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Sokui (Rice Glue) Shirasaya repair.


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Good Day all, I have a shirasaya come apart on a small Hisamitsu tanto I have. I would like to repair it using Sokui (Rice glue). Is this the proper recipe?

Thank you for any insight and help.

 

Recipe:

 

Sokui (Rice Glue)

If you are using a shinken (a real katana), it is a good idea to seek professional help before attempting any repairs. Even the glue used to fix minor problems with the saya or tsuka, can adversely affect the metal of a real sword. Therefore, care should always be taken when selecting materials. Many glues that are available on the market which are used for woodworking, contain chemicals which give off fumes which can damage the metal of real katana. Iaito are not quite as susceptible, but if you would rather not take the risk, a simple, traditional glue called sokui is easy to make.

 

How to Make Sokui

 

1. Take a small amount of one- to two-day old cooked short-grain rice and place it on a clean, flat surface. A board works well.

2. Wet a strong, flat stick, such as a bamboo spatula and mash the rice.

3. Add a drop or two of water, and mash again.

4. Keep adding water as needed.

5. Continue mashing the rice until it becomes a sticky, glutinous mass with no lumps.

6. You now have basic sokui.

 

How to Use Sokui

1. Use a small sliver of wood to spread a bead of sokui over the necessary area.

2. Press together the pieces to be glued. Hold them firmly in place using a cord, rubber band, or other similar device until dry.

 

Dwayne R.

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Might I also suggest that after step 5, you run the mashed rice through a fine strainer just to be sure there are no rice particles that got missed in the mashing process.

 

Also, due to the fact that you are introducing water (even a small amount) into an enclosed area where you will be housing the blade and some water will soak into the shirasaya wood, an extra long dry time probably should be considered to insure complete evaporation of water before before placing the blade inside the shirasaya.

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Might I also suggest that after step 5, you run the mashed rice through a fine strainer just to be sure there are no rice particles that got missed in the mashing process.

Also, due to the fact that you are introducing water (even a small amount) into an enclosed area where you will be housing the blade and some water will soak into the shirasaya wood, an extra long dry time probably should be considered to insure complete evaporation of water before before placing the blade inside the shirasaya.

 

 

Thank You very much Mark S. I will definitely pass it through a fine strainer and give it a long cure time.

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Years ago I posted instructions for paper and masking tape bands that work very well as a temporary fix for a split saya, and that leave no trace when removed.  They also do a great job of keeping the 2 halves of the saya properly aligned for regluing.  If the alignment is off just a bit (easy to do) it will bug you forever.  I place a few of the bands along the saya before wraping all of it (I use strips of a cotton sheet) to clamp.  You'll find my post here:

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/1414-split-saya/?hl=%2Bmasking+%2Btape&do=findComment&comment=10764

Grey

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Nori, made by Yasutomo, is starch glue.  Coming fromJapan I assume it is rice-based.  Anyway, it works perfectly for saya construction and because it is a commercial product, it is uniform and produces reproducible results.  Cheap too.

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Years ago I posted instructions for paper and masking tape bands that work very well as a temporary fix for a split saya, and that leave no trace when removed. They also do a great job of keeping the 2 halves of the saya properly aligned for regluing. If the alignment is off just a bit (easy to do) it will bug you forever. I place a few of the bands along the saya before wraping all of it (I use strips of a cotton sheet) to clamp. You'll find my post here:

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/1414-split-saya/?hl=%2Bmasking+%2Btape&do=findComment&comment=10764

Grey

I can vouch for this method working really well. Its a nice little fix in the meantime

 

I've been told that you can moisten the seems of the saya to reactivate the glue (or whatever the proper term is) just using a bit of water. I used water and Greys method above and it has sealed up fine now

post-4634-0-06112400-1555428683_thumb.jpg

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