Something that helps
with this task is to place a small amount of glue on the tsukaito where it is to be cut and allowing it to dry. This
will keep it from unraveling after it's cut, which will help keep it together when tucking it under the folds.
When the ura side knot is tied, the tsukaito must be gently lifted away from the tsuka in order to run the tsukaito
under it. Care must be taken to not stretch it too far.
The mune side tuskaito on the bottom is pushed under
the last folds, and wrapped back under the last fold.
Measuring from the final fold, allow approximately
3/8ths of an inch or about 7 or 8 mm of tsukaito for the
wrap. This would be indicated in the picture on the left
to be about where the yellow arrowhead is.
The knot must be carefully tightened by working the end
of the ito all the way around so that is underneath the
folds. Very fine needle nose pliers are good for this as
they can reach into the knot to rotate the knot, tightening
it. If there is too much tsukaito, as in the picture on the
right, it should be carefully pulled out and trimmed, and
pressed back in.
The final part of the ura knot is to pull the long remaining
piece of tsukaito under the folds, and around the knot,
ending it under the tsukaito.
When the tsukaito is pulled around the primary knot, it
should be folded in half below the knot.
The tsukaito should be folded over once again over the
top of the knot, and tucked under the tsukaito folds on the
left side. A dab of glue placed on the end of the tsukaito
prior to tucking it under will help hold it securely.
Part 2 - The Saya
The saya is made very similarly to the tsuka with the main difference being that the saya requires less precision
in chiseling. However, the saya has to be very smooth on the inside—220 grit smooth. The sword should also
fit easily and not be loose or rattle.
The outline of the blade should be traced onto the wood the
saya is to be made from. Honoki can be sourced from
Japanese sites, which will be already basically shaped for the
curvature of the sword.
The use of any other wood places the Sayashi in the same
conundrum being, unless the Sayashi buys and ages his own
wood, wood with a high moisture content or some other
instability will exist. Notwithstanding, for frequently used
swords, where the components are likely to be replaced every
couple of years, poplar is acceptable to use if it is dried.
Poplar sourced from local shops is also preferential to
learning Sayashi than comparatively expensive honoki.
The outline of the sword must be placed on two pieces, i.e. each side. The outline should contain the location
of the end of the habaki, and the outline of the saya when cut out.
Blade outline
Wood (to be cut away)
Approximate Saya outline
Area to be removed
by chiseling
The blade geometry is the driving factor when inletting the saya. Therefore, the dimensions of the blade must
be taken, and transferred to the saya wood. The seam on a saya may be perfectly centered unlike the tsuka.
The dimensions of the blade can be taken, computed at 55% to begin.
Other planning considerations entail providing a slightly enlarged "well" for the kissake to drip oil away from the
sword, the area occupied by the habaki, and a slight close tolerance bump to "hold" the sword from rattling,
usually placed near the kissake.
Just as the geometry of the nakago was transferred
to the tsuka, the blade geometry should be
transferred to the saya.
More so than with the tsuka, the angle of the mune
is very important when forming the saya. When
initial inletting is done, do not attempt to cut the
angle for the blade mune. Initial inletting should be
flat on both, the mune, and ha sides. If the outline
of the blade is used for initial inletting, adding the angle for the mune should provide just about the correct
spacing for smooth operation of the blade in the saya.
Inletting the Saya
As with the tsuka, it is best to outline with a razor knife, and then inlet the ha of the saya, then the shinogi-ji and
mune, and bridge them. When inletting the kissake, it should be left tight, as this is the area that controls
whether the sword rattles in the saya. The kissake area will have to be inlet very carefully, towards the end of
the process.
The grain should be considered, as with the tsuka, this is a consideration that may cause the chisels to "run
deep". Chisels should be kept sharpened, and re-sharpened in the middle of the process.
Chisel this direction
Wood grain
Constant attention must be given to the state of inletting. The saya must be inlet evenly, and in order to
accomplish that, constant measuring must be done. The depth should be taken at the point just forward the
habaki, just center from the kissake, and in the center.
The saya should only me marked where the wood
is to be cut away when the inside is complete.
The angled mune is critical to the fit of the sword in
the saya. It should not be cut along with the main
inletting.
Inlet the saya in portions, the mune to shinoge-ji,
and then from the shinoge-ji to the ha.
As the saya is inletted, the fit to the sword must be constantly checked. When the inletted portions are close to
measurement, the inletted saya should be sanded with 220 grit paper until is it smooth.
Prior to final fitting, the angle of the mune must be cut
into the saya. The biggest error made here is when
the mune is cut, is making it too steep. The actual
angle on the sword mune must be examined and
transferred to the saya.
A chisel is traditionally used to create the angle, although a
sanding block can be prepared. When chiseling, small
amounts should be removed until the angle is consistent all
the way to the end of the saya.
It is important that if a sanding block is used, that a groove is not
sanded down into the inletted saya while sanding the angle in to
the saya.
Once the angle is completed on each saya half, the saya
should be put together and test fit to the sword with the habaki
removed. Initially the sword should not fit all the way into the
saya. A small area just behind the kissake (not on the kissake
edge) should be inletted slowly as to allow the sword to seat
with a minimum of movement. This prevents the sword from
rattling. The shape of the inside of the saya must transition
very smoothly to this point so there is no artifact felt when the
sword reaches this point.
Final fitting should be done by sanding the inside of the saya
with 220 grit paper. The inside should be brushed very well
with a sturdy plastic bristled brush to assure no grit is left
behind.
Once the sword fits correctly, the outline of the saya
should be transferred to the inside of one half of the
saya, and cut out. There should be enough wood
left for final shaping.
