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Post by Anankai on Nov 8, 2014 14:38:12 GMT
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Nov 8, 2014 21:42:44 GMT
Not really seeing a reason why you couldn't do it. It kind of seems like additional cost / difficulty for little benefit. Do the micarta handles on knives typically have all the additional shaping to ensure they are flush with the fuchi-kashira? I wouldn't be too excited about all that additional shaping and floating dangerous particles around, but if you want to give it a go, then why not? Would substantial amounts affect the weight / balance? A tsuka is a bit more material than the typical knife handle. The traditional methods seem to hold up pretty well - when well done, they should be more than enough to endure appropriate use. Maybe not if you want to use your katana as a breaching tool, but if you're going to depart so far from the role the sword was meant to perform I don't know why trying to have traditional aesthetics would matter. At that point, you're into SUPER NINJA ASSASSIN (or whatever that thing was called) territory.
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Post by DigsFossils-n-Knives on Nov 8, 2014 22:05:41 GMT
Good points! Why not just add a wood hardener to the wood? Or use a harder wood?
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Post by Timo Nieminen on Nov 8, 2014 22:48:10 GMT
Resin impregnated wood is a close relative of micarta, and would give some of the benefits. A well-made wood core tuska works, so I don't think that extra strength is such a big deal. But waterproofness is good. The biggest advantage of micarta, as I see it, is that you can form it in one piece around the tang - perfect fit with no carving required. Certainly much stronger than a badly-made wood-core tsuka. Less benefit from starting with slabs and carving a tsuka as one would from wood.
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Post by LG Martial Arts on Nov 9, 2014 1:16:49 GMT
If you got that from my posts, that's not what I meant. Let me clarify: I posted that the resins in both G10 and micarta are toxic if it catches fire. Same about the G10 dust - using a good respirator/other protective gear is just good advice, since G10 is fiberglass impregnated with resin. I never meant to imply that these two materials are super hazerdous and should never be used. Far from it. I have had and still have plenty of knives that have G10 scales, and am in the process of making a custom G10/Alligator Gar scale for my Hinderer knife too. And hopefully you'll confirm that wet filing/grinding reduces the amount of dust
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slav
Senior Forumite
Posts: 818
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Post by slav on Nov 9, 2014 2:16:59 GMT
A few things: If you're just looking for extra strength, a wrap of fiberglass cloth around a contoured regular tsuka core is bulletproof. I've done it for some projects: If you're wanting a waterproof tsuka, bear in mind the implication that has for the nakago. Making the tsuka out of micarta isn't going to seal it. If anything it could seal moisture in. In a wet environment, the limiting factor for a sword is the blade steel, not the other parts. What does a waterproof tsuka really gain you? Laying-up micarta over the nakago to build your tsuka isn't really going to be better than a well-carved channel in existing micarta stock. Quality micarta stock is made under pressure (or vacuum) to eliminate air bubbles and inconsistencies. A layup would not achieve this. If the goal is a tsuka channel that literally fits the nakago perfectly (which is probably not necessary), I've had good luck with building an oversized tsuka channel into which the nakago is then pillar-bedded with epoxy and a release agent (like glass-beding a rifle stock/action). Epoxy-impregnating cotton ito tsukamaki basically turns it into a micarta type material. If you're looking for the best of both worlds (added strength and some water/weather resistance), this is probably by far the most efficient way to get it. Deviate from traditional design enough and you might as well just graduate to a tactical design with full-tang and peened scales, or a direct wrap. I guess the whole design depends on the intended purpose and environment.
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