|
Post by zabazagobo on Feb 20, 2018 23:09:06 GMT
I was given another name... nice dDude in Arizona who prefers not to have his name passed around. I hear he can teleport. Just don't look into a mirror and say his name three times.
|
|
|
Post by LG Martial Arts on Feb 21, 2018 1:00:52 GMT
Aside from Josh (Cottontail Customs), Randy Black also does awesome work, and isn’t as expensive as Fred Lohman (who did one of my tsukas - came out great!). So, you have several options, will come down to time, cost, and availability of the customizer to do the work. Oh, and I would definitely steer clear of nihonzashi for tsuka work - the stuff that’s come out in the last couple years (or more) are not well done imho.
|
|
|
Post by winteriscomingxii on Feb 23, 2018 8:10:48 GMT
|
|
|
Post by tancred on Feb 23, 2018 9:02:26 GMT
I really appreciate this thread, because I have a few tsukas needing work. I had considered Nihonzashi, but I'm having second thoughts now. I'm not in a position to get this work done now, but its good knowledge to save for a rainy day.
Fred Lohman's name has been thrown around here. I did have one tsuka made and mounted on to a bare blade of mine probably eight years or so ago. The ito wrap itself was fine. Everything else was not. Can not emphasize enough what a letdown the entire experience was. Don't want to be a negative person, so I'll leave it at that. I would just steer clear of using his customization services.
|
|
|
Post by treeslicer on Feb 23, 2018 20:19:07 GMT
Unless papering or resale value of a nihonto is at issue, or the sword is intended solely for display (I'd include pieces worn to SCA court and feasts, & etc., as part of one's regalia here), and the expensive attentions of a professional (once, or at rare intervals) makes some sense, I feel that learning to do your own work is the best way to go, particularly on replicas and down-market nihonto that you cut with continually. Besides the feeling of personal accomplishment, it saves oodles of money, and insures that the final result is completely acceptable to you, rather than a perfect fit to the folks that wrapped it. Something to bear in mind, most of us here are, to some extent or other, practitioners of swordsmanship, as opposed to "collectors", and many of the fancy rules accepted among serious collectors to protect (and evaluate) their priceless charges can't be comfortably practiced by us to begin with. We'd never draw and slice targets, much less back a block with a bare hand.
|
|