Hishigami Or No Hishigami That Is The Question......

[Brando]

For years Ive searched the web for the age old question, "To Hishigami or not to Hishigami". Many results have turned up but few definitive answers to this basic question. Ive seen newspaper, card board, rice paper, silk, and even baked clay used for hishigami. Ive seen numerous ways of folding, bending, and twisting these materials to get the best results...However, I tend to see more catastrophic/ ugly examples of tsuka maki done "with" hishigami than without. What are your thoughts about this subject? What have you seen and done that works the best?

 

 

[christianmalterre]

i do not like your´s question!

[Dave R]

 I have done a couple of wraps without hishigami, which looked about as good as the Chinese repro's. I have done another without hishigami but had a paper core in  folded cloth Ito, trying for a Satsuma type tsuka. I had evidence for such and it worked out not too badly.

 My most recent effort was with a decent but  not too posh Ito and using hishigami made from folded Washi paper, and that was better by far than the previous three efforts. My next foray will be with hishigami as well because I think it does make for a better job.

 Sometimes the hishigami are not that evident, but are there nonetheless. I have a damaged Gunto tsuka, and at first sight you might doubt the presence of hishigami, but they are there, each one made out of a wood shaving.

[Brando]

 I have done a couple of wraps without hishigami, which looked about as good as the Chinese repro's. I have done another without hishigami but had a paper core in  folded cloth Ito, trying for a Satsuma type tsuka. I had evidence for such and it worked out not too badly.

 My most recent effort was with a decent but  not too posh Ito and using hishigami made from folded Washi paper, and that was better by far than the previous three efforts. My next foray will be with hishigami as well because I think it does make for a better job.

 Sometimes the hishigami are not that evident, but are there nonetheless. I have a damaged Gunto tsuka, and at first sight you might doubt the presence of hishigami, but they are there, each one made out of a wood shaving.

Do you think it all boils down to practice with or without?  Im thinking about trying the cardboard cut out version that runs up and down both sides of the tsuka.

[Brando]

i do not like your´s question!

[Geraint]

Dear Brando,

 

If you haven't got a copy of "The Art of Tsukamaki," by Thomas Buck, (and the question you ask suggests that you don't)< then I recommend that you get hold of one PDQ.

 

Here it is on his site, http://www.tsukamaki.net/books.htm

 

I have only ever done wraps with hishigami and always folded paper though I use blotting paper as it's more easily available to me.  The cardboard cut out version puts material where you don't want it, I think.

 

Let us see your results.

 

All the best.

[Brando]

Thanks Geraint, I figured most of Mr. Buck's book was available piece by piece all over the net...but if there is unpublished stuff still left undiscovered Ill be purchasing it. 

I will show you my results no matter how embarrassed I am...  

Thanks again!

[Dave R]

Do you think it all boils down to practice with or without?  Im thinking about trying the cardboard cut out version that runs up and down both sides of the tsuka.

 

I think you will find the cardboard cut out version that runs up and down both sides of the tsuka difficult to manipulate the ito around, and the same with the double width type hishigami. I found the single width (actually just under the width of a single strand of stretched ito) the easiest to work with for hineri-maki , being able to tuck it in from the centre line after putting in the twist, rather than having to manipulate the ito over and under the hishigami while putting the twist in.

 I use Washi paper for preference, because if something goes wrong it still looks right! If you use an "original" material for hishigami and it ends up being visible it looks even worse. I am giving thought to using honoki shavings as hishigami for the gunto re-wrap I am doing in the near future as it was used on an original gunto tsuka in my collection.

 If going for hira-maki then a double width will probably be as easy or even easier than the single.

[seanyx11]

I've never attempted to do any sort of tsukamaki, but coming from a collector's point of view, I prefer hishigami.  When done properly, it absolutely makes the ito look much more uniform and symmetrical, in my humble opinion.  It also has the added benefit of sort of "filling in" the parts of the ito on both sides of the twists, which also makes the transition from the twists to the sides much more uniform.   The hishigami also serves to mold itself to the samegawa, so when it hardens (the hishigami) it holds the ito in place against the same.  Of course, if the ito is done properly and pulled tight, it shouldn't move anyway, but the hishigami definitely helps to hold it in place against the same even more.

 

Though my experience is limited compared to most on here, I would still suggest to just keep practicing with using the hishigami.  I think you will see better results in the end, after getting used to using them.  I've had a few custom swords made, and every professional I've talked to about having tsukamaki done, uses hishigami.  Just some food for thought.

[Brando]

Dave R. and seanyx11, thank you. Been doing lots of reading and I think you guys are right on the money. As for the cardboard cut out version, it just dont stack up, especially if your doing an hour glass shape tsuka or one with any curve or contour to it at all.  Seems like it would pull your diamonds all over the place where individual hashigami would allow for manipulation in making.....well everything right...

[Brando]

Well Ive been practicing and honestly I cant imagine NOT using hishigami! Im using cotton ito and it just does not want to conform ito in the proper/desired  twist configuration. Ive tried all different shapes now and have found that one works better than the rest. My tsuka tapers so now I have the question, does or should the diamonds get smaller as the tsuka narrows?  or should they all stay uniform no matter the shape of the tsuka?