The shapes of Sa Yukihide

[Danocon]

Hello,

 

As Ya'll may recall I have been building a traditional Kagi-ba. It has been a long time in the making. I got hung up for quite some time making proper charcoal. I am building a hybrid Japanese spring power hammer at the moment.

In the vast array of schools and smiths I am making a detailed study of the shapes of blades by Sa Yukihide. Mainly because I like them and I feel it is important to focus on and get the feel of a particular style. In my younger, more naive days I just made blades that resembled Japanese blades.

 

I have found a decent selection of images for his Katanas. Enough so that I have been able to get a sense of his style. I have found only a couple of wakazashi that where quite striking and no tanto. Can anyone point me in a direction where I could find images of his tantos and more wakazashi?

 

I have been able to digitize quite accurately one of his Katana and made a preliminary study in a CAD program just to try and understand what he did and maybe a little of how he did it. The smoothness and subtleties of the various arcs he used, particularly in the kissaki, just by eye alone is quite remarkable. I realize the polishers were a factor as well.

 

For example, from the yokote for about 3/4 of the way towards the tip is one arc. A virtually perfect arc. Pick any three points of the many I made to create an arc and that arc goes through every other point with no deviation. The rest of the way is another tighter arc- again perfect.

 

Here is a magnified image of the Kissaki.

 

I looked a long time for a maker's work that speaks to me. I found one that shouts to me from across time.

 

Thanks for your help.

Dan

[cabowen]

Many of his blades are rather long and pole-like, which, while not considered the most aesthetic shape, was the fashion at the time.

 

Here are a few tanto:

 

 

http://www.e-sword.jp/sale/2011/1110_3030syousai.htm

 

http://www.choshuya.co.jp/meishi/yukihide/sanoyukihide.htm

[runagmc]

here's a wakizashi and a katana,

[Ken-Hawaii]

Hi, Dan:

 

Would you care to share exactly how you went about digitizing your blades? I've done a couple using AutoCAD, but have never been really pleased with the results.

 

Thanks!

 

Ken

[Danocon]

Many of his blades are rather long and pole-like, which, while not considered the most aesthetic shape, was the fashion at the time.

 

Here are a few tanto:

 

 

http://www.e-sword.jp/sale/2011/1110_3030syousai.htm

 

http://www.choshuya.co.jp/meishi/yukihide/sanoyukihide.htm

Hmmm!

 

I see your point. The first one is rather unremarkable. The second is more interesting but BIG. Would this be considered an O-tanto or is that just a made up term that has no real meaning?

 

Thanks Chris

[Danocon]

here's a wakizashi and a katana, [attachment=1]sa YUKIHIDE.JPG[/attachment] [attachment=0]sa YUKIHIDE 1868.jpg[/attachment]

Thanks Adam.

 

The katana is the one I have been working on. The wakazashi is very nice. Looks like a keeper (for patterns) to me.

[Danocon]

Hi, Dan:

 

Would you care to share exactly how you went about digitizing your blades? I've done a couple using AutoCAD, but have never been really pleased with the results.

 

Thanks!

 

Ken

HeHe!

Sure, but it it is not really very high tech. Just time consuming.

 

First I manipulated the file to make it bigger. Went to Fedex Office and printed it out until the the actual dimensions matched the stated dimensions.

The I took some 1/8" grid graph paper as a reference and punched holes top and bottom. (Please note the plywood under the pattern to protect my wife's table :D )

 

I drew lines and set a hard reference at the top. Luckily the image set had close a up of the Kissaki that I used.

 

 

 

 

I then took a set of calipers and carefully measured from the top reference and recorded where the various features of the blade crossed my reference lines.

 

Even with all the care i took this is what I got.

 

Pretty ugly.

 

So I blew up the photo of the kissaki, cut it out and literally taped it to my screen :lol:

 

And started adjusting points .001"-.005" at a time.

 

When I finished with the profile I carefully cut away the mune and then the shinogi to fill in the details.

 

In the end of all this I got very very close but the final judge was my eye trying to match what I saw. It was easy to make small errors when cutting out the pattern.It was surprising how moving a point as little as .001" changed the profile.

 

Here is the result.

 

Is it an absolute perfect match. Nope but very close and good enough for me to study and try and replicate. I am not out to make copies of great swords but copying is the best way to establish a baseline of skills and understanding.

[cabowen]

I see your point. The first one is rather unremarkable. The second is more interesting but BIG. Would this be considered an O-tanto or is that just a made up term that has no real meaning?

 

Thanks Chris

 

They call it a wakizashi but usually, when just over 1 shaku, such as this blade, it is called a sun'nobi-tanto or o-tanto....