How to care for tanto mountings?

[joseph1]

Dear Sirs

I know nothing about care or cleaning of mountings.Could someone please enlighten me? My wife won this on e-bay over Christmas for me

and while greatful, it has a long way to go to be pretty!The mounts are Iron,very rusted,and silver inlay with some gold figures?Could someone tell

me what the theme is?I do need to purchase some mennuki and I would like to keep with the same theme.How would the Iron mountings be attached to the

Tsuka and saya?Lastly, the blade seems pretty thick,could this be an armor piercing tanto?

Thank you sirs for your response: Joseph C.

[Soshin]

Hi Joseph C.,

 

Could we have a photo of the whole mountings of the tanto which don't look to be in the best shape? From the looks of what you did post designs on the fuchi-gashira is of a folding fan. The handle at some point would need to be fixed. To me it looks like a reasonable project piece but take it from experience be careful how much money your send restoring a Nihonto. Often it is better to spend a bit more and get something in already good condition.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[joseph1]

Thank you David

The handle and wrap are of no big deal,I just need to decide on and find some mennuki.The habaki is silver plated with a rain pattern,and needs to be replated,or a new one made.

Of coarse the blade needs a polish.I like the fittings,although I dont know how to clean the rust off the gold layers--plating--without damaging it.I read once that a bone pick is used

to clean Tsuba,and that oil and "worrying" it with a felt cloth will turn the rust into something like a chokolate brown color.Under a magnifier,the gold looks to have a "growth of rust in places.Is there some sort of cleaning agent?Anyway,Here is some pictures of the blade in mountings.The blade does have a pretty hamon,and there is only one tiny nick in the Ha.There

does appear to have some kind of forging pattern but cant tell due to the state of the polish.Anyway,thankyou for your reply.

Best Regards Joseph C

[Soshin]

Hi Joseph C.,

 

I would use bone or ivory to remove any active red rust but you will need to avoid any of the inlay work. I would not recommend using any oil on the fittings but very carefully clean them with a mild unscented soap and warm water first. Once the iron parts with rust have been rubbed with bone or ivory rub with a soft white cotton rag. The red rust will come off onto the rag and color it.

On a some what unrelated topic to fittings. If you do get the blade polished go with a professional and have them or someone they know make a new habaki for the blade. This would be the most expensive restoration.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles

[b.hennick]

If you are having trouble finding ivory i suggest that you try a piano repair place. The keys of older pianos were ivory and can easily be shaped to work on red rust.

[jason_mazzy]

micro tools fiberglass pen

[Frank Reile]

Hello Joseph. Make sure you do your research on a polisher! I didn't do my home work on Takonomakura Restorations like a few others here. He has had some of my Japanese swords since last February. I recently searched his name and found this message board. After reading all the posts, I told Eric that I didn't want him to do any work on my blades and to send them all back with refunds. That was early October, and I still have not heard from him and I still have not gotten my swords back.

Frank R

[joseph1]

Thankyou all for you're replys.I started with a chicken bone ,and it seems to be working,but very slow going!It seems that everything the Japanese did was slow going so I

expected it.It takes me at least 8 hours of intense concentration just to do a handlewrap,not including the time for making hishi-gami,preparing the tsuka,same application etc.

I,m slow and not as perfect as a Japanese craftsman,but the results are acceptable,at least to me.In my job,I do a lot of soldering under a microscope,so attention to detail is not a problem,and patience is a must.I ,ll get the fittings pretty eventually.Now,how do I remove the fittings from the saya?There is no screws or anything like that.did the Japanese use some

sort of glue that could be softened with boiling water?How can a lacquered saya be cleaned without splitting it in half?

On another note,I really feel bad about you not getting your swords back.Its taken me 20 years just to get 2 katanas,2 wakazashi,and now 2 tanto's.I,ve had more but there the first to go in times of finantial difficulty.There very dear to me but not so to my wife!I cant imagine loosing any one of them to some charlatan polisher!Rage would diffinately overcome me!!

I collect Japanese swords,antique switchblades,and old avation memoriabilia.I recently sent a 1950's switchblade out to get new brazilian horn handles installed.The craftsman is in the same state as I live in but about 4 hours drive.I sweated BB"s until I got it back!!!(Was making plans on what to do if I didn"t!!I wont do that again!!

Thanks again all,and best regards: Joseph C

[Soshin]

Hi Joseph C.,

 

Well I can't advise you in terms of polishers as I make it a practice to only purchase swords in polish. But in regards to the bone to clean the rust off of the fittings I can advise. Do not use a cooked bone use a bone that has been cleaned and dried for a long period of time and that is hard to the touch. I was able to get a nice bone to do the job at the Tampa show last year. The process rubbing with bone and a cotton rag will take a long time but the results are wonderful in my experience. You need to also keep in mind not over clean any fitting and focus on the active red rust that can cause pitting or lost of a inlay. I also have some old piano key ivory as well that I use. Hope you find this I information helpful.

 

 

 

Yours truly,

David Stiles