Questions about band on Japanese style blades.

B

Black Dog

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Sep 10, 2006
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I was looking at some pictures of some Japanese style swords and tantos and noticed that some have a metal band around the blade directly in front of the guard or tsuba. Is there a term for this part? How is it made and attached? I think that would make for a cleaner look on a Japanese style blade that I am currently working on for a friend.
 
im not an expert but i think its called a habika? or somthing like that. hit up Burchtree he makes a lot of oriental style blades or donn fogg both make exelent blades and are sure to be able to help you
doc silas
 
That would be a habaki. They are generally cold-forged and soldered from copper, though sold, silver, and various alloys of all of the above are well known. You can find construction sites across then net that spell it out pretty well. You can also cheat and just carve it from 3/8" stock, but that's a lot of work to get fit right.

Best,

Darryl
 
It's called a habaki.

Some people forge them in one piece. Some wrap a single piece around and silver solder a seam. Others yet form it in two pieces and silver solder it in place.


Added...hehe late again! I'm going to bed. :)
 
Thank you all for the information on habaki and the different ways to make it. RokJok those were some great links. I see now that it is much more than a casual afterthought of, "I think I'll put one of those bands on a knife I'm making" that there is much more planning and design that goes into it.
 
Black Dog said:
Thank you all for the information on habaki and the different ways to make it. RokJok those were some great links. I see now that it is much more than a casual afterthought of, "I think I'll put one of those bands on a knife I'm making" that there is much more planning and design that goes into it.
Click to expand...

If you're doing the whole traditional-construction of the handle, then the habaki is a *very* important piece. It has to be fit very tightly and work hardened so that it doesn't dent or deform, subsequently loosening the whole assembly.

When made correctly, they have to be hammered and stretched after they've been brazed closed. The tang of the blade needs to be perfectly tapered so that the habaki doesn't bind when being final-fitted. That's the only real engineering in terms of the internal fit of the habaki.

The outside dimensions should match the continuous curve of the blade and be slightly wider at the base so that it friction-fits into the scabbard. If you're not making a traditional wood scabbard, then the outside dimensions are to your whim. On bigger blades, habaki change the balance point and harmonics of the blade.

For a *really* good idea of what goes into a habaki and what the function of one is, read : http://sayashi.com/articles/habaki.htm

For some fine examples of habaki, check out:
http://www007.upp.so-net.ne.jp/m-kenji/samples_of_habaki.htm

Look at pictures of Japanese nihonto and good quality antique blades for examples of how habaki should fit and flow with a blade.
 
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