The last step in the inletting process is to inlet the
habaki. The habaki's function in addition to acting
as a shock absorber for stress inflicted on the tsuka,
is to allow the sword to seat tightly in the saya
without falling out.
The habaki provides this friction primarily via pressure on the top and bottom of the opening, not so much on
the sides. Too much pressure on the sides will split the wood of the saya in time.
The habaki is fitted primarily by placing it in the position in which it will reside in the saya, and carefully chiseling
out the opening to accommodate the habaki. Particular attention should be given to the depth of the habaki
opening and provision of a smooth transition from the habaki area to the opening in the saya.
When the area is nearly fit correctly, the other half should be inletted also. Attention to the fit of the two saya
halves should be checked frequently through the process. When the two saya halves are inletted and sanded,
the two halves should be test fit.
The two halves should be placed together, and the blade slid in without the habaki installed to determine if
there are any places that create bumps or knocks as the blade slides in and out. Placing a small coating of oil
on the blade as it is slid in and out will mark areas that need to be smoothed further.
Once the blade fits well with no bumps or knocks,
the habaki should be installed and carbon paper
placed over it so that it will mark the saya. The
marks where the habaki strikes the inside of the
saya when the blade is slid in should be carefully
enlarged. The blade and habaki should be tested
frequently in order to not over-inlet the habaki.
The two halves can be glued together when the sword (with the
habaki installed) nearly fit all the way to the end of the habaki.
The two halves are mated by inserting the sword and working the
two pieces of saya back and forth until satisfied that it is properly
centered. The saya can be clamped, and tried with the sword to
assure that the fit is satisfactory. At that point, the cut out saya
should be traced over the second half. The second half should be
cut out, and fit again.
NOTE: Before the saya is glued together, here are some things that
should be considered:
First, the two halves must be fit together the entire length of the saya when testing the fit of the blade. The
saya should be clamped on the edges, and the blade tried to assure it operates smoothly.
Second, opening of the saya where the habaki seats must be shaped appropriately to accept the habaki. It can
be left only slightly smaller, as it is hard to shape it on the inside after it’s assembled.
Third, the end of the saya where the tsuba will touch must be properly cut—straight relative to the tsuba when
the blade in inserted.
Once these issues are satisfactory, the saya should
be glued.
Spring clamps can be used, or the saya can be
wrapped or taped.
Shaping the Saya
When the saya is dry, it should be shaped on the sides first.
The areas that represent the shape of the koiguchi and koijiri, and
lines representing the maximum outside dimension marked. The
wood should then be removed.
The saya can be shaped by sanding, planing, or by cutting with a
saw. Caution should be exercised in order to assure that an errant
cut does not ruin all the work that has been done inletting it.
Traditionally, the saya is similar in size to
the fuchi at the koiguchi, and similar in
size to the kashira at the koijiri. If a steel
or other type of koijiri is to be fit, it must
be measured prior to this stage.
As the saya is narrowed, it should be
compared to the sword with the tsuka fit.
Once the side dimensions are set, the saya must me rounded to shape.
The first stage in rounding is to define what must be cut
off. It is important at this stage to mark the boundaries of
what should be cut away and not go beyond that.
First, the outline of the outside dimension of the koiguchi
and koijiri should be placed on the saya and then planed
away. The areas that should not be cut should be marked
or colored to assure they are not cut away.
The plane blade should be set to skim very fine amounts
of the saya. The setting for the plane blade must be
changed many times to maintain fine shaving.
Enough room to fine sand the outside dimension should be left when planing. The final sanding should also not
remove as much of the marked areas as possible.
At this point, the decision must be made whether to fit
a strip of buffalo horn to the saya to prevent cutting
through it if the sword if improperly drawn. This is
necessary for newer users, and will protect against
serious injuries and can prevent surgery from an
accidental cut through the saya.
To fit horn to the ha side of the saya, the saya should be
leveled on the bottom while paying attention to the width of
the piece of buffalo horn.
The saya should not be flattened beyond the width of the
horn.
The width of the horn should be established, and a small
additional amount of wood should be inletted in the bottom
of the saya.
The final piece of horn should be cut and glued into the inletted portion of the saya.
The saya should be sanded smooth—back to its original
dimensions.
Following this, there are two choices for a
koiguchi: buffalo horn or metal.
Neither a buffalo horn or metal koiguchi is more traditional. There are many samples of both. There were more
saya made with buffalo horn than with metal. Notwithstanding, whichever is used is purely personal
preference. One reason to not use buffalo horn is that there is not enough room based on the dimensions of
the saya. Using buffalo horn requires room around the inlet of the saya. Copper can be wrapped and
laminated in a much thinner band. Another reason one may choose to not use buffalo horn is that it may be
hard to get, or that one's metal working skills are superior. Traditionally however, it doesn't matter.
If using a horn koiguchi, the outer saya dimensions should be traced on to the horn. Allow several millimeters
of extra room should be allowed for fitting the inside of the koiguchi.
The koiguchi basically fits over the mouth of the saya, and only a thin piece of wood is left to line the koiguchi.
This is the most difficult aspect to master. Cutting the saya and the koiguchi so they fit exactly.
The thickness of the koiguchi should be measured
against the side of the saya, and the saya should be
cut away (outletted) where the koiguchi will rest.
Only 3mm of wood should be left. Generally files
should always be used in this task, as sandpaper
and sanding jigs are usually not accurate enough.
Much care must be taken to assure that the cuts are
straight.
