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Post by Groo on Mar 13, 2012 1:56:46 GMT
I have occasionally seen red tassels similar to ones on chinese jian, but much shorter on katanas. Is this traditional? I haven't seen it much at all. I have seen tassels on gunto but these are different (more drab and look more like lanyards) I have had a look, but only come up with the WWII gunto tassels. ANybody have any info on historical use of tassels on Katana and where to buy a modern tassel in a traditional style? I was thinking of something along these lines kultofathena.com/images%5C2042_l.jpg
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Post by Elheru Aran on Mar 13, 2012 16:56:03 GMT
I could be wrong, but I really don't think it's traditional aside from the gunto lanyard. Now, it's possible these may have been worn on court swords-- the really blinged-out dress swords worn when seeing the Emperor or the Shogun; many tachi have a ring on the end of the tsuka which could be used for just this purpose.
If you dig the look and you think you can handle a sword with a big ol' tassel flopping around on the end, I would just get a Chinese sword tassel and hang it on the end.
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Post by Groo on Mar 14, 2012 0:29:22 GMT
LOL no, I don't like the look of the big chinese sword tassel with the japanese sword, just the little ones I've seen like in the picture above....... I might ask Kult of Athena if it's possible to just get the tassel on its own.....
by the way, did the ones on the gunto serve a practical purpose? did they wrap them around the left hand or something?
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Post by Jussi Ekholm on Mar 14, 2012 2:11:13 GMT
I don't remember ever seeing a tassel on katana, (well I have an image of one Satsuma koshirae on the back of my head but can't remember for sure).
Here are some koshirae that have had tassels at least in some photos I've seen.
Efu no tachi: Both rayskin tsuka Imperial court and silver tsuka outside court wear versions. Hyogo-kusari tachi: Not sure if the type of tassel on these really classifies as a tassel. Kenukigata no tachi: Seen some types of these that have had a tassel. Kazatachi and Karatachi: Old tachi types
Then there are gunto of course.
How were you planning to attach the tassel onto your kashira?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2012 2:49:24 GMT
I think this is what you're looking for: SWORD TASSELS AND KNOTS (From home.earthlink.net/~steinrl/military.htm) Shin-gunto swords are sometimes found with a colored tassel (left) attached to the kabuto-gane (hilt buttcap). The officer's rank that carried the sword can be determined from the color of the tassel. Blue/brown tassels were used by company grade officers (lieutenants and captains), red/brown by field grade officers (majors and colonels), red/gold tassels for general grade officers. Tassels can be easily switched from sword to sword and reproduction tassels can also be added to WW II vintage swords. A new general grade tassel on a poor quality sword is indicative of a "made-up" story. NCO swords had a leather sword knot (right). Kyu-gunto swords had a ball type corded knot.
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