Bamboo or horn mekugi - does it matter?

[Drago]

Hi,

 

on many webistes they offer mekugi made from bamboo or horn. Is there a difference (besides the different material of course)? Is one stronger or more durable?

 

Thank you.

[Ian]

Bamboo in my opinion is far far stronger. Horn is only used aesthetically.

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Bugyotsuji]

Horn often gets attacked by small creatures that eat it, so old horn can look bad.

 

Bamboo, better still smoked bamboo seems to be the best all-round option if you can get it. Fun to make the mekugi yourself, though.

[Justin Grant]

Our world traveler (Piers)

 

Do tell us about making smoked Bamboo. I'm game for a try.

[drbvac]

Don't inhale = tough to draw on - but then you don't get very high either so you can still whittle it down.

[Bugyotsuji]

Justin, I wouldn't know how to go about deliberately smoking bamboo (weed analogy aside!), but you could set up an experiment along the lines of smoked herring, smoked cheese, etc., I suppose.

 

Bamboo poles that have been part of an old house's kitchen, or living room with central fire, turned dark brown or black over a couple of hundred years. When those old farmhouses were knocked down, such bamboo was prized. Not too long ago they commanded relatively high prices in Japan, but now you can get the stuff fairly easily and cheaply. Good for Mekugi and also for Mekugi-nuki; I have one on my keyring that I patiently whittled myself.

 

Possibly it's even on sale on J Yahoo. 'Susudake' or 'Susu-dake' might bring it up.

https://www.google.com/search?q=%E7%85% ... 2&ie=UTF-8

[george trotter]

Just thinking...wouldn't it depend on whether you use the sword or not?

If always a collector/art piece then a nice horn mekugi would look nice...if for iai, then a nice strong smoked/pickled/organically blessed mekugi would be desireable?

I have had a number of gunto containing gendai, shinto and koto blades over the years that had their original (to WWII) horn mekugi, so I suppose at least some officers preferred horn and some preferred bamboo...ee ka, warui ka, dou ka, wakarimasen.

Hope this helps,

[Danocon]

Here is a modern way to do it.

 

Charcoal fire is more traditional.

[Guido]

Real smoked bamboo (Hon-Susudake 本すす竹) is exactly that, smoked. In the old days people put fresh bamboo into the rafters of Minka (farm houses) above the fire place for at least a year, usually much longer. Nowadays craftsmen use smokers, and are quite secretive about their methods. But there is no shortage of this material from old houses, and a sizable piece can be bought from Namikawa Heibei for just 1,000 Yen (http://www.namikawa-ltd.co.jp/cgi/item_ ... e=14&no=28).

 

BTW, bamboo is the preferred material for Mekugi, because even if it breaks, there are still enough fibers left to keep it together; horn just snaps. That's why swords that are meant to be used have bamboo Mekugi, and Shirasaya and "display Tantō" have horn Mekugi.

 

IIRC, Keith Larman and Ted Tenold sometimes use Delrin as a Mekugi material: polished it looks like horn, but is as strong as it gets.

[cabowen]

Bamboo was part of the structure in traditional gassho-zukuri style farmhouses, and used in other styles of minka as well. The irori, or open fire pit, in such houses, sent smoke up through the upper levels of the structure and through a vent. Traditionally, there was a fire in the irori 24/7/365 as the smoke and heat helped preserve the thatch and kept insects and animals from infesting it. All this smoke also "cured" the bamboo parts of the structure in the upper levels over the course of a few hundred years. This material can be expensive retail but it can be easy to get and free if you happen by a demolition site! I had a pile of it but as it was covered with a few hundred years of soot, my wife said toss it when we moved to the US. Maybe I will pick some up the next time I am in Japan- might make a good year end raffle offering....

[Drago]

I see. Thank you very much.

 

So when I soon order my ito from Heibei, I might also order a piece of bamboo for mekugi.