Size of Saya

I

Ipkdubair

Joined
May 5, 2021
Messages
7
Hello!
I recently made the handle and saya for my waki. I made the saya as small as I could any but it still seems too big. Could you tell me how it looks and if I need to fix it? Also what are the measurements of normal a waki saya? I searched it online and couldn't find anything. Thank you!
https://imgur.com/a/yOfAPwf
 
Looks about right. You might take a bit more off, but mot much. What wood is it? Is it shirasaya or are you planning on lacquering it?
Your wakizashi looks nice. Is it your first one? Give us the specs.

I knew a fellow who made a "wakizashi" (at least what he called a wakizashi). It looked like a big 2" wide butcher knife with a cocobolo machete handle on it. That was not as bad as the four pound saya he made out of cocobolo. With the blade in the saya it looked like a baseball bat with a handle on the end.
 
Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Looks about right. You might take a bit more off, but mot much. What wood is it? Is it shirasaya or are you planning on lacquering it?
Your wakizashi looks nice. Is it your first one? Give us the specs.

I knew a fellow who made a "wakizashi" (at least what he called a wakizashi). It looked like a big 2" wide butcher knife with a cocobolo machete handle on it. That was not as bad as the four pound saya he made out of cocobolo. With the blade in the saya it looked like a baseball bat with a handle on the end.
Click to expand...
Thanks for your response.
The wood I'm using is poplar, I plan on painting it white and lacquering it. I have made one other blade before this. That turned out alright.
https://imgur.com/a/ArQwV28
But besides that this is my first waki and second blade. The are cut rather then forged because I'm only 14 and don't have access to any of those stuff. The saya is around 1.7x.8 in and the blade is around 1.20 width and .24 at the thickess point. Handle is 1.43x.93.
 
For blades #1 and #2 that is excellent. For a 14 year old, it is amazing.

Some Tips:
1) Make sure the base layer of white paint is a white lacquer or the clear overcoats will make it peel up or wrinkle. Go slow and use very thin coats. You may want to just use multiple layers of white lacquer.
2) 5 thin coats is far better that two thick ones.
3) Sand lightly between coats with 400 or 800 grit paper, then use a tack cloth to clean before the next coat.
4-5-6-7-8) DON'T rush it. Let every coat dry fully before the next. If it takes a month to get it perfect it is far better than getting it not perfect in one week. I know at age 14 that will be hard to do, but it will help you a lot in life to learn to be patient.

Now, I have to be the Moderator here:
You state that you are 14, but listed your age and birthdate as "Jul 26, 1999 (Age: 21)"
when you joined. One of those is a lie .. and I suspect it is the age 21 you signed up with. It is a bad habit to get into, and can ruin your reputation as a knifemaker. I suggest you edit and fill out your profile completely with true information.

The reason I was checking your profile was to offer you a box of knifemaking and Japanese sword stuff, but the lack of profile info and the age discrepancy makes me hesitant.
Stacy Elliott Apelt, FSA Scot - Moderator
 
Thank you so much for your help. I will try my best to be patient with it even if it takes a while. My actually age is 14, sorry for listing it as 21, but I am not sure how to change it. I have emailed you at sapelt@cox.net regarding this. I will update my profile info and make this won't happen again. Thank you!
 
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