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katana assembly
- Thread starter mateo
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2005
- Messages
- 2,026
what? Three tangs? See here: http://home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/glossary.htm
Also, what do you mean, build yourself? Carve the handle, the scabbard, tie the handle wrap, everything? You're in for a treat
. And how is it hand forged? Don't take offense: I think you may have purchased a dud (especially if it's off of eBay or made in China). Display case? Do you mean shirasaya or do you mean one of those wall plaque things? Either way, if the tang and blade are decently shaped it could be worth it for practice.....
Handle: http://japantrip.tripod.com/nihonto/tsuka/tsuka01.html a cheap way of doing it. It still takes a good amount of practice. The fit should be such that the tang is VERY snug in there but not so snug as to produce fractures in the handle. Also the channel should be shaped so as to not produce a stress riser in the handle at the tip of the tang.
Handle wrap:
The easiest way to tie up the handle is to simply tie the whole thing with simple cotton/silk cord (not ito) using glue and clamps to keep things tight - see http://kriscutlery.com/japanese/standard/index_26kat.html for an example of the style I refer to. More complex styles can be attempted: http://home.planet.nl/~sebregts/ just don't expect to get it right at all for a few years. And then it may be passable.
Blade collar (has to be made specifically and then worked onto the blade). Some smiths produce solid habaki (like John Lundemo at http://odinblades.com/
Fittings: can be purchased from various sources including:
http://www.japanese-swords.com/
http://www.shadowofleaves.com/
http://www.swordstore.com/
For a more DIY approach:
http://sdksupplies.netfirms.com/
Scabbard: basically similar to the handle except the blade, when inserted, should not be touched anywhere except on the edge and back sides of the blade collar. Fit should be such that it is not necessary to use much force to remove it but should remain in scabbard even if turned handle-down.
Also, what do you mean, build yourself? Carve the handle, the scabbard, tie the handle wrap, everything? You're in for a treat
. And how is it hand forged? Don't take offense: I think you may have purchased a dud (especially if it's off of eBay or made in China). Display case? Do you mean shirasaya or do you mean one of those wall plaque things? Either way, if the tang and blade are decently shaped it could be worth it for practice.....Handle: http://japantrip.tripod.com/nihonto/tsuka/tsuka01.html a cheap way of doing it. It still takes a good amount of practice. The fit should be such that the tang is VERY snug in there but not so snug as to produce fractures in the handle. Also the channel should be shaped so as to not produce a stress riser in the handle at the tip of the tang.
Handle wrap:
The easiest way to tie up the handle is to simply tie the whole thing with simple cotton/silk cord (not ito) using glue and clamps to keep things tight - see http://kriscutlery.com/japanese/standard/index_26kat.html for an example of the style I refer to. More complex styles can be attempted: http://home.planet.nl/~sebregts/ just don't expect to get it right at all for a few years
. And then it may be passable.Blade collar (has to be made specifically and then worked onto the blade). Some smiths produce solid habaki (like John Lundemo at http://odinblades.com/
Fittings: can be purchased from various sources including:
http://www.japanese-swords.com/
http://www.shadowofleaves.com/
http://www.swordstore.com/
For a more DIY approach:
http://sdksupplies.netfirms.com/
Scabbard: basically similar to the handle except the blade, when inserted, should not be touched anywhere except on the edge and back sides of the blade collar. Fit should be such that it is not necessary to use much force to remove it but should remain in scabbard even if turned handle-down.
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2002
- Messages
- 400
I know what he's talking about. It's one of those Chinese katanas that come in a display case, with koshirae, except all disassembled. About $100-200, if I remember correctly. I've seen them in Master Cutlery sell sheets, but I have no idea who makes 'em.
Anyway, for those, all you have to do is make sure nothing goes on backwards. There's a fair amount of "slop" in the tolerances of those, so it shouldn't be a huge deal to slip the habaki, the seppa-tsuba-seppa sandwich, and the tsuka on. Since the tang itself has a non-symmetrical cross-section, you shouldn't really have any trouble finding out which piece goes which way. Lightly tap the mekugi (retaining pin) into place, and you're done. Since these are mass produced anyway, you're probably going to get a less-than-perfect fit. This is par for the course for this sort of novelty SLO anyway, so don't stress about it.
Though you will have to find a different way to display it afterwards...
@SenoBDEC: I actually went to Sears looking for a hammer handle, but all they had were the shaped ones, which are too narrow in spots to work. I was so disappointed
Then I realized I had no way to split the stupid thing myself and got happier. Got to find some decent blanks now...
Anyway, for those, all you have to do is make sure nothing goes on backwards. There's a fair amount of "slop" in the tolerances of those, so it shouldn't be a huge deal to slip the habaki, the seppa-tsuba-seppa sandwich, and the tsuka on. Since the tang itself has a non-symmetrical cross-section, you shouldn't really have any trouble finding out which piece goes which way. Lightly tap the mekugi (retaining pin) into place, and you're done. Since these are mass produced anyway, you're probably going to get a less-than-perfect fit. This is par for the course for this sort of novelty SLO anyway, so don't stress about it.
Though you will have to find a different way to display it afterwards...
@SenoBDEC: I actually went to Sears looking for a hammer handle, but all they had were the shaped ones, which are too narrow in spots to work. I was so disappointed
Then I realized I had no way to split the stupid thing myself and got happier. Got to find some decent blanks now...
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2005
- Messages
- 2,026
Yeah, I found that out too. Finding a good hammer handle blank to use for a sword tsuka is toughknife saber said:@SenoBDEC: I actually went to Sears looking for a hammer handle, but all they had were the shaped ones, which are too narrow in spots to work. I was so disappointed
. Anyway.... likely you've seen this thread already, but it details some of the harder parts of tsukamaki and how to get around them from a woodworker - How to make a tsuka? - Problems@mateo: Recent thread about "choices in the production katana market" that may interest you: The lowdown on production katana?
Decent (not stellar but adequate) choices of the mounted and useable variety (be VERY careful when doing so - swords are often more dangerous than knives due to unfamiliarity/length/momentum):
http://j-armory.com/Sline.html Furuyama, http://kriscutlery.com/japanese/index.html Kris Cutlery, http://www.chenessinc.com/ Cheness (very low-end - don't expect the tsukamaki or fit to be good nor long-lasting). Most of these are bare-bones functionality but they are (so far) useable for what a sword should be expected to do.