The buffalo horn then needs to be cut out in the oval
shape that is slightly larger than the saya. The inletting
here is accomplished by drilling a small hole in the middle
of the area and working the material out with a file. A
dremmel tool can be used to move most material,
however, care should be taken to assure that the edges
of the inletted koiguchi are accurate. The fit must be
tested dozens of times until it fits the outletted saya.
Care must me taken to not force the koiguchi onto thin
wood that remains on the saya. The koiguchi must fit
accurately but not tightly.
When the fit is made, the koiguchi should be glued
on with a very small amount of glue with a good
quality wood glue.
If the saya is damaged, the koiguchi should be
salvaged and re-used. It should not come off from
hard use though!
The koiguchi should have been cut large, so that it
can be perfectly fit to the outside of the saya after the
inletting is complete. Care must be taken to not
reduce the finished size of the saya when leveling
the koiguchi. Other options are to leave the koiguchi
larger, and round it carefully with a file, or cut a
design of choice.
Fitting a copper koiguchi can be done as well.
The first thing that must be done to fit a copper koiguchi
is to inlet the end of the saya based on the width of the
copper band. Take care to measure and inlet so that
after soldering and fitting, the end of the saya is the same
as the koiguchi.
Copper banding should be wrapped tightly around the
inletted saya, until it is slightly thicker than the saya. Careful
attention should be paid to the copper laying flat and not
having any spaces in-between the copper and the saya.
The wrapped copper should be clamped, test fit to the saya,
and then soldered.
When soldering the copper, care must be taken to assure
proper fluxing, and heating of the copper so that solder flows
into the fine spaces between the bands.
After soldering, the koiguchi should be sanded smooth.
There will be a silver line where the solder joins the copper,
so if a bare copper band is to be used the Sayashi should
be aware.
The koiguchi should be final fit to the saya carefully.
The next element of a saya is the kurikata. Traditionally, the
kurikata is made from either buffalo horn or wood. Occasionally,
the kurikata was made of wood and covered with a metal
encasement. Some of these were extremely decorative.
Whether it’s made from buffalo horn or wood, they’re made the same way. Generally buffalo horn kurikata are
purchased in final form.
If they are not purchased in final form, the Sayashi must cut it. What determines what the kurikata is made of is
preference, and usage. For hard-use swords, the kurikata is stressed, and banged about. For those swords, a
horn kurikata or a silver cover should be used.
Traditionally, the kurikata is either dove-tailed very slightly or
put in like a mortise joint. Nowadays, it is much simpler to
simply cut it to fit the saya and glue it on. One reason for
doing that is that the kurikata can be moved. Where this may
not be a huge selling point for everyone, in the event that a
sword is going to change hands, this can save the Sayashi
much work. If the kurikata is placed in a traditional fashion,
the sides should be cut at a slight angle in order to slide into
a flat groove cut across the saya.
The kurikata should be cut and fit well enough that it does not need any filling. However, it is acceptable to fill
in any small spaces between the kurikata and the saya.
If the kurikata is fit over the saya, it can be cut and formed to
the saya shape and installed either prior to lacquering or after
the saya is finished. Refinishing the saya without the kurikata
installed is much easier. This should be done when particular
effects are applied to the finish of the saya that would be
difficult or impossible with the kurikata on.
When installed over the saya, the kurikata is simply positioned,
and glued to the saya. If the saya is finished prior to the fitting
of the kurikata over the saya, the finish must be removed under
the bulk of the kurikata.
In the event that a kurikata is placed into same-gawa or
rattan wrap, the wrap can be glued well to the saya, and the
kurikata installed where the wrap is cut carefully away.
The next and final item to install on the saya is the koijiri.
A koijiri caps off the end of the saya. It can range from a simple piece of flat buffalo horn that is glued on and
blended in to the saya, to an elaborate iron fitting made to specifically fit the saya being made. The purpose of
the koijiri is to create a hardened tip on the saya that will guard against damage to the wood itself. Traditionally,
buffalo horn or an iron cap is used, but nowadays, pieces of kydex, decorative wood, or plastic are commonly
found.
A copper koijiri can be made following the same instructions for the koiguchi. For the koijiri, a piece of copper
must be carefully cut the same size as the end of the saya and soldered on to the copper ring from the inside.
In the event that a iron, brass, or copper koijiri is to be made, the saya must be inletted to the degree necessary
to fit the koijiri. In some cases, the saya must also be lacquered before installing the koijiri. In this case, room
for several coats of lacquer must be provided, or the koijiri will not fit. The inside of the koijiri fitted over lacquer
must be smoothed so it will not scratch the finish when being installed.
Lacquering
There are a several schools of thought on lacquering modern day shinken. One is to obtain and finish the
sword traditionally. The other, in a traditional way but with modern-day supplies. A third is modern finishes in
new and creative applications.
Traditionally, the saya, and some of the tsuka or tsuka parts are finished in
urushi, which is Japanese lacquer that comes from a species of tree that
grows in China, Korea and Japan. In Japanese, it is called the Urushi tree
(genus Toxicodendron). The sap is used to create the finish which is
brownish-clear and dries to a very hard and glossy finish. The oil contained
in the sap, urishiol, is toxic, and comprised of near-same compounds as
found in poison ivy. To those who are allergic, even the vapors are toxic.
Urushi is available in clear, which is actually brownish tinted, and in black,
red, blue, green, purple, and beige. Coloring powder is available to make
colors as the Sayashi chooses.
When applying urushi, the Sayashi must protect against contact and breathing it, and provide protections
against the vapors reaching others.
