Japanese tanto

P

PaMtnBkr

Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
393
Hi folks,
I am currently in process of making a Japanese style tanto knife for an uncle and I think I may have screwed it up? Here is the basics; 13" OL, 6.5" blade, .125 thick 1095, planning on a copper guard (sorry, I am not real good w/the Japanese terminology for the various parts? Is it the tsuba?) Anyway, my screw up was I ground it out as a hidden tang rather than the more traditional full tang for a ray skin and cord wrap handle. Is this still salvageable, just not very traditional? I have some ghost green G-10 and some very nice teak but I'm afraid that the knife will end up being a funky bastardization of what it should be? Am I over thinking this and should just go with it and see what comes out of it? I know, I know, plan first, cut 2nd! Thanks guys. Don
 
You actually went the right way with the hidden tang(depending on how you went about it). Full tang with scales and a wrap is not traditional.
 
Thanks Rick,
I guess I got swayed by a lot of the pics I've seen here and they almost always featured a ray skin and wrapped handle. I just did a search and now I see what you mean! I'm good to go now! Thanks again. Don
 
Well, the nakago ( tang) on a Japanese blade is sort of a full tang, but that isn't the same as a full tang on a Western knife handle.

If you make it as a standard hidden tang Western style, that is fine. Many folks make a tanto that way. The guard is called the Tsuba. The collar in front of that is called the habaki. The habaki is not a requirement on a non-traditional tanto. Just make the ricasso a bit larger to give the same effect. Whatever you have now is probably going to be OK. Post some photos for us to see here you are at.
 
Thanks Stacy,
I have it like a western style hidden tang now. I'll try to get some photos this weekend. Thanks for the terminology education too! I was planning on a small 1/4" thick copper Tsuba but not a habaki. My ricasso is a bit bigger and SHOULD be in proportion? Not sure why i wanted to make this knife other than I love the flow of the gentle curve from the tip to the end of the nakago. I really struggled to get it where I wanted it when I was laying it out but finally made an adjustable drawing guide with some thin Mikarta and pull chain so I could play with different radii before cutting. Thanks for all the help!
 
One thing that is a common mistake is making the tuska ( handle) too fat. On a tanto it should be about the same width as the blade, and not thick at all.

If wrapping the tsuka, allow for the ito ( cord wrap) thickness in shaping the core. On wrapped handles, a mortise construction ( two piece) is always best. Even on all wood handles I make with burl wood, I often use a mortised handle construction. This allows a very snug fit which will in turn allow the handle to be attached securely with a mekugi ( peg). If the handle is a tad loose, just add a thin spacer between the tsuka and the tsuba. This spacer is called a seppa. It can be very thin to as thick as needed to make the tsuka snug when the mekugi is driven in.. There is often one on each side of the tsuba.
 
Actually Stacy, I plan on doing a mortised handle from some teak I have. I plan on doing a couple of extra hidden pins on it and then a bamboo mekugi for a somewhat traditional look. Thank you for the tips on the seppa. My tsuba is going to be made from .25 thick copper. I want to keep it somewhat simple. Thanks for all the help! Pics coming soon.
 
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