# Communities > Modern-era Swords and Collecting Community > Modern Production Katanas >  Make your own fittings

## Walt Williams

Guys...
Just something to challenge you a little! Have you ever thought of designing & making your own fittings? Those with a bit of dexterity can think about using putty and finding a local (or not so local) bronze forge to cast them for you... and those with two left thumbs can at least look at a custom tsuba by designing something on computer and sending it to a local lazer cutting shop - in 3mm steel it is really cheap - the tough part is sanding the edges smooth. after that you can blue it (chemical from local gun shop) to stop it rusting. Check out my Fox Being (Japanese Mythical Figure)

Cheers
Bill

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## Angelo Silva

Wow! Very nice! The stylized Fox was a great idea.

What blade is that by the way? It that utsuri above the hamon?

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## Timo Qvintus

I have done this years ago. The problem is that laser-cutting tolerances are too large for any fine details (they cannot make the traditional kiku tsuba for example). Water-cutting allows greater detail with smaller tolerances, but cost goes up significantly.

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## Walt Williams

Yes Angelo - it is utsuri above the hamon. It is a Rawblade by James Raw - all his blades come out with utsuri.
Timo, I tried water cutting and my experience was that it was not as accurate as lazer as although the one edge is crisp, the back (of a 3mm plate) is much less so - but maybe their machine was not the best. BTW - what is your hourly rate for draughting? (I'm an Architect)

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## Christopher Treichel

you can also make fittings using a jewlers saw... Not expensive and you can do it just about anywhere... just takes lots of time, patience and practice.

A short while ago made a tanto koshiare with all of the fittings made by me out of horn and with a rattan wrapped saya.

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## Timo Qvintus

> Timo, I tried water cutting and my experience was that it was not as accurate as lazer as although the one edge is crisp, the back (of a 3mm plate) is much less so - but maybe their machine was not the best. BTW - what is your hourly rate for draughting? (I'm an Architect)


Bad choise of words. What I mean is that with laser-cutting the object heats up so much that there is a minimum of three millimeters of material that must be left, otherwise it will probably melt through. Sharp turns etc are also troublesome because the heat builds up in those spots. With water-cutting the object doesn't heat up nearly as much, allowing cutting of finer detail. The cut itself may be less smooth, depending on the quality of the machinery and the draft on which is used to guide the cutter.

I don't charge anything for drafting, I do it for fun.

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## Angelo Silva

> Yes Angelo - it is utsuri above the hamon. It is a Rawblade by James Raw - all his blades come out with utsuri.


Funny thing, I have just read somewhere why some blades develop utsuri, and his blades were provided as example. 

For a long time I pondered using metalclay but I don't have the necessary skills. I find making fuchi and habaki and getting decent welds enough of a challenge.

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