Traditionally, urushi is painted on with a fine urushi brush and
the saya or tsuka is positioned to dry in a humid environment. It
can take days for each finish to dry enough to place a
subsequent coat on, and 6 weeks to 3 months to dry enough to
polish.
It is highly recommended that a fine brush is used, either a soft, wide art brush or a urushi brush. When bristles
come out of the brush, sanding down a saya and having to do it over is painful.
Traditional urushi will take about 3 months to finish the saya.
Synthetic Japanese version of urushi may be available, brandnamed Cashew lacquer, although as of summer of 2012 this
was widely unavailable. If Cashew is to be found, it is extremely
pleasant to use and effective for a traditional finish. Although
not poisonous, Cashew is strong smelling.
Cashew has been available in clear (a brownish hue), black or
red. Occasionally it may be found in blue and green and brown.
Cashew is very similar to urushi in nearly every way except it's
toxicity. Cashew also dries very slowly, and should be used in a
protected humid environment.
Alternate ways to achieve a traditional look without the cost and hazard of using
real urushi is to use commercially available lacquers and varnishes.
One particular finish that has provided outstanding results and has been very
easy to work with is Spar Varnish. Spar varnish is a natural product similar to
urushi but isn't as toxic. It is similar in color to natural urushi, but dries much
faster. The brand, Captain's Spar Varnish is a superior product that has a wide range of capabilities that yields
similar results to traditional urushi. On one saya finished with a recipe of spar varnish, the results to date have
been indistinguishable from a saya done with toxic Japanese urushi.
Application
All of these finishes are similar in how they are applied. In the case of urushi, the level of toxicity requires much
more care than any of the alternatives. All of the products are thinned with lacquer thinner, can be colored with
the same products and provide similar results. For these reasons, urushi should be used for all traditional fitting
and refinishing, but is unnecessary for classroom or sport cutters and students. Spar varnish should never be
used on a sword that features traditional honoki wood, top grade same-gawa, and genuine Japanese tsuba,
fuchi, and kashira. The highest line traditional swords should always be finished in real urushi.
NOTE: Conventional automotive lacquer will not dry hard enough to keep from becoming dented and dinged.
Enamels are even worse and should be avoided like the plague. Enough can be done with spar varnish to
achieve almost any finish, and therefore the inferior automotive products and enamels are unnecessary.
The first coat of lacquer/varnish put on should be thinned from 25% to 50% depending on the thickness of the
finish. Urushi is the thickest, and should be thinned 50%. Cashew is the next thickest and should be thinned
33%. Spar varnish is the thinnest and should be thinned only 20%.
Urushi dries the slowest, Cashew dries second slowest, and spar varnish
dries very fast when compared to the other two. In fact, spar varnish dries so
fast, that the applier should be cautious that the finish will dry too fast and
mottle when it's brushed. Spar varnish should be applied quickly and
smoothly, with few follow-on strokes.
When applying urushi or cashew, one coat is applied, and brushed the length
of the saya smoothly, and the saya should be left to dry for a week. All
subsequent coats should be thinned 25%. The saya should be left to dry
between coats for one week. At least three coats should be put on, five is
preferred. In the event that any dust or grit ends up in the finish, the urushi
should be allowed to dry for two weeks, and then wet sanded smooth with
600 grit paper. The saya should be dried with a non-lint towel, and left to dry
for three more days before coating again with urushi.
After the last coat is applied, the saya should be
allowed to dry and again wet sanded with 600
grit wet/dry paper, taking care to not get the
inside of the saya wet. It should be sanded
enough to smooth it as much as possible without
sanding through the lacquer. If the sanding goes
through the lacquer to the wood, the previous
process must be completely repeated.
The point of applying many coats is to achieve a
perfectly smooth finish after sanding.
The saya should be placed back on the stand and left to dry for three more days. When the saya is dry, is it
ready for polishing. The picture above shows a matte finish, that can be achieved by simply sanding the saya
with 600 grit paper and then rubbing it with ultrafine Emory cloth.
When finishing with spar varnish, the first coat should be
thinned only 25%. Subsequent coats can be put on with
no thinning in as few as two days. Spar varnish is a
good finish for sanding between coats because it dries
fast. A technique that gives a luxurious creamy finish is
to tint spar varnish with black iron oxide powder, and put
three coats on. When dry, it should be wet sanded with
600 grit paper, dried off with paper towels, and set on
the stand to dry for three more days. Two more coats of
spar varnish should be applied tinted with mahogany
stain. The last coats should be allowed to dry for two
weeks, and then polished.
When the saya is ready for polishing, it should be examined carefully to determine if the saya should be coated
again. Once certain that the saya is ready for polish, the final step is to polish the saya with polishing
compound. What kind doesn’t really matter, as long as it’s very fine grit.
A fine paste polish that is good for metal or plastic is recommended. Automotive rubbing compound will
probably work fine as well except that it may leave a wax in crevices that will turn white when it absorbs water.
This will have to be cleaned away with a toothbrush.
Work the polishing compound with a soft cotton towel lightly until movement of the towel smoothes out. The
saya should then be buffed lightly until the shine comes through. The entire surface of the saya will probably
need to be rubbed out at least three times to get really shiny and creamy looking.
A final polish with an ultra fine paste like Miracle Glow or Flitz® on a clean soft cotton towel will produce a
mirror-like glow.
