Fixing a loose Saya throat/KoiGuchi
Sept 22, 2007 22:57:12 GMT
Post by grahamts on Sept 22, 2007 22:57:12 GMT
After a month or so of use, my Katana became very loose in the Saya. As I am quite fond of my fingers and actually prefer them fully attached to my hands I thought I needed to do something about it
I examined the throat of the Saya and noticed that the habaki was only actually making full contact in one small area, elswhere it was poorly finished internally and such grip as there was came from ridges in the wood. Not enormous ridges, just the sort of thing you get when you don't finish the surface properly.
I decided that I needed some veneer, but the only stuff I could get locally was birch veneer and thin balsa from a model shop, so those were what I bought.
I scraped the throat of the saya where it was rough which was basically all along one side (with the opposite side providing such grip as there was). I gradually smoothed it down until it would take one layer of veneer which proved to be just enough to grip the Habaki well when the sword was inverted. For this quite flat, high wear area I used the hard, birch veneer. On some other smaller inlays at both "ends" of the throat I used the softer balsa veneer as it bent more easily around the tight curves without cracking.
The veneers were stuck in using a modern wood adhesive and clamped in place with a variety of makeshift clamps such as large paper clips and crocodile clips.
One hour later I removed the clamps, slid the sword into the Saya and voila, a perfect fit.
I did take photo's but they are of little or no value as you cannot see into the KoiGuchi well enogh to discern any detail, so I'm afraid that if you want to do the same for your Saya you will have to go by the words and not the piccys.
It was definitely worth while doing and hopefully my fingers will now stay where they are supposed to be ;D
I examined the throat of the Saya and noticed that the habaki was only actually making full contact in one small area, elswhere it was poorly finished internally and such grip as there was came from ridges in the wood. Not enormous ridges, just the sort of thing you get when you don't finish the surface properly.
I decided that I needed some veneer, but the only stuff I could get locally was birch veneer and thin balsa from a model shop, so those were what I bought.
I scraped the throat of the saya where it was rough which was basically all along one side (with the opposite side providing such grip as there was). I gradually smoothed it down until it would take one layer of veneer which proved to be just enough to grip the Habaki well when the sword was inverted. For this quite flat, high wear area I used the hard, birch veneer. On some other smaller inlays at both "ends" of the throat I used the softer balsa veneer as it bent more easily around the tight curves without cracking.
The veneers were stuck in using a modern wood adhesive and clamped in place with a variety of makeshift clamps such as large paper clips and crocodile clips.
One hour later I removed the clamps, slid the sword into the Saya and voila, a perfect fit.
I did take photo's but they are of little or no value as you cannot see into the KoiGuchi well enogh to discern any detail, so I'm afraid that if you want to do the same for your Saya you will have to go by the words and not the piccys.
It was definitely worth while doing and hopefully my fingers will now stay where they are supposed to be ;D