|
Post by lamebmx on Apr 17, 2012 9:35:32 GMT
Wow, that update came outta left field. I have heard so much good stuff about lohman, his work and his quality. The prices always seemed a bit steep for $300 swords though. Worth every penny of course.
|
|
|
Post by stickem on Apr 17, 2012 12:18:55 GMT
True enough... but Lohman actually sold me the koiguchi for less than the $95 quoted on his website in the image I posted previously in this thread. So when I get out the back of the envelope and do the calculations... lemme see... I'll end up having spent almost exactly the same amount since... ($75 Lohman koiguchi + $200 the scratch'n'dent Raptor) < $ 285 Kult of Athena charges for a new Raptor... & also have a saya which will be better than the original (hopefully, if I do the repair with patience it will...), because it is now reinforced with a silver koiguchi and same' of a color as yet to be determined (probably stain it a silvery grey as well) to stand up to my beginning clumsy practice at iaito and tameshigiri... & the silver band will add aesthetics, which to speak plainly, the fittings on the Raptor aren't all that aesthetically pleasing. In my opinion, the eagle makes it look somehow American instead of Japanese... Marlboro Man instead of sashimi. Not that being American is a bad thing - I certainly am and happy to be - but the silver does help it to look a little more classy since the tsuba kinda reminds me of the belt buckles in Houston & also learned a bunch 'bout saya parts, how they are constructed, and how to fix'em... & also found a bunch of folks here that are cool enough to hold my hand through the process, so at the end of the day I don't come out feeling like an utter buffoon who got his lunch $ stolen at recess by the cute girl in the pink dress wielding the Louisville Slugger... & I think such folks are called "friends." So if you ask me, yeah, I probably should have just bought a replacement saya, or better yet, not even gone into the scratch'n'dent bin for this one... but in my mind, once the project is done, I will really come out waaay ahead by doing so...
|
|
|
Post by stickem on Apr 24, 2012 8:24:05 GMT
|
|
|
Post by stickem on Apr 28, 2012 11:41:54 GMT
Hi all! OK, so I have been busy like a maniac workaholic and not had much down time to play with this repair job just yet... However, have no fear true believers. There has been progress: 1. Glued the saya crack back together with Gorilla wood glue using a small bamboo fork to work it into the crack from both the inside and outside. 2. Removed the snapped horn koiguchi by scoring it with a straight razor along the perimeter where it met with the saya, then popping it off. Remember, this koiguchi was FUBARed when it arrived from KoA, so no need to be careful with it. 3. Affixed the silver koiguchi band fashioned by Fred Lohman using Loctite Instant Mix Epoxy. You can see the results here (click on thumbnails for closer view): Next I'll fill in the area between the new silver koiguchi and the saya mouth... and then paint it... so stay tuned.
|
|
|
Post by Adrian Jordan on Apr 29, 2012 3:07:55 GMT
Lookin' good.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 1, 2012 17:11:35 GMT
adrian.jordan has a point. Seeing the crack would tell me the extent of damage. I've seen a 1000 yrs old tachi with a cracked saya that my Sensei left intact. The whole thing was worth about US $150,000 -- $200,000.
--Lee
|
|
|
Post by stickem on May 3, 2012 0:53:40 GMT
OK, since I am new to the forum, I was guessing folks already knew how things work better than I do... but you know what happens when I 'assume' things...
The saya has been described in photographic detail in this thread already.
Thing is, these detailed pics of it appear as thumbnails in my posts.
However, if you click on the thumbnails, the actual pics will get really big and you can see all the detail you need to see!
Sorry 'bout the confusion :?
