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Post by saamisays11 on Sept 1, 2023 23:07:09 GMT
Greetings, I am new to the forum and was looking for some experienced opinions. I recently received my new Ryujin 5160 Katana that was purchased from SBG Store. Upon arrival I quickly noticed that there was a rattle. This seems to be coming from the loose tsuba and habaki. I believe most of the noise is in the tsuba, but there is definitely movement in the habaki. The only other Katana I have owned was a Paul Chen Practical Plus Katana, which was rock solid all the way around. Is this to be expected in Ryujin swords? Should I fix it myself or seek support since it’s new? I do plan to cut with this sword and was hoping to receive a serviceable piece going with the more expensive model (relatively, for the entry level). I appreciate any helpful feedback and opinions! Thank you.
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pgandy
Moderator
Senior Forumite
Posts: 10,296
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Post by pgandy on Sept 2, 2023 0:49:17 GMT
I would say the option is yours. You could write describing your issues. Then wait to see the outcome. However without seeing the sword, if it was mine I’d shim and keep on trucking. It would be faster than obtaining a return authorization, and shipping time in two directions. Not to mention taking a chance with carrier(s). Just my 2¢.
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Post by saamisays11 on Sept 2, 2023 3:51:01 GMT
Thank you for the reply. I guess my question is for this price point, is this typical, if so I will fix it myself. If most in this price point don’t come this way then I’ll likely have Ryujin fix it. I just want a decently usable blade for my $350. Thanks again!
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steveboy
Member
Measure twice, cut once.
Posts: 367
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Post by steveboy on Sept 2, 2023 4:54:20 GMT
My 2 cents: Remove the sword from the saya. Fold a towel in two. Hold the sword point-down. Wrap the towel around the blade and grab it. Fold a hand towel twice to get four layers and set it on the kashira. Grip the blade tightly and give the kashira several good whacks with a rubber mallet. It might snug the tsuka up against the seppa & tsuba and get rid of the slack that's causing the rattle.
You could also try removing the mekugi, repeating the above, and reinserting the mekugi.
Worse come to worst, you could pull the pin, remove the tsuka & seppa, make a shim (just trace the sheppa shape on paper or wood veneer), and put it all back together.
The caveat with pulling apart the more expensive swords is that a lot of the fittings might be glued on, and there's also a decent chance of cracking the tsuka at the fuchi (if it isn't already cracked). In which case, wood glue, clamps, and *then* reassembly.
Good luck!
Good luck!
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Post by saamisays11 on Sept 2, 2023 16:33:43 GMT
Thank you for your reply! I appreciate your input. While I believe the end result will be as you’ve both recommended, fixing it myself, I think I am going to see what SBG says before I work on it. The more I mess with it, I notice that most of the movement in the tsuba is perpendicular to the blade, like it’s not fit well to the Nakago. I guess since these are assembled to order, the components have to permit variations in the blades and don’t see much fitment during assembly. Should I stick with shimming, or is peening the tsuba where it slides over the Nakago an option anyone has tried?
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Post by blairbob on Sept 3, 2023 10:26:08 GMT
stick with shimming
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pgandy
Moderator
Senior Forumite
Posts: 10,296
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Post by pgandy on Sept 3, 2023 13:41:48 GMT
I am not saying not to contact SBG. However, if they offer a replacement, you will still have to accept the fact that carriers sometimes mess up. In addition, you may find issues with the replacement. Shim. It will be faster and less of a hassle.
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Post by crazyjons on Sept 3, 2023 20:51:15 GMT
Close to half of the Japanese style swords I purchased I had to take the tsuka off and wrap some tape around the tang to stop a rattle.
Jon
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Post by saamisays11 on Sept 3, 2023 21:57:00 GMT
This is the appearance of the tsuba after removal from the sword. Looks like peening was already attempted. Copper I pulled from an old 220 plug and shaped. Final fitting to the Nakago. I have never done this before, so maybe I should have shimmed the top and bottom. This go around I chose to only shim the bottom and its extremely tight. I have to tap it on with a mallet. I will eventually need to make a shim to go between the Seppa and the Tsuba to take up a very minimal amount of movement there, but this has solved my issue and is very tight. Let me know what you think or if I should have done it differently. Thanks again for all the input. PS for some reason the pictures uploaded sideways. Attachments:
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