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Post by seraph on May 31, 2019 7:33:53 GMT
Hey guys, been lurking here on and off for years and finally made an account. I have a pretty nice custom sanmai daisho that I believe I got a few years back. It's a beautiful set but it has one problem: the daito is just a tiny bit more deeply curved than the saya allows for (i.e. blade sori > saya sori). In practice, this means when I sheath the sword, I feel resistance in the last 4-5" or so as the edge rubs against the inside of the saya.
I'm quite sure the issue is NOT the koiguchi, which fits just fine. In fact if I put my ear close to the saya as I'm sheathing I can hear the friction of the edge against the saya, and I can even get a sense of exactly where the problem is. And if I lay the blade over the saya, I can sort of see how the curvature may not exactly match. Again, it's not a huge problem -- with minimal effort I can get the sword sheathed nicely. I just worry that over time, this will dull the edge and/or warp the blade.
So my question is: how do I fix it? Could I try to stick a needle file down there to create a little more room, or is there danger of causing irreparable damage?
Thanks in advance...
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Post by Silent on May 31, 2019 7:55:02 GMT
Well If its so much material I doubt filing from hole will be enough. You basicly working without seeing what you are removing so deep into the saya.
I think the best solution would be to split saya apart, but this might something to do with extra extra care, you might end up screwing saya up and having to make a new one from scratch.
Lets wait and see others opinions
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Post by MOK on May 31, 2019 8:19:52 GMT
Honestly, I'd be far more worried about potentially splitting the scabbard than about dulling the blade.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on May 31, 2019 10:46:52 GMT
I don’t have a cure, may be one will come along in the responses, but I have possibly a patch to your potential dulling issue, which I believe is real. Recently I received a sword in my first steel scabbard. I had stayed away from those like a plaque until this one. I wanted that knife and accepted the steel scabbard to get it and my worst fears came true. It dulled the edged in short order, as in 4 days. It was new and I liked it very much so playing with it excessively, drawing and retuning amongst other moves I hastened the dulling. As a patch until something better came along, and it did, I put a piece of masking tape over the edge. And it worked. When receiving my second sword with a steel scabbard I took advantage from what I had learned and did the same. I am not complaining about the scabbard in this case as it is historically correct for this sabre, only stating a fact. I had put a shaving sharp edge on both. In the case of the sabre that edge lasted a good six months during which I cut, dry handled, and did all sorts of things. Six months later I could still cut hair with it, but not as well. At seven months it was still very sharp, but failed to cut hair. You might try that to save the edge. If so keep an eye on the tape as I found in both cases the blade cut through but caught it in time to save damage to the edge. The tape is not pretty and a pain in the butt but does save the all important edge.
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Post by seraph on Jun 1, 2019 3:44:29 GMT
Thanks for the replies guys. I found another thread on this forum from 2013 with the same issue and they tried filing, so I got myself a file... unfortunately it's not quite long enough. The area I need to file is about 14-16" into the saya. The longest file I could buy was 10". Any ideas on how to extend my reach?
Another thought I had was to use a long chisel. That's a bit more dangerous though...
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Post by Jordan Williams on Jun 1, 2019 7:37:40 GMT
Maybe something dumb but perhaps steaming the part of the saya where the curve doesn't meet up and slowly bending it to fit?
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Jun 1, 2019 20:46:10 GMT
A file immediately came to mind but I discounted it for the reasons you found. Possibly sandpaper on the end of a wire may be a coat hanger? But be careful if the paper got loose in the saya could be trouble.
I’d be afraid to try bending the saya because of the glue joint. If one piece, which they are not, you might have a chance.
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Post by zsg1313 on Jun 1, 2019 21:35:19 GMT
Not me but there's probably folks here or local to you who could forge weld your file to a longer piece of iron.
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Post by bradc on Jun 1, 2019 21:58:02 GMT
Thanks for the replies guys. I found another thread on this forum from 2013 with the same issue and they tried filing, so I got myself a file... unfortunately it's not quite long enough. The area I need to file is about 14-16" into the saya. The longest file I could buy was 10". Any ideas on how to extend my reach? Another thought I had was to use a long chisel. That's a bit more dangerous though... It's not a cheap option (ok it's really expensive) but there is actually a specialized tool for this purpose. It's basically a rasp with a really long handle. Here is an example (fyi I have never purchased from this company) bladegallery.com/shopexd.asp?id=86461You might be able to make something like that for less, or go with the economical approach of keep drawing and shaking out the sawdust until the problem goes away on it's own. (I have seen this work but it probably will dull the fukura a little at least...)
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Post by seraph on Jun 2, 2019 2:54:18 GMT
Thanks for all the replies, guys!
Splitting the saya open would probably not be a good idea for me. It's lacquered, so that would thoroughly ruin the finish. I'm worried that steaming would cause the lacquer to crack or bubble as well.
That saya rasp looks interesting. I didn't know such things existed, though it makes sense that they do. I'll poke around and see if I can find a cheaper one. Or if someone can make one, contact me and I'd be happy to compensate you.
In the meantime, last night I bought some files and a long metal rod and then taped the two together. It isn't pretty but it works, sort of. I filed away for a couple hours while watching a movie. It seems to fit a bit better now, though the last half inch or so is still stiff. The main issue isn't so much getting it in as trying to get it back out. It's much too tight for me to thumb it out comfortably.
Also - anyone have any ideas on how to identify exactly where the problem is?
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Post by MOK on Jun 2, 2019 11:25:14 GMT
Mark the entire blade with pencil or some such color that rubs off easily, insert and draw it, and see where the color has come off.
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Post by seraph on Jun 3, 2019 23:24:51 GMT
So I bought an orthopedic bone rasp, or at least an inexpensive piece of metal pretending to be one. It looks something like this: images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61H8oRbA0%2BL._SL1500_.jpgI'm planning on strapping it to my thin rod and rasping away. We'll see how it goes. I'm also investigating the possibility of a replacement production saya. We'll see if the diligent smiths of Longquan think they'll be able to fit a saya to the measurements I send them for a reasonable cost. Stay tuned...
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