Not sure why they post as thumbnails and not in their original size to start with. If I figure out how to fix this, I'll do so...
|
|
|
Post by stickem on May 3, 2012 5:38:43 GMT
OK, repair finished. I still need to add the same' kindly provided by Lobster Hunter to reinforce the cracked area with a wrap, but the saya mouth is fixed. Here it is (and remember you can click on the thumbnail to get a better view):
|
|
|
Post by lamebmx on May 3, 2012 10:51:05 GMT
breathe a sigh of relief, looks good.
nvm, you still gotta battle with the same.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2012 16:51:40 GMT
Sorry for the misunderstanding. I'll print off a picture and show it to my Sensei. He should know whether it's a kizu or not. And if it can be fixed.
--Lee
|
|
|
Post by stickem on May 3, 2012 20:53:15 GMT
No worries. No need to get a 2nd opinion on this one, though I appreciate the offer. This sword definitely fits into the 'modern reproduction' category and not the 'ancient tai chi' category I spent more on the silver koiguchi ($75) for the repair than the saya is worth alone, and some probably question my sanity for doing so :shock: It's a scratch'n'dent Hawei Raptor from KoA. Instead of just buying a new saya, I decided to work on fixing the old one to upgrade the Raptor and learn about how the saya is constructed. It is fixed now... but of course now this will probably snowball into changing out all the fittings on the Raptor and doing a complete customization job, but you knew that was going to happen, didn't cha? :lol:
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 3, 2012 22:16:42 GMT
stickem, I do know about spending more on a hobby, yes.
I have 3 of the cheapest available Chinese replica "Last Samurai" 8 1/2" & 11" tantos and the wakizashi. I sure didn't spend much on them, but---like you---I can improve them if I sharpen them myself or have it done professionally, if I want to spend the money. I can try and pick up a katana that's a fixer-upper in terms of selling condition, if the shop owner wants to part with it for a few bucks. $5 or less, for sure. The saya has dings in the surface, the collar of the saya has come off and needs re-gluing, and the blade has something like glue on both sides. As I said, a "fixer-upper."
Improvisation is sometimes the name of the game.
--Lee
|
|
|
Post by lamebmx on May 4, 2012 0:19:55 GMT
Frankly, I have found every low cost Eastern style sword to be a fixer upper. Not that I mind, $300 for sword, another couple hundred for ito, fittings etc, and I am still down less than old worn nihonto at $3K. And I dont feel bad if I nick the stand!
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 4, 2012 15:32:37 GMT
Yeah, my dojo restores swords and I should get creative about doing my own work so as to find a piece of weaponry at the best price. You have a point. --Lee
|
|
|
Post by lamebmx on May 4, 2012 15:55:48 GMT
Sounds like you could get a lot of experience refurbishing scratch and dent models. Not to mention the hands on playing with many different weapons.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on May 4, 2012 16:09:49 GMT
Yep. Members of the dojo are encouraged to scour e-bay for distressed sales from people who need cash and have to sell their collections. The Sensei is always looking for demonstrator items to show only to members.
2/3 of the information he imparts to us is unavailable to anyone outside Japan. --Lee
|
|
|
Post by stickem on May 5, 2012 3:58:44 GMT
You are reading my mind. I got the Dojo Pro for $150 and the Raptor for $200...
Methinks all the Fred Lohman Fittings are going to run me about $500/per sword by the time I'm done changing them all out for silver ones...
But I think of it this way, I have no problem with the Dojo Pro or Raptor blades, I wanted TH blades that stand up to the abuse of someone who is new at slicing and dicing with a katana... so really that's what I'm paying for. Then I get to customize the thing with whatever I want, in real silver, from a guy who knows what he's doing.
Being a virgin to such things I have a mental list, like so:
Want to make sure I don't get ripped off. Went scratch & dent. Got fittings from very reputable artist. Check
Want to make sure I get blades that are designed to withstand the "Hulk smash" I'm gonna put on 'em. Check
Want to make sure I learn enough about the swords that I develop an appreciation for them before I really start handling them with intention. Check
Want to learn how to repair the swords, so when/if I screw them up in the future, I have some idea how to fix them myself. Check
Want to completely customize the things instead of living with whatever whomever designed them had in mind. Check
So I agree with ya. I'll end up spending about $650-$700 per sword (by current math, which is of course subject to change :roll: ), but will be insured of getting exactly what I wanted.