End Notes
I really enjoy learning about Sayashi, the art of sword fitting. I especially appreciate the Japanese cultural
instruction I’ve had that really adds to the mental part of the art. I’ve improved my skills a great deal over the
last several years, thanks to lots of help from not only people who I’ve worked with, but other kind folks who
have read things I’ve written such as this article, and offered encouragement and advice. Each time that
happens, they have helped me to expand the limits of my knowledge a little farther. Each shinken or Nihonto I
work on, I learn more, and become a little more proficient. I especially want to thank the leadership and
members of the Shidogakuin, namely, Shozo Kato, Head Sensei; Isabella Church Sensei; Debi Farmer Sensei;
Pam Parker Sensei; James Yan Sensei, Rod Faghani Sensei; the Min Ryu Shinto Ryu and the San Antonio
School of Kenjutsu and Ben Kreiser Sensei, my fellow fitter; as well as Toda Sensei and Jeff Ellis for key
suggestions; Akira Kondo for patience, Japanese language classes and many translations; and all the people
out there who allow me to work on your priceless swords. Also, Thomas Buck, who selflessly shares his
knowledge with all of us. Without you, I could have never have learned as much about this.
Over time, I’ve repeated many times that the most important aspect of doing these sorts of things is patience.
You need it in practicing the sword arts and in working on them. I can absolutely guarantee you that without it,
you will screw something up and not be satisfied with the end product... and you'll regret it.
The overall complexity of all the tasks when considered together should not dissuade someone from learning
about these arts, it’s really the reason that one should practice them. It is possible to learn as you go, just be
patient. However you conduct your own personal project should you choose to, I hope this booklet can give
you some ideas that you can improve on, if not show you a better way to do stuff. So for everyone who uses
this booklet as a guide or reference for your own project, good luck, and feel free to send me improvements,
new ideas, corrections, or your own story about making a shinken. Don't forget to see the reference pages that
follows in the Appendices.
ネ
ル
ソ
ン
Nelson-san
[email protected]
APPENDIX 1.
Bringing out the Hamon on a carbon steel sword blade.
As you may notice, the title includes the word "carbon" in it. This is because if you are using a piece of
stainless steel, this tutorial won't work. Even carbon steel that has a high amount of chromium in it will give you
a terrible fit trying to get the hamon to show up, if you even can.
This appendix is for light polishing of a blade that doesn't need to be sharpened and/or reshaped, or polished
much. It's mainly intended to help someone who has a blade with a poorly defined hamon bring it out a little.
To reshape or polish a shinken by traditional means, one needs all the appropriate whetstones, and the sword
is moved on the stones, which are stationary. That traditional technique requires a lot of skill to do correctly or
the blade geometry is ruined. This technique, on the other hand, is all about lightly polishing the blade using
sanding blocks and fine wet sandpaper.
What you need
You will need the following supplies:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Wet sanding paper in at least the following grits: 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000. You may find that you have
difficulty obtaining some of these grits at the local Home Depot, in particular those over 1000. They may
all be gotten at an auto parts store.
Sanding block. I used a wooden block. A hard rubber commercial block is fine, but avoid the very edge.
Ferric Chloride (FeCl). This is circuit board etching compound, and can be gotten at Radio Shack for
about $4 or $5 per10 oz. bottle. Be careful with this stuff, because it will instantly turn metal gray, and
severely corrode aluminum and stainless (like your kitchen sink!).
Baking soda. This is to create a "base solution" to neutralize the FeCl.
Clove oil. You can get this at health stores or from a Japanese sword care kit. I wouldn't use Johnson's
baby oil as it has other stuff in it that could mess up the process.
Black iron oxide. Try a craft store or a ceramics supply house. Make sure it's real iron oxide and not
powdered pigment that's just named "black iron oxide." This should help: Fe3O4 = ferrous ferric oxide,
magnetite, and black iron oxide (CAS no. 1317-61-9). Online is always a good place to source this.
A place to sand the sword blade that you don't' mind getting really black with metal-saturated oil. I used a
big plastic pan that was as big as the blade, and deep enough to put a half-quart of light mineral (or
synthetic) oil in.
The Process
First, you must realize that you can not skip the progression of grits, like from 400 to 800... nor from 800 to
2000. It may look like you can, but if you do, this will not work as well. Start with the finest grit you can, and
then go to each successive grit. I've only named what I believe to be the minimal grit-progression, you can
certainly add 5 grits in-between what I've listed, and you'll get better results. You'll also sand less with more
progressions.
Prepare your area so that you can rest the sword on something that won't scratch the down- side (the side that
lays on the table or edge of the pan) while you're sanding the up-side. For this, an anti-slip mat works well.
That mat must be kept very clean or the residue will scratch the blade. Keep apprised of the down-side as you
work on the up-side. The first naginata blade I polished I found to be pretty scratched up on the first side I
polished after finishing the second side and flipping it over. Obviously, the second side got polished all over
again.
The Technique
WARNING: Understand that by polishing your own blade, you may
be damaging the geometry of the blade. A Japanese style shinken is
very particular about what makes it work, and too much sanding can
change the geometry to the point that it's no longer sharp or worse, it
is weakened.
As you can see from the picture at right, the edge is comprised of the
"ji" or the entire side of the blade from the shinoge-suji (ridge on the
side and widest part of the blade) to the ha, or edge. Sharpening a
dull sword, or working with the ji requires extensive skill as to not
cause the cutting edge to be thrown out of line.
The technique of sanding should be that of starting at the shinoge-suji (the widest part of the blade) and
working your way evenly down to the ha, without too much pressure on the ha itself. In fact, I make an appoint
to stay 1/32 inch (2 mm) away from the actual ha. I can't always do it but I try. One good way of avoiding the ha
is to mark it the 1/32 inch of the very edge with a red sharpie marker, and don't polish it off!
