How To Make Guards For A Sword....

Z

Zombie_Steel

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Jun 14, 2013
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21
got a new project i am going to be starting. i want to make a wakizashi. but i am unsure how to make a guard for it. it will be based on the japanese style, but with a more modern western flair to it, (i hope). i will be using leaf springs (from what i have been able to uncover it seems as though they are 5160.)

now i have seen wakizashis and katanas without a guard on them. but i''d like to learn how to do the guards as well. also any advice on what the guards should be made of, woudl think of using the 5160 steel.
 
The habaki seats against the machi...which are like the shoulders on a standard guard. The tsuba sits against the habaki. The tsuka sits against the tsuba.

You can make a western wakizashi by fitting the tsuba directly against the machi just like any normal guard ( leaving off the habaki). You can even solder it in place like a guard and glue the tsuka on as you would any hidden tang blade.

A small oval or round tsuba is the traditional shape The ones on ninja-mall wall hangers are usually way too big. It only needs to extend about 1/2" to 1" beyond the tsuka.
 
bladsmth -- again you have a vast knowledge i wish i one day can gleam. i do love the japanese blades but still have yet to understand the names they have given to every little part of the sword. i will have to look up what each means. i have an idea of what is what, but i will understand it. thanks again. and i think you may have helped me with my question... seems like i need to make a "sandwich" for the guard between the sword and the handle. if i can use a simpler way of thinking here.
 
Zombie, hate to be the bearer of bad news, leaf springs are not always 5160 (these days they are likely to be a variety of things) and if you are using old ones they are often shot through with small cracks that will not be visible until you heat treat. Do yourself a favor and buy new known steel from Aldo (njsteelbaron.com) or Tracey (usaknifemaker.com) there is nothing more frustrating than putting all that time and abrasives into a piece of free steel and having it not be good in the end. Better to spent twenty bucks on something good with known alloy

-page
 
Stacy - Don't be silly; those oversized gaurds on ninjato are so the shinobi can prop the sword against a wall and use it as a step for climbing over, drawing it up with the belt cord after reaching the walltop. Everyone knows that. :D
 
Zombie,
The parts are all pretty basic. The habaki is the collar around the blade in front of the tsuba. It fits the sheath snugly, and also gives a larger surface for the tsuba to sit against.
The tsuba is the guard. The tsuka is the handle. There are usually two decorative washers, one on each side of the tsuba. These are called seppa. They add a way of adjusting the tension of the tsuka against the tsuba, by changing them to different thicknesses or adding more seppa. This is because the whole assembly is held together by one wooden peg, called a mekugi.

In a sword like you plan on making, if you are not going to do a traditional set of Koshirae ( all the handle fittings above, plus several others), then you can just make the sword as a hidden tang. This will eliminate the habaki, the mekugi, and the seppa if you don't want them. Basically, you can just do a standard knife type handle construction. Make the tang as wide as possible, though.

Here are a few references to help you:
http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/nihonto.htm
http://www.ncjsc.org/ncjsc_vis_glossary.html
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=hp-pvdt&va=japanese+sword+glossary
http://nihonzashi.com/sword_dictionary.aspx
http://coldsteelforums.com/m32274-print.aspx
http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/terms/terms.htm
http://www.arscives.com/historysteel/japaneseglossary.htm
http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/sitemap.htm



Storm Crow:
That technique has long been supplanted by the sword throwing technique. The ninja would throw their Ninjato at the wall and make a ladder of blades for their Jonin and the rest of the group to run up. It didn't matter if the swords were edge up or not, as a ninja barely touches anything as he steps on it. The last guy would do back-flips up the ladder of swords, pulling out the swords and tossing them up to the fellows on the top of the wall as he passed each one.
This is basic Ninjutsu, I am a bit surprised you are not familiar with it :)
 
Yes, but for the individual shinobi out for a night on the town without his clan mates, the older technique still holds true. That, and the grappling hook made of two kamas bound together. :)
 
BladSmth -- thanks so much for the links. i will go over them. again this site is awesome!

SunShadow -- i am well aware the the springs might have micro fractures. they are from a 65 GM pickup. and can't say no to free steel. and from what i have read the, the older US cars and trucks were more likely made with 5160. as as for now, money is a big issue for me. can't buy steel just yet.
 
Just to make what Page is saying clear:
Forge, equipment, supplies - $200-1000
Handle materials - $20-100
Ten to forty hours hard work - $80-800
Steel to make the sword .... 5160 X 48" X .25" X 1.5" - $20 http://newjerseysteelbaron.com/shop/5160/

The leaf springs could be one of many steels, will be curved, may have holes in them, will be thicker than you want, and are guaranteed to have recieved a lot of stress in use. You will likely spend the $20 in propane, files, grinder discs, and effort just trying to make them usable....before you even start making the sword.
 
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