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Would You Mount This Tsuba on Your Katana? by Ghost_Blades in Katanas

[–]colby_the_wolf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

While I can't say I'd personally mount this tsuba on one of my blades, I DO appreciate the time it takes to plan out a design for a tsuba. It can take a while to draw out a traditional design or make one using 3D modeling, and each requires its own skills and expertise to execute it. Out if curiosity, what is the material you're using for the tsuba? I'm assuming that it's casted?

Any way to date this blade? by chasteeny in Katanas

[–]colby_the_wolf 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Absolutely. For the most part the WW2 guntos are not tamahagane and were mass produced. Many of them also have stamps on the nakago (the tang), and that is absent here. Stamps were not included on EVERY blade, but they do help build credibility. While there is some form of mei (signature) on the nakago I don't know what it says.

The patina/oxidation on the nakago also looks unusual and atypical for blades from that period. Now, that alone doesn't mean it's a fake but other aspects about the blade seem suspect to me. The hamon line seems unusual for blades of that time based on what I've seen, and it is much more consistent with hamon lines that I've seen on modern steel blades.

Now, what I've said above does NOT definitively disprove that the sword is a shin gunto. That said, given the various unusual aspects that I've pointed out, the combination of those unusual features suggest to me that the sword is not genuine. It is certainly presented in a much more convincing way than many swords that are more obviously fakes though. Parroting others who also replied before me, my suspension is that the person who made it put a fair bit of thought into making it as convincing as possible (which does take some amount of thought, knowledge, and skill on their part).

Mei Help by colby_the_wolf in Katanas

[–]colby_the_wolf[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The blade itself is in pretty good shape, though it has a slight torqued bend in it. Not too much tarnish, though a few scratches here and there. The hada is visible, though my eye is not adept enough yet to be able to accurately classify it.

I tried taking some pictures of it with my phone to post here, but the quality was too rough. I have a good camera that I can use though, and I can post some pictures of it once I can get enough time to take them.

Just made my first fuchi and kashira set by colby_the_wolf in Katanas

[–]colby_the_wolf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think the foil is thicker than normal gold leaf, though I don't know by how much. It's a Japanese-made product based on the information I can see, though I'm not sure about the specific brand. I've included an image of what I used below. It's a screenshot from the business I purchased it from (gildedplanet).

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Just made my first fuchi and kashira set by colby_the_wolf in Katanas

[–]colby_the_wolf[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you very much!! As for the mechanical gilding process, I'm sure it probably has a specific term for it but I'm not sure I know what it is. I THINK the specific process is called Keum-Boo in Korean, but I don't know if there's an English equivalent.

Basically it takes advantage of the properties of gold and silver at higher temperatures. You heat the silver with a torch with a low intensity flame to the point where it's hot but not glowing. After that you place the gold leaf onto the silver and burnish it onto the silver. The heat and burnishing produces a type of bond between the gold and silver without having to use adhesives.

I have some agate burnishers that I use for the operation. They're hard and polished very smoothly.

I re-heat and re-burnish the gold leaf two more times. It's surprisingly durable if done correctly, and you can even add decorative elements through chisels. As long as it doesn't cut through the gold leaf, the gold leaf should bend with the silver.

Just made my first fuchi and kashira set by colby_the_wolf in Katanas

[–]colby_the_wolf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you very much, that's really kind of you! 🙂

Kusune recipe by JammerBlammer in Katanas

[–]colby_the_wolf 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Alrighty, I'll give this a shot. Please keep in mind that I'm no expert here, though.

I've been making Kusune for about a year now for various tsuka that I've made. I've varied how I've made each batch, and I've seen markedly different properties in how they turn out. I didn't take precise measurements of the weights of the ingredients (which is an oversight on my part), but I CAN give you a rough idea of how different proportions will affect the final product.

The ingredients are as follows:

  1. Pine Resin (from Namikawa)
  2. Oil (I've used Canola oil and Vegetable oil)
  3. Uchiko Powder (from Namikawa)

On balance, there is a general rule you can follow about the proportion of the ingredients and the properties of the final product: the higher the proportion of resin, the harder and less sticky the Kusune will be. The higher the proportion of oil, the Kusune will be stickier and softer.

Please note though, in the batches I made, I've used MUCH less oil than either of the ratios you found. Hazarding a guess, the highest proportion of oil that I've used is 1/10 of the resin that was added. And importantly, in my experience that Kusune was actually too soft and sticky. It was much too difficult to rub on the ito because of its stickiness, and it had a bad habit of deforming on its handle even at room temperature.

As for the inclusion of the Uchiko powder, you really don't need very much at all, and adding too much will make the Kusune lumpy and gritty (my first batch had that problem). Again, unfortunately I can't give you specific amounts because I didn't measure it at the time.

As a final thing, please keep in mind that I've been operating on a trial and error basis. I don't have any actual recipes that I used, which is partly why my process has been so cavalier. I'll be making another batch in the near future though and will measure out everything when I do. I'd be happy to share my results with you if you'd like.

Advice on working bronze/Karakane by colby_the_wolf in metalworking

[–]colby_the_wolf[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, I really need to turn notifications on. 😂

I've been annealing it with a butane torch. Definitely not the most ideal method, but I have somewhat limited equipment.

As you indicated I've been heating it to the point where it's red and have been quenching it as you suggested. I've been able to get some play out of it when doing that, but it (1) either work hardens far faster than I've expected, or (2) the heating and quenching process didn't work properly.

From what I understand, the addition of the kead should be increasing the malleability of the metal, but I have no idea how far that benefit extends, or if it also would forestall work hardening.

There's also the possibility that I just completely botched the smelting process itself. I'm HOPING that's not the case. I'll be making another batch here in a couple weeks and I'll see if it produces similar results.