Shinoge-suji
Start near the shinoge-suji
Mune
And then move towards the ha
Avoid much polishing
of the very edge of the ha
Polishing the Shinoge-ji
Once your area is set up, start with the finest grit that will yield progress over wherever the finish of the sword is
at beginning. For example, a Kris Cutlery naginata was probably polished to 600 grit when I got it. I started
with 400 and it dulled considerably. The only salvation to my ego was that there was a scratch (that I likely put
in it) on it that I worked out. The opposite side I started with 600.
Before you sand the blade, you should cover the kissaki with plastic tape or something that won't easily be
sanded through. You can use painter's tape and wrap it several times. When the tape starts to wear out,
change it! The yokote, or line that separates the kissaki from the shinoge-ji, is where you should place the
cover to protect the kissaki. It must be polished on it's own so you don't ruin the separation.
In the picture at right, you can see the yokote
line where the shinoge-ji meets the fukura, the
point where the curvature of the kissaki begins.
Once you have the kissaki protected, and you begin on the
shinoge-ji, sand the blade with as long a stroke as possible,
without danger of slicing your fingers. Use the sanding block,
and try to have no more than two sheets of paper between the
block and the steel at any one time. More than that can put
unwanted grooves in the steel or change the blade geometry.
Use medium pressure... let the paper do the work. Move the
paper around as you feel the strokes smooth out and the integrity
of the grit diminish so you always have good grit between the
block and the steel.
Sand each grit until a close examination of the blade reveals no
scratches any larger than any other. You will have to look
carefully, but check frequently, going back to areas that you are
not polishing as well. Don't polish it any more than necessary.
When you are certain you have reduced the surface to the grit of
the paper, move to the next finer grit. Do the same thing for the
new grit. Use smooth strokes, keep the paper or stone lubricated,
rinse the blade often. The water will start to get black, which
means you are removing steel. When you have reduced it to the
new grit, you will notice that the blade is getting shinier.
The finer the paper used, the closer the sword must be examined for scratches. Again, the test is that there
should not be ANY scratches larger than any other scratch. The tiny scratches can be seen even with 1000
grit--you just have to look for them.
You will find that it won't take much longer than 10 to 15 minutes per each
grit for each side of the sword. This means that working through six grits
will take about an hour and a half provided you have the muscle to polish
that long.
Don't polish long enough to make mistakes, such as hit the ha or cut the tip
of a finger off. Generally, the finer the paper used, the longer it takes.
As you progress through the paper, watch closely so you don't have to repeat two grades or more of sanding
because you didn't notice a scratch. Also be careful when removing the paper from the blade, because you
can dislodge particulate from the paper and scratch the blade.
When you get to the point you are finished with
2000 grit, the surface should look like a mirror.
Again, there should be no scratches AT ALL,
that you notice.
NOT the end finish! One more 2000 grit to go!
For swords, you'll want to create a contrast on the kissaki and make a crisp delineation at the yokote (my
naginata didn't have a yokote). To do this, remove the paper and tape from the kissaki, clean it well, then apply
it (non-grit side facing the newly polished blade!) along with some additional sturdy tape exactly on the yokote
line across the sword, this time on the shinoge part of the blade. Apply enough to build up a ridge or small wall
that gives protection to the shinoge-ji and also makes a wall for the polishing block to follow.
The sanding block should ride here
Polish only this part of the kissake
Polish the kissaki (across the sword, perpendicular to the length) first with 1000 grit on the block. Only stroke
one direction and stroke from mune to ha, back to the edge. Make sure the block has a crisp enough edge and
fold the paper tightly over it to be sure it contacts the entire surface of the kissake.
You want a crisp, clean yokote all the way from the shinoge to the ha. You may have to re-polish the shinoge-ji
to get rid of small, stray scratches that come from doing the kissaki/yokote. It will likely be frustrating so take
your time. Use fresh paper and even pressure.
The final steps are to polish it with 3000 grit, or paste polishing compound. I had heard that some folks were
having good luck with FLITZ metal polish, so I had a try of my own. It's not bad, but the industrial polishes I
thought were better. I think FLITZ is more of a cleaner, plus, it left a film on the blade. I used extra fine Miracle
Glow polishing compound and had great results with that.
American Lapidary also makes a plethora of diamond-based polishing compounds from 3000 to 50,000 (you
read that right) grit in one-gram syringes, about $8.00 per gram.
Finished polish
After Polishing—Bringing out the hamon
Once you are finished with the polish, it is time for the oil and black iron oxide treatment. I would recommend
being well-rested at this point, as frustration is easier thwarted when you're rested. As I pointed out before, you
may or may not have good results doing this. Know when to stop. Once again, there is a caveat that
depending on the formulation of steel, it may be easy, tough, or impossible to bring out a hamon that a sword
has.
The first thing is that if you remember, I mentioned that depending on what you polished the sword with as your
3000 grit, you may have wax on it. For this reason, you should clean the sword well with acetone or naptha.
Second, the natural acids in clove oil is rendered inert by a base solution, not water. Water will only dilute it. If
you don't want the acid acting on your precious blade after you put it away, you must neutralize it with the
baking soda solution. Before you apply nugui make a baking soda solution and have it standing by. Put a
couple of tablespoons of baking soda into a small bowl of water, and add 4 or 5 ounces of water to it. Mix it up
well. Drop a cotton ball into the baking soda solution.
Here you may be able to increase
the acidic value by taking a couple
of drops of the ferric chloride, and
mixing it in with the nugui. You
can do this by wetting the cotton
ball with water that contains a
drop of feCl. Dont' use too much.
