Remounting?

[Jwrussell]

Ok. So first post from a very newby newb. Please be gentle.

 

What options are available for mounting/remounting a Nihonto in Koshirae? Either because the sword comes in shirasaya or the existing koshirae is damaged, not to period, etc. I am assuming the tsuka must be custom made to fit thespecific nakago and associated mekugiana, or are there "standards" that can be used to search out tsuka that would fit?

 

More questions to follow I am sure. Thank you in advance.

 

Jason

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Jason,

A new tsuka needs to be made; there are no standards.  The whole process will be quite expensive and when you are done you'll be lucky to sell the sword for half what you put into it.  Unless you want the adventure and money is no object, it makes better sense to keep the sword in shira-saya (or have shira-saya made if the existing koshirae is too damaged) and buy an existing koshirae with tsunagi to display next to your sword.

I could go into great detail here but I'm lousy at the keyboard.  If you'd like to talk and ask questions, I'm in the central time zone and my number is 218-726-0395.

Cheers,  Grey

[Jwrussell]

Thank you for the response on that talk, Grey. Much appreciated.

[ggil]

you get what you pay for also. don’t be tempted to use an amateur if you don’t want the blade bastardized! The fittings should entice and really show off the blade in an elegant way. I’m a hobby koshirae/shirisaya maker. My work pretty much sucks! My work will probably always be sub-par from a real trained koshirae/saya-shi. Also, the amateurs probably make s**t saya and maybe the blade rusts away due to touching the wood inside.

[Ian B3HR2UH]

Good on you for telling it like it is Grant . Most remounts that I have seen,  where amateurs are involved ,  look like s**t  as Grant says  and do absolutely nothing to enhance the sword . If you want to get someone good to do it the cost will make it uneconomical as Grey said.

Ian Brooks

[TETSUGENDO]

This is that "Labor of Love" you've heard tell of, it's something that a certain percentage of collectors undertake for the experience.  Being able to express your tastes is costly, but satisfying, I reccomend  it as a " rite of passage" for those who can afford the indulgence.

 

-S-

[Valric]

I recommend doing it. It's a fun experience, but you need to keep in mind it's ~1.5-3K for the workmanship involved in making it for something tasteful, and you can of course spend a lot more for top end artisans. This is excluding the cost of Tosogu. You will not be recuperating that money the day you sell the sword with the Koshirae. Also keep in mind, your tastes changes.The more you study, the more refined your judgement becomes. This means that your dream Koshirae today could very well appear trite and charmless ten years down the road. 

 

Before building a koshirae, I highly, highly recommend buying a book on the topic, either from Grey in hard copy, or an E-book from Markus Sesko on the subject. There are many different types of Koshirae from different periods, and the archetype that readily comes to mind is more of a late Edo fashion. There are also codes for the proper assembly of Tosogu themes - some things don't mix, some things are auspicious, etc. The last thing you want to do is an 'American school Koshirae' for a Nihonto. It's important if you want to appreciate it for longer as you gain knowledge. And its harder not to do than it sounds. 

 

Something good about making a tasteful Koshirae is that you give boxed Tosogu a second life. If done properly, a Koshirae project will allow you to appreciate the Tosogu as they were meant to be appreciated. This is something special. In this sense, the cost of building the Koshirae is a little bit like investing in an expensive canvas to display your Tosogu. 

[Jwrussell]

Soooo much to learn. Thank you for all of the feedback. I appreciate all the various points of view. I can see undertaking this journey with the right blade, once I have gained some experience. Thank you again.

[Lingonberry]

Where can one learn about these "codes" for what themes go together and which don't?

[TETSUGENDO]

Where can one learn about these "codes" for what themes go together and which don't?

Oh if it were THAT easy!  This is an incredibly complex subject, the more you study the more you'll know.  Something new will always show up.....it's a neverending pursuit. 

 

-S-

[Lingonberry]

Well, worth asking haha! Was thinking about putting together a collection of koshirae for a hypothetical Sohei - something with a continuing Buddhist theme.

 

Ken menuki

Tiger in bamboo tsuba

??? Fuchi/kashira

[TETSUGENDO]

Sounds like an interesting project.  Hypothetical koshirae would be more forgiving, as it remains open ended.  Physical koshirae a bit more problematical.   Either way, post what you come up with...It should be interesting to see!

 

-S-

[Lingonberry]

It's meant as a sort of collection plan so at some point it will be physical, but it might also be fun to cobble something together from pictures.

[Blazeaglory]

Where can one learn about these "codes" for what themes go together and which don't?

 

 

This might help a little.

 

https://www.japaneseswordindex.com/koshirae/koshirae.htm

 

But as Steven has stated, its complicated...Or detailed, extremely detailed. The Japanese of old, especially at court or during ceremonial events and duties, had extreme protocols they followed and koshirae was no different.

 

One thing I remember is that the black horn style fuchi\kashira is mostly meant for high end shakudo fittings to be worn in the presence of the upper class or emperor, etc... but Im probably missing something lol