Painting my Saya

[zac]

I want to paint some awesome looking cherry blossoms on the next sayas that I get. I already know the pattern, but I need to know what paint I should use and if it won't damage the swords at all. Anything and everything would be greatly appreciated.

 

Arigato!

[John A Stuart]

There are appliques you can get, but, if you must paint, cashew or urushi are available. They require quite tedious prep and curing. John

[Lorenzo]

Please avoid doing anything on any antique piece.

[Stephen]

cashew or urushi are available. They require quite tedious prep and curing. John

 

and can be very toxic

[Jean]

Stephen is very right. Dangerous products.

[zac]

Would I need to go over the saya again, after I've painted it, with the lacquer? I'm very new to this and want to make a decorative set that could still be used.

[Alex A]

Hello Zac, you might want to read this as a rough idea. A skilled job, best to get the finish right.

If your in the UK, I could recommend a few folk who do this kind of work.

 

Ps, as mentioned above, not for antique pieces. Also be aware that if you come to sell your swords in the future, as much as you like it, some folk might not.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_lacquerware

[zac]

Alex, I'm going to work on something I could get with B-Day + Christmas $$$. Unfortunately, I'm state-side. Thanks for the link, I never would have thought to use Wikipedia otherwise.

 

And lastly, what kind of paint should I use? I seriously have no clue what I should use.

[Guido]

Cashew, being a natural urethane resin, doesn't cause contact dermatitis like urushi.

[Stephen]

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cashew- ... liquid.htm

 

sure Gman is right, i was going by what i was told by a saya maker. Same family as sumac and ivy.

 

A by-product of cashew processing, cashew nutshell liquid is obtained from the honeycomb-type structure between the layers of the shell. The irritating nature of this viscous liquid is the reason why the cashew nut isn't sold with its shell casing. If the oil comes in contact with human skin, it causes eye irritations, skin rashes, and burning sensations. This property of the the cashew nut is the reason why it was called the blister nut in earlier times. Its family tree includes close connections to poison ivy and poison sumac

[Dave R]

A lot depends on what you buy in the way of a sword.... The Chinese made ones often use "Piano Varnish" as a finish rather than lacquer.

[Brian]

Urushi has high concentrations of urushiol, which is the allergen that causes all the grief.

Cashew lacquer contains far less urushiol, and doesn't cause a reaction in most people. But there are some who do still have a reaction to it. Still preferable to urushi though.

 

As for painting your saya, if it is original I would advise not to. The Japanese aesthetic isn't one you are going to capture overnight, and it will likely decrease value greatly to a future collector. Perhaps have a new saya made and on that one, go mad. But preserve the old one.

 

Brian

[ROKUJURO]

Zac,

 

why don't you show us your SAYA and a sketch of what you want to add as embellishment? We would then be able to help and give advice. Paint isn't lacquer, and sometimes the wrong paint can ruin the underground.

 

Please sign all posts with at least a first name as per the board rules.

[zac]

Zac,

 

why don't you show us your SAYA and a sketch of what you want to add as embellishment? We would then be able to help and give advice. Paint isn't lacquer, and sometimes the wrong paint can ruin the underground.

 

Please sign all posts with at least a first name as per the board rules.

Urushi has high concentrations of urushiol, which is the allergen that causes all the grief.

Cashew lacquer contains far less urushiol, and doesn't cause a reaction in most people. But there are some who do still have a reaction to it. Still preferable to urushi though.

 

As for painting your saya, if it is original I would advise not to. The Japanese aesthetic isn't one you are going to capture overnight, and it will likely decrease value greatly to a future collector. Perhaps have a new saya made and on that one, go mad. But preserve the old one.

 

Brian

 

I don't quite have all of the materials yet, but I have been contemplating making a few spare saya just in case I mess up. Thank you all so much for the advice and tips. As for the design/pattern I will put a picture of my most recent drawing.

[Alex A]

If your a DIY kind of guy, think of the lacquered sword stands you could make, a business opportunity

[zac]

I couldn't get the file to upload. Try this link instead: https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hph ... 1068_n.jpg

 

Note: They will be pink on the saya.

 

Zac

[ROKUJURO]

Zac,

 

Japanese are very conventional people. Have you ever seen a SAYA decorated like this? The drawing is quite nice, I would love to see it on a KAKEMONO, but definitely not on a SAYA.

[drjoe]

since you're talking about using the swords and saya, i'm going to assume you're not talking about nihonto. if you are talking about nihonto, then you really shouldn't try anything like this. here's why:

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/2 ... 21389.html

 

if you're not talking about nihonto, then there are a range of options for decorating your saya, but you're probably on the wrong forum for information.