A couple of drops in a cup of
water should be enough.
Make nugui by mixing clove oil
and iron oxide together into a
paste. Dip the wet cotton ball into
the nugui, and rub the hamon area of the blade. I'm not sure how long the "optimum" rubbing time is, but I
rubbed the naginata blade I was working on (you see in the picture above) for about ten minutes.
After rubbing the hamon with the black iron oxide and oil mixture, wipe the blade off well with clean soft towel,
and rub it with the cotton ball of baking soda to neutralize any residual acidics that may be left on it. Finally,
coat the blade with a fine layer of clove oil from a sword care kit.
Here are a few of the blades this technique has been used to bring hamons out of:
APPENDIX 2
References
RESEARCH
http://www.tsuki-kage.com/faq.html
http://www.ksky.ne.jp./~sumie99/
HOW TO
Thomas Buck's tsukimaki page
http://www.tsukamaki.net/
Bob Engnath's bookcase (legendary blade maker)
http://www.engnath.com/intable.htm
A great polishing tutorials
http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/togi,process.html
SUPPLIES
Good source for blanks for fixtures such as tsubas
http://sdksupplies.netfirms.com/cat_swordblanks.htm
Fred Lohman's place in Oregon
http://www.japanese-swords.com/pages/terms.htm
Ben Kreiser Sensei's place in Texas
http://www.japaneseswordsltd.com/frames.html
Black Iron Oxide/Colored Oxides
http://www.atlanticpotterysupply.com/productcart/pc/Iron-Oxide-Black-13p1275.htm
http://www.axner.com/oxides-and-colorants.aspx (can also be used to color urushi or spar varnish)
Blade Blanks
Kris Cutlery's site for excellent quality bare blades (Highly recommended)
http://kriscutlery.com/documents/japanese.html
Cheness 9260 tempered spring steel blades are very forgiving and flex, will not take a bend like a traditionally
tempered sword blade. These require fitting. Cheness blades are good for beginners and reasonably priced.
The koshirae is poor quality.
http://www.chenessinc.com/9260thshirasaya.htm
http://www.swordsoftheeast.com/bareblades.aspx
http://www.texasknife.com/store/s-pages/TKS_MainframeStore.htm?TKS_WelcomeStore.htm~smain
Admiral Steel—where you can send a design for a blade and they can cut the blade shape and send you the
basic steel blank. (These are raw steel pieces--meaning you must learn how to make a blade)
http://www.admiralsteel.com/pdf/bladesteel.pdf
APPENDIX 3
Drilling a Mekugi-Ana
The most important things that must be considered when drilling a mekugi-ana (mekugi pin hole) in the tsuka is
to assure that the tsuka is properly installed on the nakago and the ana in properly positioned. The best way to
get a hole through both, the tsuka and nakago depends on the limitations of and the techniques used by the
person making it.
The biggest issues related to drilling a mekugi-ana are simply that the sword is very hard to drill through and
locating the position for the mekugi-ana is somewhat complex.
First, the sword steel is hard to drill through: A tungsten carbide drill bit will be required. Also, the nakago is
not straight, and the bit will tend to "run" when drilling starts. For these reasons, once the position is
determined, using a good quality punch to mark the position to limit drill bit run, and drilling accurately with a
drill press is recommended. The size of the drill bit should be about 6mm or 7/64 inch.
Locating the mekugi-ana really boils down to knowing how much space the tsukaito takes up, and where the
end of the third wrap is. That is where the mekugi-ana should be. Placing the hole at the back of the third wrap
will place it at the beginning of the fourth wrap on the other side. The diamonds in the tsukamaki are not the
same on both sides, they overlap. If a hole is drilled in the center of a diamond in the wrap, it will hit the fold
squarely on the other side.
The easiest way by far to measure and drill the mekugi-ana is to:
1. complete half the tsuka, including trimming the front as
accurately as possible.
2. place the fuchi on the end of the tsuka
3. butted up against the fuchi, stretch tsukaito tightly over
the completed tsuka half, and denote the spot two-thirds
towards the rear of the sixth piece of tsukaito.
4. drill through the tsuka half, and denote the
corresponding location on the nakago
5. drill the hole straight through the nakago.
Mekugi
To make the mekugi, one must start with high-quality bamboo. Never use a piece of a chop stick, or a piece of
bamboo of questionable quality. I recommend getting good materials for mekugi from a reputable sword repair
establishment. I recommend Ben Krieser Sensei in San Antonio, Texas (www.japaneseswordsltd.com).
Another source for mekugi is Fred Lohman in Portland Oregon (www.japanese-swords.com/). When you order
the ito, shitodome, or other part, ask him to throw in a piece of bamboo for mekugi. Another interesting solution
is to make the mekugi from buffalo horn. Traditionally, this was done and it makes a different and classy
addition.
The horn should be cut in a square slightly larger than the mekugi needs to be. It then can be chucked in a drill
and spun slowly against sandpaper. The fit should be checked frequently. The mekugi should be tapered very
slightly—too much and it will have to be done over.
Tsuka
Nakago
Drilled mekugi-ana
Mekugi
APPENDIX 4
Correcting mistakes.
Tsuka
I chiseled too much off the inside. It’s loose when I test fit the sword
To fix this, you are going to have to build up the base or reduce the depth.
To reduce the depth, you will have to sand off the surface that would be glued. If you do this, make sure you
are sanding it perfectly flat or the top half of the tsuka will not fit well, and may break later. Make a sanding jig
out of a flat piece of wood bigger than the tsuka, and lay it on the tsuka to sand. Assure that even pressure is
used.
