Alex A Posted March 26, 2013 Report Posted March 26, 2013 I am aware that when sheathing a katana its mune side down. Is there anyone out there who has ever damaged the very end of the kissaki whilst doing this. Im talking about the very fine point on a sharp kissaki. A while ago i noticed the very tip of one of my swords had a slight bend, hardly visable, im talking minute, but it is there. Ive never bumped it, im always careful. It was either there and ive never noticed it or ive done it when sheathing the blade, is this possible? Alex Quote
Grey Doffin Posted March 26, 2013 Report Posted March 26, 2013 Hi Alex, If you miss the koi guchi and bump the kissaki against the wood of the saya the kissaki could get bent. Barring that I don't see how it could happen. Grey Quote
hxv Posted March 26, 2013 Report Posted March 26, 2013 Alex, It's not very likely that you bent the tip of the kissaki while sheathing the sword (without any mishap). It was probably always there, unnoticed until now. Regards, Hoanh Quote
Alex A Posted March 26, 2013 Author Report Posted March 26, 2013 Cheers guys, its a strange one. Hopefully just something ive missed. Alex. Quote
Toryu2020 Posted March 26, 2013 Report Posted March 26, 2013 it is possible to break a tip doing noto, it is also very possible to break the tip on nukitsuke. for this reason a "iaido" polish includes flattening the ha-saki at the very tip to make it just a touch more robust... we always tell beginners "you can take metal off the tip but you cant put it back on!" -t Quote
Alex A Posted March 26, 2013 Author Report Posted March 26, 2013 Hi Thomas, the tip is fine, probably too fine for my liking. I understand now why there is a need for an iaido polish. Alex. Quote
John A Stuart Posted March 26, 2013 Report Posted March 26, 2013 I have never broken one, but, did make a little hitch on one when entering jodan no kamae and was too close to the wall and lightly, to me, hit it. It caused me to be very angry and embarrased. John Quote
Alex A Posted March 26, 2013 Author Report Posted March 26, 2013 Thats is something that is likely to happen only once John. I have managed to re-straighten it, dont ask me how i went about it, lets just say its back to normal, very nearly anyway Alex. Quote
george trotter Posted March 28, 2013 Report Posted March 28, 2013 About 1980, I was once standing with a (then) prominent collector who was showing a complete novice one of his swords. The novice, in ignorance, raised the sword and, facing the owner, swung the sword in a downward cut...there was no mekugi!. The blade slid out, hit the wooden floor and ricochetted between the owner's legs and hit the brick wall just behind him...that broke the tip!!! (sorry, I still have nightmares about broken tips!). From memory the blade was by Yamamura Sukeyuki (Slough p.166)...the other names are best kept quiet Regards, Quote
hxv Posted March 28, 2013 Report Posted March 28, 2013 George, Let's just say the "prominent" collector was sufficiently lucky not to lose anything between his legs Hoanh Quote
Grey Doffin Posted March 28, 2013 Report Posted March 28, 2013 Which is why you NEVER have a sword in koshirae, Samurai or shira saya, without a mekugi. You put the tsuka on, you add the mekugi; never an excuse not to. Grey Quote
george trotter Posted March 28, 2013 Report Posted March 28, 2013 A very shocking experience...and you are right Hoanh, he was very lucky. I have always checked my mekugi and was very surprised that this advanced collector had a blade without mekugi. He said he had earlier been cleaning/examining the blade and had not yet put the mekugi in ...still inexcuseable in my opinion...and even worse...the blade was not his! I don't know what he said to the owner...I think he felt obliged to pay for the blade....which is why grasshopper, you must ALWAYS run your eye (and also fingertip) over the mekugi head whenever you pick up ANY sword...just to be sure it is there! Knowledgeable samurai always did this, including every time they picked up their own sword...and always carried a spare mekugi with them...just in case. Sorry if I have diverted this thread...but this does concern damage a tip...not by sheathing the blade but by de-blade-ing the tsuka (not funny!). Regards, Quote
Alex A Posted March 28, 2013 Author Report Posted March 28, 2013 Crikey George, nigntmare for the novice and double trouble for the guy who owned the sword! . A good while ago i was in sword shop with a wak looking for fuchi and a tsuba to fit. There was 5 or 6 guys spending a saturday afternoon looking at the swords in the shop, all great guys i might add, very helpful. I took my wak out of the shirasaya to show them, quite nervously, these guys know there stuff. Anyway, one guy came up to me and very politely told me that if i had took his sword out out of the saya the way i had took my sword out of the saya there would have been bother, a nice gent, he was half joking when he said it or was he . A learning curve, i suppose. Alex Quote
Marius Posted March 29, 2013 Report Posted March 29, 2013 A well shaped kissaki will not break easily. Unfortunatelly, there are many polishares who shape the tip to be very acute. Such a tip is very easily bent and broken. Usagiya has a brief article on proper shaping, including a section on kissaki: http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~sumie99/shaping.html Quote
Alex A Posted March 29, 2013 Author Report Posted March 29, 2013 Hi Mariusz, agreed, as much as it may sound over the top, i am now assuming it may be possible to bend a fine tip as it moves down the saya, this sword has a very fine tip and the blade as deep sori and a long kissaki, it doesnt seem to travel well as it goes down the saya, maybe a fault on the saya. I may be wrong but just as a precaution im going to be extra careful. Alex. Quote
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