Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2009 13:04:36 GMT
Hello all
Got a little question here, about disassembling a katana. I know the first step is to remove the mekugi(s) with proper tools and safety precautions.
However, I discovered something about the two mekugis on my katana ; they don't seem to be at a perfect 90 degree angle with the tang and pommel (actually, more like a 30 degree angle, and they would cross each other on one side of the tsuka if they were long enough). That seemed a bit weird to me, but I don't know if it is ''normal'', I though mekugis were usually at a nearly or totally perpendicular angle to the tsuka and nakago. Considering it is a sub-100$ katana from handmadesword.com, maybe it is a sign of mediocre workmanship or maybe its something else ...
What do you people think ?
(I have to dismantle the katana to repair a rattling tsuba and make sure everything is secure ''under the hood''.)
(This would probably be easier to explain with pictures and images, but my current computer doesn't collaborate with these ... maybe a little defenestration discipline will help this PC stay in line ...)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 28, 2009 13:23:57 GMT
They should not be at a perfect 90 degree angle. They should be angled and not go straight in as this puts less stress on them and they will have less chance of popping out. The top mekugi should go in on the ura side, and the bottom on the omote. If you imagine the T's are the tsuka seen from above:
TTTT/TTTTTT\TTT
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slav
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Katsujin No Ken
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Post by slav on May 28, 2009 14:33:10 GMT
Many production katana have menuki that go in at an angle, as Ichiban illustrated. The main reason for this is that during assembly, the forge usually drills the mekugi hole right through the entire assembled tsuka and nagako, in order to hastily ensure that everything is lined up. Because of the nature of tsuka-maki, the only way to do this is to drill the hole at an angle so that the bit both enters and exits on a diamond. If they drilled straight through, they would hit ito. An advantage of this is that it is easier for the user to remove the mekugi because both ends are exposed.
Traditionally, katanas usually have only one mekugi and it goes in straight, more or less.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 29, 2009 23:59:24 GMT
Thanks to both of you for enlightening me and this subject. +1 for both On a side-note, anyone knows good videos that show how to dismantle a katana ? I read Sword of Might tutorial, but I'm a visual learner .
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2009 19:58:49 GMT
No need for that video now. I just successfully dismantled my katana. Thanks again for the help on those mekugis.
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