To build up the base, you need to fill in the tsuka with wood and sand it back down. The best way to do this is
locate and buy some wood veneer of the same type as the tsuka. You’ll have to glue it in with wood glue. The
thing to watch out for doing that is having to sand down below the veneer to where you’ll hit the glue... avoid
that because it’s harder than the wood. If you haven’t cut too much, and you are only concerned about a few
places where you gouged down into the wood, you can use epoxy to fill those.
If you’ve glued the tsuka together, and it’s loose when you test fit it to the sword, the only way to fix it is to take
a dremmel tool and a fine cutoff wheel, or use a fine saw and cut it back open. That in itself may take enough
wood off it to put it back together for a good fit. Generally this will now make it too tight. Go back to inletting
and get the fit right.
I can’t get the sword out after I glued it; or I glued it and can’t get the sword in
You have a big repair project with this problem. You can either try to knock the tsuka off with a block of wood
and hammer, or use a chisel to split it and then fix it.
Chances are, if you can’t get the sword out after you’ve glued the tsuka together, you’ve either gotten glue on
the nakago, in which case you can probably knock the tsuka off of the sword carefully and salvage the project.
If the tsuka is fit it too tight, the tsuka will have to be split and inletted more. If you can’t get the sword back in
after you’ve assembled the tsuka, you should split the tsuka and inlet it again to get the fit correct and then reglue it.
The same wasn’t tight enough around the tsuka when I glued it
You’re in trouble. Same is difficult to soften and work with, and once you’ve gotten epoxy on it, it’s way worse
so. The only thing I can recommend doing in this case is to try and get the same-gawa off, and start over. An
alternate method of repairing this is to cut the ill-fit section away with a dremmel, trace over the void with paper,
and cut a new piece and carefully install it. Once you’ve wrapped the ito, it may not be noticeable. This is why
it’s so important to wrap it several times before you glue it to make sure you know how to handle it. The final fix
is to remove it, even if you have to sand it all off and do it over.
I cut too much off the end, and now the fittings are all loose.
This is not too hard to fix, although it can ruin your choices of how the fixtures look. The first option is to simply
add seppa. Old Japanese swords often have several on them. Otherwise, get a thicker seppa, which Fred
Lohman can help you with. Otherwise, get a thicker tsuba. What you should NEVER do is to fill it in with
something like cardboard, which is way too soft. You must fix loose fittings with a brass, copper, gold, silver, or
bronze seppa. If the tsuka is not wrapped yet, simply add a copper or tin shim to the front of the tsuka, and
place the fitting over it.
I drilled the hole when the tsuka wasn’t all the way on
This is tougher, but not the end of the world. Depending on how far off it is, you can work with the error, and
add another hole for security, or you have to drill it again all together. One reason to NOT simply drill it again
somewhere else is that traditionally, the mekugi should follow the third folds. If that doesn't bother you, simply
cut a tiny round piece of same-gawa, plug the hole with a dowel and place the same-gawa over the hole. Then
drill another mekugi-ana correctly.
Alternatively, if it's not too far off, you can widen the hole in the nakago, and fill in the void. This means putting
another hole in it towards the rear or the tsuka because now the first isn’t strong enough.
See the following graphic for repair by widening a mekugi-ana:
First, if there is less than this much error, don’t do this. Simply make the ana bigger.
Widen the mekugi-ana by hand sanding. Use a punch with sandpaper wrapped around it or a
Dremel tool carefully.
Remove the tsuka and plug one side with a dowel pin. Glue it by placing glue on the dowel
and then inserting it. Assure it doesn't go too far in.
Reinstall the tsuka and re-drill the mekugi-ana. Do this again for the other side.
Cut same to fit over the dowel, and hand sand as above to shape it.
Remember, if you repair the mekugi-ana this way, it's a good idea to drill a second hole to assure it will hold.
Put the rear mekugi-ana about four folds forward of the knot at the end of the tsuka.
Saya
I chiseled too much off the inside/it rattles when I test fit the sword
The only way to fix this is to split the saya and re-fit it. Some areas will be fit proper based on the material cut
away to split it, others will have to be inletted again to correct the fit.
The sword “rumbles” or “rattles” when sliding it in
The inside of the saya is not smooth. Keep sanding. If it becomes too loose when smoothing it
over, the edges where it will be glued should be taken down to tighten it back up.
The opening where the habaki enters is too big
Build it up with strips of wood on the top and bottom and rice paper on the
edges. If it’s a lot too loose, build it up according to the following graphic,
and sand it with a tiny block and paper or thin file after it’s dry. NEVER
put wood on the left and right sides. If you do, when you slide a sword in,
you can split the saya in two!
Tsukamaki
The hishigami collapses
Hishigami are too weak, or you’re pulling the ito too tight. If you’re using rice paper hishigami, try folding them
more, or brushing them with rice paste or Elmer’s glue and letting them dry before you use them. If you’re
using notepad backing, try a harder backing. If all else fails, don’t pull the ito as tight. Keep at it and be patient!
I can’t keep menuki positioned while wrapping
Either have someone hold them, or cheat and use a small amount of epoxy to glue them and let them dry
before you wrap. Keep at it and be patient!
I can’t keep the ito tight enough
This is why a stand of some sort is helpful. Make sure you have a good tight clamp to secure each half-wrap
with. Pull the next half tight before you release the clamps. Have someone help you if you can’t do it all (or in
the event you only have two hands...) Keep at it and be patient!
The knots are a pain in the butt
Tell me about it. Keep at it and be patient!