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Post by yose on Nov 10, 2023 9:54:58 GMT
Greetings to everyone.
I just received a Hanbon Forge custom made katana.
I would like to specifically ask the general wisdom about the mekugi (and not about the general construction quality of the sword). Despite many attempts to remove the mekugi, they (there are two of them) are still stuck in the mekugi ana. This is not a 'surprise', but rather an 'annoyance' as the tsuka cannot be removed at this point. Removing the tsuka is obviously a common and usual practice among katana owners, including me. It is to wonder whether the mekugi might have been glued in the hole. I own several nihontō and this was my first experience with 'overseas' shinken.
Have you ever encountered any similar difficulty with Hanbon Forge made katana? Is it usual with their katana?
Thank you in advance for your educated comments.
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Post by stalkerfromtheearth on Nov 10, 2023 10:52:22 GMT
I have multiple hanbon swords. They hammer or powerpress their mekugi in. The little hammer in care sets won't help. What I used was a hammer and a cut off chopstick/piece of wood that I placed on the mekugi and then hammered out. Try find the side they were put in and hammer it out that way, just like nihonto. It could be they were put in from opposite sides. I then shaped the mekugi for easy use.
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Post by yose on Nov 10, 2023 11:13:45 GMT
Powerpressed... Thank you for your message. The mekugi should have been put in from the omote side, I guess. They are half hidden by the tsukamaki on the other side. I tried with a bigger metal head hammer ... the mekugi does no longer look like one now. I will perhaps need to destroy them and put in new ones.
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Post by crazyjons on Nov 10, 2023 13:29:21 GMT
You can usually see that the samagawa is cleanly cut on the side that they were installing it from and like slightly lifted up around the hole on the other side the side you're going to hit it from. I use about a 3/16 steel roll punch and lay the habaki on a 2x4 maybe with a rag for padding. Sharp light strikes with a light hammer.
The first time taking him out is always the worst because there's little burrs around the edges of the hole that grab the mekugi.
Once you get it and get the tSuka off by gently tapping on the tSuba, you can use a larger, 3/8 or 1/2 in drill bit to gently countersink the holes so they go in easier.
Yes the factory mekugi is frequently destroyed in this process, you need to have spares on hand.
Good luck!
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Post by Robert in California on Nov 10, 2023 15:00:34 GMT
Good advice...go ebay and order various sizes of mekugi, both straight and tapered. My Jkoo/Sino swords have come with tapered mekugi's. Original bamboo mekugi is almost always damaged to the point I have to shape a replacement.
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Post by yose on Nov 10, 2023 15:45:53 GMT
Thank you for your replies. The mekugi shall go...
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Post by crazyjons on Nov 10, 2023 16:30:37 GMT
You know I hear rumors about the specialness of fire hardened bamboo.. sure looks a lot like a chopstick to me! Chopsticks are pre tapered so you can find that perfect spot.
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Post by larason2 on Nov 10, 2023 19:00:35 GMT
I get the aged bamboo from Namikawa Heibei. It's better than other bamboo such as chopstick because it has a soft side and a hard side. You carve down from both sides to end up with both soft and hard on the same mekugi. Then, you orient it so the soft side is what grips to the metal. I use a fine chisel (4mm head I think) to do the work. This gives it some "give" and holds better than new bamboo. It's a fair bit pricier though!
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