The jouney to ...customizing... and the first steps.

[Ouroboros]

It strikes me that I should start this area up if I'm going to be blogging my experiences, trials, tribulations and missteps along the way to learning the joy of katana customization. So far, I'm just a repair-man; really only some Joe who knows a block plane from a router.

I'm no expert, don't have a lot of experience but purchasing interchangeable parts and swapping them around when I'm drinking to see how sexy she looks in a new nighty......errr...ok, let's keep it on track eh?

What have I got to work with?
I've got 4 project blades sitting here.
Each has a saya (though 3 of them need some work)
3 have tsuba
All have tsuka cores
All need furniture.

What do I want to do?
I really would like to enjoy some time learning to make and wrap a proper tsuka.
One day I'll graduate from panels to a properly selected samegawa for a full wrap but for now, I'm going to stick with the plan to do panels.
Oh, and by proper, I mean that I will be learning as I go (what're do those sides REALLY mean?) and I'm going to make mistakesd so I'm looking forward to commentary, I'm looking for honest feedback and suggestions to go with 'the plan.'

I'd like this experience to be accessible and easily read.

So what have I gone and done?
I've ordered a few things from the ole ebay. Why? You gotts start somewhere right? It's what most folk would likely do rather than hit up a japanese supplier right? Oh lord why do I think I'm wrong? Did I waste some cash?

So, what's coming?
2 rolls of 5M x 10mm manufactured suede wrap (dark brown and black),
some cotton wrap (same dimension)
2 samegawa

Total cost of this purchase:
64 cannuck bucks.

Notes:
Within my budget and supported by sales of other hobby materials, I could have done worse so we will see what we will see.

Update 02/10/2018
I received a package about a week and a half ago containing:
2 x samegawa (smaller than advertised hence an extra one is being sent)
1 x 8mm suede wrap in brown
1 x 10mm suede wrap in black
1 x 10mm wrap in black cotton

This last week I spent examining the samegawa and for what I paid, I'm happy with it. I might not be able to do 14" tsuka but I thinkI can manage 2 panels 11" long from each, though the placement of the emperor node would wind up being in the middle rather than near the knot.

I will now select a tsuka core and begin the final shaping and carving of the channel. The blog will likely be updated by the end of the weekend with some pics of what I'm up to on that side.

Update 03/10/2018
Ok, i'm a little dismayed at the size of my samegawa (samegawa envy...Is that a *real* thing or just made up by tv?) but I'm going to forge ahead with one handle with samegawa panels. I've figured out what I can remove and what I can keep without rendering the handle a balsawood thin strip of material so ... sandpaper and a quick attack with the drawknife...tomorrow...

Another development? I put in an order with a supplier of buckskin south of the border and he's going to send me some of his wares.

Why the heck is this dude after buckskin now? (cause--I flit around like a squirrel with my projects) Can't he procure it from a local buddy? (yes) For a Katana ?? Yes, for a katana.
Black buckskin, hardened with a bit of rubbed in laquer and wrapped with a black cotton ito ... that would look pretty good I think...good enough to try...and if I don't like the way it looks, it'll still be good practice!

I've already taken a piece of tobacco coloured elk hide and placed it in position on one of the tsuka to see how THAT would look and I gotta tell ya...it looks pretty damned good just taped in place to give an idea of overall colour scheme.

I want to be clear here though...I mean no disrespect towards the (IMHO) most noblest of swords by not using samegawa. I like stingrays more than I like deer. I grew up hunting and eating, skinning and using the deer we took. Their death meant meat in the deep freeze of winter more years than one. I will still be using samegawa as part of the tsuka making process--just not all the time

I believe in my heart that to build a sword for myself, one befitting the northern climates great ronin hordes and their japanese sword wielding scots viking clan chieftain...one should look for local materials (Yes, you raise an eyebrow as I ordered samegawa and ito from a supplier overseas--the irony is not lost on me...I'm a globalized ronin ok?) to create something unique to the individual and culture which that blade will serve. Am I getting off on a self defensive rant here before I've even been challenged to a duel?

Ok, so, the short story? I'm gonna use some U.S.A and Canadian buckskin as part of one of my swords in place of the samegawa.

I'd like this thread to remain a placeholder for the diary of this build.
This evening, time willing, I'll post pictures of the blade I'm going to start with.
There are 3 dguartin blades and 1 kris cutlery 26 picked up this summer.

Cheers for now,
Ouro

 

[MrNinjato]

I can not wait to see this journey of yours unfold, as well as the finished product when you're through. I plan putting money into bare blades and doing the rest myself, or commissioning the work out to an experienced individual. It will be nice seeing what's instore for me. This is going to be so much fun to watch.

 

[Ouroboros]

I'm glad to show what Im doing to a small community at the momet. I'm one of those people possessed of obsessive self doubt which I channel an awefull lot into projects just to prove "it can be done (by me)" and this should serve to help anyone who wants to take up the tsuka core and make with the wrapping.

