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Post by serpentandsword on Mar 7, 2014 13:44:46 GMT
I took a Honshu Tac Wak and modified it with tachi mounts and gutted coyote paracord handle wrap. I also was somewhat annoyed with the way the wak became loose in the saya after some time, so I jury rigged a MOLLE strap at the top of the saya and secured it with duct tape and covered that with pieces of bicycle inner tube to make it a bit more rugged. Then I spray painted the saya a flat olive drab and there you go.
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Post by serpentandsword on Mar 7, 2014 14:00:45 GMT
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Post by Earncynn on Mar 7, 2014 14:22:26 GMT
Great job on the mod. Looks good. + 1 2 U
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Post by serpentandsword on Mar 7, 2014 15:22:23 GMT
Awesome! Thank you.
It was a bit of trial and error trying to find what worked and what didn't. The fittings ended up being a great addition (they added a lot of sturdiness to the saya--it's a lot more rugged now).
I've been debating whether or not to get a Tac Kat and do the same--I'm not 100% sold on the Honshu Tactical Katana that's set to come out.
It looks to me like it'll be 41" overall, with 31 1/2" blade and probably a 9" tsuka, which would feel awkward to me. Generally, the more tsuka I have, the happier I am--I'd prefer 11", which is realistically the best I could hope for with one of these. And I can't see having a longer than average katana blade being an advantage in a "tactical sense."
It'd be nice if someone came up with a happy medium--maybe a 26" blade and 10-11" tsuka. I think Hanwei's Tac Kat comes closest to that, but I'm also kind of irked by the idea of making a (mis)matching set with a katana that has a different tsuba (Hanwei's is black, Honshu's is brass).
I'm probably over-thinking it. Either way, I think it'll be a fun project and I'm looking forward to some tameshigiri when the weather warms up.
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Post by serpentandsword on Mar 9, 2014 17:41:23 GMT
Here's a photo of it in a little bit better lighting.
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Post by serpentandsword on Mar 9, 2014 17:43:31 GMT
Also, I opted to go for a Tenchi Ko Katana as my next must have toy.
I'm thinking about maybe, perhaps fitting it with a Oniyuri tsuka at some point to make it more comfortable in my hands, but I'll have to wait and see how it is when I get it before I make the call on that.
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Post by serpentandsword on Mar 12, 2014 1:53:40 GMT
I also modified a Hanwei Banshee with some coyote paracord and OD paint on the scabbard. I absolutely love the set up of this thing, but it feels a bit heavier or less lively than I'd like--partly due to the several ounces of paracord I added, I suppose. The leather wrap on the handle was rather low quality in my opinion and wouldn't have really held up to heavy use, so I think the paracord was a good way to go. Also the shape of the handle make wrapping kind of a pain in the ass in my opinion. I DO love this thing, though, and I could easily strap it to a pack and go bushwhacking without a second thought on the go.
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Post by jlwilliams on Mar 12, 2014 22:18:08 GMT
Great job! The fittings on the saya really make a huge difference in the overall look.
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Post by justin520 on Mar 12, 2014 22:46:50 GMT
Your banshee looks like a post apocalypse zombie hunter weapon.
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Post by serpentandsword on Mar 13, 2014 2:39:47 GMT
Thank you. It actually adds A LOT of durability to the saya. I could whack this thing on the pavement, now, and it wouldn't even have a scratch.
My biggest gripe with the Honshu Tac Wak is that in its factory form, the saya is pretty much the weakest link, by far. So, this kind of remedied that, I feel.
I also really did want to reference the Gunto in my look for the thing. I never did find a way to make a good sword retention system that fit seamlessly with the saya/wak, but I figure this is the best I'm going to get without buying a bunch of power tools and setting up a workshop in the living room.
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Post by serpentandsword on Mar 13, 2014 2:40:50 GMT
That is exactly the look I was going for. Thank you.
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Post by justin520 on Mar 13, 2014 2:43:30 GMT
Put a leather collar on the koiguchi that has the male end of a snap on it, then another collar on your tsuka that has a protruding strap with the female end.
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Post by justin520 on Mar 13, 2014 2:44:19 GMT
You gonna put a new baldric strap on it? You could do a paracord braid.
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Post by serpentandsword on Mar 14, 2014 16:51:59 GMT
I have two straps I use as a baldric. Both are essentially heavy messenger bag straps. One is leather, the other is one that I got off an old tactical bag I had lying around.
I've also found that an old Mosin Nagant dog collar sling can work to some degree.
I might have to order more paracord before I can work on a sling, but that's definitely a project I'm looking forward to doing.
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Post by Wakizashi Simpson on Jul 27, 2014 16:53:03 GMT
Great idea and execution! I love the "Gunto-Look" anyhow but the para cord is a nice added touch! I would go with a Russkie dog collar set up as it can easily be removed and matches, some what, you color scheme. Cheap to replace too. I bought a handful to use on my M-1891/30, 1938, and M-1944 carbines. They hold up well enough and are easy to use. Post some pics of what you decide on. I would love to see a para cord baldric, however.
Glenn
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Post by Wakizashi Simpson on Aug 4, 2014 21:09:45 GMT
The Banshee looks great as well. Where di you get the Gunto fittings for the tac wak? May do the same later this year. Loved your ideas!
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