Same seams

[Strider]

I was wondering something about the same on nihonto. With all the great care that was taken during the manufacture of blade and fittings, and the enduring nature of these objects, why did they put the seam of full wrap same on one side of the tsuka and not hide it under the bamboo splint on the top or bottom where it could still shrink with age and not show an ever widening gap? Scott

[Guest Simon Rowson]

Good point Scott - I've always wondered that.

 

If one looks at the Usagiya site and it's page on producing koshirae, the full-wrap same is applied in exactly the logical way you describe:

http://www.ksky.ne.jp./~sumie99/koshiraemaking.html

 

All the best,

Simon