Then, I'll know how to take the thing apart and put it back together before ever taking a swing, which hopefully will give me an appreciation for the things so I don't end up minus eyebrows like Bob Geldolf hitting The Wall while comfortably numb.
And I didn't get ripped off paying over $1000 for some Hattori Hanzô wannabe 'ancient' magical shogun blade used to slay Sonny Chiba with because I am not experienced enough yet to see it for what it is :mrgreen:
|
|
|
Post by lamebmx on May 5, 2012 12:29:07 GMT
No need to hulk smash man. It really is all about grip, which causes edge alignment to the direction of travel. swing travelling in a nice straight line through the object, make sure the straight line begins far before the object and far after to ensure it is straight while through the object. And the slice causing the edge to travel across the object as its is going through.
Easier said than done, but when you get it (or in my case edging ever closer) you know it because the cuts start to take very little effort.
|
|
|
Post by stickem on May 6, 2012 0:57:10 GMT
Thanks for the tips As you know, my background is in the FMA, mainly Guro Dan and Tuhon Gaje with the Pekiti-Tirsia... which literally means "to cut up into small pieces up close." Hence, my usual thought pattern is to de-fang the snake - take away the weapon- by cutting the hand/limb off or at least the tendon which flexes the hand. Then go inside and chop through the carotid/jugular, brachial artery/clavicle well, and so on... its more of a machete hacking motion... hence, the Hulk smash :mrgreen: Maybe a better description is more like the Tasmanian Devil or a circular saw... BTW, we saw The Rise of the Avengers last night. Though I am not the type to usually go on opening night and pay lots of loot to stand in line with kids wearing plastic Thor helmets, in this case, it is worth every cent and effort to see. Muuuuch better movies coming out of Marvel these days... So I've never really used a two-handed blade before. All the FMA stuff I've done is one-handed swords/sticks, often one in each hand. The intention with the straight line I get; it sounds very much like the Hsing-Yi I am currently working with. However, as you say, it sounds like a simple thing, yet simple does not mean easy. Sounds like more of a finesse swing than I am used to with the very little effort part. I got body mechanics down in such a way as to get my whole body into a swing, but I wouldn't describe my usual motion as effortless. So my plan is to work on the meditation part, with the stillness and relaxation, visualize the strike, and so on... to get my mind right before doing some tameshigiri . I got an iaito coming in the mail, so perhaps some practice motions with this dulled blade first is in order, so I don't cut my leg off or put my eye out: www.casiberia.com/prod_Detail.aspx?id=SH6003IGGHaven't swung the live katana with intention yet... was planning to this weekend but it is raining here :cry:
|
|
|
Post by stickem on May 7, 2012 13:49:36 GMT
Ok, so has anyone out there ever put a replacement kojiri on their saya? I get that usually the saya is made to the specs of the fittings, and not the other way around. So this is not the way it is usually done, usually it is part of the new saya-making process, and so on. But someone's kojiri had to wear out because of use and they changed it out, or had someone do it for them. My main question is this: I have measured the outside dimensions of the kojiri on the butt of my saya to be 37x20mm. How crucial is it the outside dimensions of a replacement kojiri be of exactly the same dimensions as the current kojiri? Seems like 1mm off would pretty much be OK, maybe require some sanding of saya or small shim between fitting and saya. My gut instinct is one could customize the shape of the saya to fit the kojiri as long as you don't take away too much of the wood and FUBAR the end... dunno? :? Case in point, this one: www.yamatobudogu.com/Kojiri_p/005-c033.htmmeasures 39x19. Would this one work on a saya whose kojiri to be replaced measures 37x20mm ? :? Thanks!
|
|