Dynasty Forge re-cores...& more
Oct 4, 2009 22:49:29 GMT
Post by Deleted on Oct 4, 2009 22:49:29 GMT
Well, I finally finished my two DF blades that came with badly split tsuka cores. It took a while but the whole process is very rewarding and educational. I'm not completely satisfied with the job but I can definitely live with it. I know that the cores are well made, strong, fit great, and are made from proper materials.
I made some mistakes along the way but will know better next time...and there will be a next time. When I have the cash to spare, I am going to do it all over again until I'm 100% satisfied with the results. Here's a few pics...
This is a Cheness Tenchi. I used the colors from a Crane to go with the whole crane theme because of the tsuba. I'm still trying to decide what kind of paint job to put on the saya to be totally finished. This was only a re-wrap, not a re-core. Try not to laugh at the wrap job because it was my first attempt.
Those diamonds are pretty friggin horrible aren't they ;D ;D
My second attempt was the full re-core of my Dynasty Forge 1060 Musha Musashi. The core is made from poplar.
Wrap is getting a little better...
The third is a re-core of my Dynasty Forge 1060 Wave. New core from scratch made from poplar.
Getting a little better...
And while I was at it, I decided to do something about the "axe handle" on my old Hanwei Practical katana. I unwrapped it to find plastic same with a wooden core underneath. I expected the entire tsuka to be plastic. I figured it was a shame to break it off and start from scratch when the tsuka was in good shape. So I reshaped it a little and wrapped it.
Wrap getting better...
I'm not happy with the taper at the end with any of these tsukas. I intended to do a full wrap on them but I cheaped out on the same and got it from e-bay. It is the soft tanned kind so I had to go with panels instead. A full wrap would not have left the kashiras sticking over the edges of the ito. But, live and learn...
I also modified my old Classic Medieval. I removed the old handle, lengthened the tang, and installed a larger handle. Thanks to the the Gaffer for the inspiration on this little project Oh, and I made a scabbard.
I know a guy who does leather work and will get it all wrapped properly.
All in all, it was fun and I learned a lot. I think I will do it all over again the winter and fix my mistakes. For now though, I can live with these.
I made some mistakes along the way but will know better next time...and there will be a next time. When I have the cash to spare, I am going to do it all over again until I'm 100% satisfied with the results. Here's a few pics...
This is a Cheness Tenchi. I used the colors from a Crane to go with the whole crane theme because of the tsuba. I'm still trying to decide what kind of paint job to put on the saya to be totally finished. This was only a re-wrap, not a re-core. Try not to laugh at the wrap job because it was my first attempt.
Those diamonds are pretty friggin horrible aren't they ;D ;D
My second attempt was the full re-core of my Dynasty Forge 1060 Musha Musashi. The core is made from poplar.
Wrap is getting a little better...
The third is a re-core of my Dynasty Forge 1060 Wave. New core from scratch made from poplar.
Getting a little better...
And while I was at it, I decided to do something about the "axe handle" on my old Hanwei Practical katana. I unwrapped it to find plastic same with a wooden core underneath. I expected the entire tsuka to be plastic. I figured it was a shame to break it off and start from scratch when the tsuka was in good shape. So I reshaped it a little and wrapped it.
Wrap getting better...
I'm not happy with the taper at the end with any of these tsukas. I intended to do a full wrap on them but I cheaped out on the same and got it from e-bay. It is the soft tanned kind so I had to go with panels instead. A full wrap would not have left the kashiras sticking over the edges of the ito. But, live and learn...
I also modified my old Classic Medieval. I removed the old handle, lengthened the tang, and installed a larger handle. Thanks to the the Gaffer for the inspiration on this little project Oh, and I made a scabbard.
I know a guy who does leather work and will get it all wrapped properly.
All in all, it was fun and I learned a lot. I think I will do it all over again the winter and fix my mistakes. For now though, I can live with these.