fozz Posted March 20 Report Posted March 20 Hi all, I'm new to owning an antique nihonto & scared! I've just had my katana delivered from Japan last week & discovered a small crack, blade side of the habaki. Does anyone know if a repair can be done, by someone who is competent in this field, in the UK? Advice would be appreciated. Thanks Quote
Lewis B Posted March 20 Report Posted March 20 (edited) Welcome Andy. Would be helpful if you post a photo so we can see the material (copper vs gold foil vs silver vs solid gold), single vs double habaki and the crack you’re seeing on the habaki. There are people in the UK who can make repairs and the material might help determine who best to contact. Edited March 20 by Lewis B 1 Quote
Shugyosha Posted March 20 Report Posted March 20 Hi Andy, This is probably not too much to worry about - it’s an antique blade and if it isn’t going to be used for cutting, it’s just part of the appeal of an older blade. 2 Quote
Brian Posted March 21 Report Posted March 21 Any jeweller can repair it. But I would leave it as is. Quote
fozz Posted March 21 Author Report Posted March 21 Morning all, Thanks for the replies. As the nihonto is an antique, it won't be used for cutting. In reply to Lewis B, here are some photos of the habaki. The background is a mess, I'm in the middle of a move & space is limited! Quote
Brian Posted March 21 Report Posted March 21 Agree with Grey. A LOT of entry and mid level swords have that identical crack. Judging by the gaps, it may be a replacement that doesn't fit properly, unless the sword has been polished down a lot. But it isn't a huge deal for display. 2 Quote
Lewis B Posted March 21 Report Posted March 21 (edited) Agreed. Leave alone. Most of the time you won’t even notice it. Judging by the gaps towards the munemachi I would say this was not originally made for the blade or the blade has seen many many polishes(unlikely). It’s not uncommon for fittings to be married to a blade for sale purposes. Edited March 21 by Lewis B 1 Quote
eternal_newbie Posted March 21 Report Posted March 21 45 minutes ago, Lewis B said: It’s not uncommon for fittings to be married to a blade for sale purposes. And the cost of a decent custom-made habaki would likely push the blade into a higher budget tier, especially given the price of precious metals right now. Quote
raaay Posted Saturday at 05:05 PM Report Posted Saturday at 05:05 PM to me it looks like this Habaki is nearly sitting inside the the Tsuka and the Habaki has a gap all the way around the blade IMHO for what is worth , looks like a repurposed Habaki and not a good fit ! 1 Quote
fozz Posted Saturday at 06:02 PM Author Report Posted Saturday at 06:02 PM Nice one folks, I like the "leave alone" advice! The fit isn't the best & at this stage replacing the habaki etc isn't an option at the moment (if ever).... 2 Quote
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