I received confirmation that my materials are on the way. Now, the 30 day wait for the chinese stuff and possibly 15 day wait for the indonesian stuffs Ahhh project fun.

So looking foward to mucking the first one up I can barely express how much fun this will be.
Ouro

 

[Wajirou Ichisada]

I congratulate you on "putting yourself out there" for all the world to see. I often have self doubts when sharing something I've done, knowing full well my efforts fall far short of most others. But we learn by doing. And I also look forward to seeing how you progress on your projects, INCLUDING your failures. Because even from the failures of others we can all learn important lessons. For me, the motivation to get better comes FROM the challenge of knowing that others will be looking at it also and thereby forcing me to do my best.

A wiser man than me once said "from everybody you can learn something. Either it's what to do, or what not to do". Please share what you've done, for good or ill so that we may all learn from it.

 

[Treeslicer]

I'm glad to show what Im doing to a small community at the moment. I'm one of those people possessed of obsessive self doubt

Dammit, stop doubting yourself. Whaddaya think friends are for?
I'm looking forward to seeing your masterpieces.

 

[Ouroboros]

Thanks guys--small groups are good.

Once the matrials are here and the research portion of the project is complete, I'll be ready to begin.

Between now and then, I'm putting my time into reading and watching as many tsukamaki vids/articles as I can. Even taking a peek at historical examples of disassembled tsuka. Lemme tell you, the tips n tricks are many but sometimes are material specific. I've learned that there are more than just 2 styles of wrap (or unwrap)...This means the method of the end knots I'll have to study in earnest as well as the various styles.

So, I've got a project cut out for myself here (no pun intended).
Ouro

 

[Robert B]

Not exactly "topic-specific", but I just wanted say I much I appreciate and admire the tone of this board: respect, politeness, support. Can't wait to see the progress on this project. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Ouroboros]

A little updating of the top post tonight with my thoughts on local resources vs samegawa (I think I have samegawa envy...) and I am planning on posting a little on the process of shaping and carving my first samegawa chanel by mid-next week. This weekend will see Thanksgiving, father-in-laws b-day, family heading to an amusement park in Montreal and me doing some project work...

Glad to have you on board Sir. Look forward to more sharing from this wild man of the north
Ouro

 

[Ouroboros]

By way of an update...and this WILL be disjointed.

Camera muck up and the card with my tsuka core photos--POOF--might as well be a badly made guitar pic at this point. SO, I'm gonna finish carving the tsuka core today and tonight, then get to prepping for a wrap. THAT much I'll take shots of with my phone (again) since ...reasons.

I have received 2 additional samegawa from the vendor but they are also smaller than I need for a full wrap. This disturbed me enough that I put the wrapping side of my project schedule on hold and focused on taking this poison and making medicine of it--for I DO have a supply of supple soft and wonderous professionally tanned buckskin in several colours.

Ok, so if I can't do a traditional 'full wrap' maybe what I can do is combine the idea of a full wrap with panel (ok, I'm gonna have to draw this out). Here goes...take strips 3.5" wide cut strategically from the same. 2 strips, 1 for the top hand, 1 for the bottom. What the heck am I doing with these strips?

If you've seen pictures of 'battle wrap' on a hanwei raptor it looks pretty good (imho) but in my cast I want a traditional wrap from top to bottom utilizing the visual effect of black suede ito on white same then disapparing as it crosses into the black buckskin which will be the central 4" of the tsuka then reappearing again as it crosses into diamonds against the white same at the end of the tsuka. Perhaps I'm not explaining it well..maybe I'll pull a negative universe thing and use 2 buckskin and 1 same... but I wanted to get this jotted down as the idea came to me this morning as I was putting on my hakama for a bit of practice with a new o'kat to the collection.

Rambling Thoughts Commence!
strategic cuts: ok, we could discus vectors of force and how we will have to place the direction of the teeth of the samegawa (the dentin 'hooks') to best allow the ito to grip and not slip down the tsuka but that's boring to most readers. To the engineers amongst us, we can discuss vectors of force and grip, changing grip, flow and styles till the cows come home. The strategic cuts will have to be made so the piece of samegawa under the front hand has teeth pointing forward and angled slightly towards the blade on the right hand side of the tsuka where the teeth will also be slightly angled towards the mune on the left (fingers) side of the tsuka.

Bottom Strategic cut will have to be reversed but also preserving the emperor node (such as it is) and cluster immediately behind it so that it may be placed appropriately for the diamond pattern to fall correctly while also providing grip for the ito.

Middle of the tsuka will feature the black buckskin and silver fittings that I'll carve up and pour once I get a small cruicible sent via the post. damnable construction work broke my last 2.

Phew, written out. I can go practice a bit.

Ouro

 

[Ouroboros]

Handplanes. That's what I need. A good drawknife would hlep.

 

[Ouroboros]

Updated the blog with tsuka carving 1 and 2 from rough lumber to a shape I can wrap.

 

[verity]

Keep it up! Inspires me to get back to a couple togishi and remount projects.