SBG/Ronin Hammer Forged Katana Custom
Jan 11, 2015 2:06:44 GMT
Post by Cottontail Customs on Jan 11, 2015 2:06:44 GMT
I've just finished working on the Hammer-Forged katana blade in shirasaya sold by SBG and Ronin Katana.
This won't be a full review but instead just a lot of pictures and some brief descriptions of the process.
This is the second of these swords I've handled but the first I've actually continued to work on. The shinogi-zukuri blade with bo hi comes dressed in basic shirasaya of a light colored wood and buffalo horn koiguchi and brass habaki.
This model has the gunome style hamon.
I was asked to shape the existing tsuka to a functional mount but it wound up being a little short and instead of adding a piece on the end to lengthen it, we decided to just go ahead and carve a new core in poplar. There were a few issues I had to deal with first to be able to complete the work to spec. The top mekugi-ana on these models are drilled very low compared to most other swords I've seen so I borrowed a friends drill press and with a jig I made, proceeded to drill a new one.
How it comes
There was also a lot of rough filler all around the inside of the koiguchi which had caused a few scratches on the blade and habaki and would cause more if not removed.
I also had to do some grinding on the nakago to be able to carve a new tsuka core for it since it was very misshapen and would have led to a poorly fitting core.
I then began the new tsuka core
The fittings chosen for this project were also from Ronin Katana and posed problems of their own. The tsuba was a hefty 9 oz, the fuchi was misshapen and featured the detail on the ura side instead of omote. The kashira's ito-ana were off center and very large.
(pictured above with two fuchi, a temporary mix-up)
Tsuka core before samegawa was applied
I apologize for some missing pictures but the core received a full wrap of #2 samegawa from Namikawa and was then lacquered black with cashew lacquer.
The tsuka was supposed to be wrapped in katate-maki style using steel-blue silk ito but I messed up (yeah, it happens occasionally ) and I proceeded to wrap it in regular hineri-maki style
So after the mistake was noted, I told the client "too bad sucka, it is what it is"
Ummm....just kidding of course. I immediately ordered new ito and re-wrapped the whole thing in the proper style. When I screw up I try to fix it asap. My client was very understanding and I wanted him to be happy so no biggie.
The saya received rattan wrapping for a third of the length, horn kurikata and kojiri and finished in black lacquer. I also used brass seppa and did some habaki decoration with a center groove and rainfall pattern.
The heavy tsuba made for a very light and agile blade and it should be a really speedy sword to wield. I believe my client will add a sageo later on.
Some finished pics
A lot of work and some tough product flaws to overcome but it all worked out in the end and I hope my client likes his new sword.
Thanks for looking
-Josh
This won't be a full review but instead just a lot of pictures and some brief descriptions of the process.
This is the second of these swords I've handled but the first I've actually continued to work on. The shinogi-zukuri blade with bo hi comes dressed in basic shirasaya of a light colored wood and buffalo horn koiguchi and brass habaki.
This model has the gunome style hamon.
I was asked to shape the existing tsuka to a functional mount but it wound up being a little short and instead of adding a piece on the end to lengthen it, we decided to just go ahead and carve a new core in poplar. There were a few issues I had to deal with first to be able to complete the work to spec. The top mekugi-ana on these models are drilled very low compared to most other swords I've seen so I borrowed a friends drill press and with a jig I made, proceeded to drill a new one.
How it comes
There was also a lot of rough filler all around the inside of the koiguchi which had caused a few scratches on the blade and habaki and would cause more if not removed.
I also had to do some grinding on the nakago to be able to carve a new tsuka core for it since it was very misshapen and would have led to a poorly fitting core.
I then began the new tsuka core
The fittings chosen for this project were also from Ronin Katana and posed problems of their own. The tsuba was a hefty 9 oz, the fuchi was misshapen and featured the detail on the ura side instead of omote. The kashira's ito-ana were off center and very large.
(pictured above with two fuchi, a temporary mix-up)
Tsuka core before samegawa was applied
I apologize for some missing pictures but the core received a full wrap of #2 samegawa from Namikawa and was then lacquered black with cashew lacquer.
The tsuka was supposed to be wrapped in katate-maki style using steel-blue silk ito but I messed up (yeah, it happens occasionally ) and I proceeded to wrap it in regular hineri-maki style
So after the mistake was noted, I told the client "too bad sucka, it is what it is"
Ummm....just kidding of course. I immediately ordered new ito and re-wrapped the whole thing in the proper style. When I screw up I try to fix it asap. My client was very understanding and I wanted him to be happy so no biggie.
The saya received rattan wrapping for a third of the length, horn kurikata and kojiri and finished in black lacquer. I also used brass seppa and did some habaki decoration with a center groove and rainfall pattern.
The heavy tsuba made for a very light and agile blade and it should be a really speedy sword to wield. I believe my client will add a sageo later on.
Some finished pics
A lot of work and some tough product flaws to overcome but it all worked out in the end and I hope my client likes his new sword.
Thanks for looking
-Josh