Split Saya

[diprivanman]

I have a pretty plain black laquered saya.

It is split at the top, where the sword is inserted. It is split for about 3 inches.

What should I do to repair it?

Thanks

Mike

[Ken-Hawaii]

Repairing a saya is really no fun at all, Mike. I suggest sending out to your favorite sword shop to let them handle that work. If your saya is actively used with an iaito, I suggest having them wrap the top six inches (closest to the koiguchi) with bamboo. I had mine done that way several years ago, & it's worked wonders with my noto & sayabiki.

 

But if you're really a glutton for punishment, here are some links I've found for saya repairs:

 

http://ejmas.com/tin/2005tin/tinart_forbes_0105.html

 

http://ejmas.com/tin/tinart_fowler_0602.htm

 

http://www.britishblades.com/home/artic ... article=29

[Darcy]

Also John Tirado could fix it so it was like new.

 

http://www.sayashi.com/

 

Might take 9 months or so because he's busy, but his lacquer work is beautiful.

[Grey Doffin]

In the mean time, before either you fix the saya or send it to someone else, here is a simple, effective, and reversible fix that will do no damage

You need masking tape and plain paper. Cut a strip of paper a bit wider than the tape and long enough to go once and a half around the saya. Wrap the paper around the saya a few inches below where you want the fix to end up. Tightly wrap the paper in masking tape. Now, slide the tape covered paper up the saya. Because the saya is larger the closer you get to the koi-guchi the paper will get tighter as it goes up. You may have to play with this a bit, make a try or 2 before you get it right, but you'll end up with a saya as tight as you want it. What's more, since the tape doesn't touch the saya it won't leave a residue when later you slide it down and get the saya fixed right.

By the way, whenever you're shipping a sword it's not a bad idea to do this even if the saya isn't split. Sayas split easily if a package is dropped; this should help guard against that.

Grey

[Brian]

Grey,

You are a genius :D

Such a simple trick, and I was still using rubber bands.

Great when you are storing that old saya before you can have repairs done.

Heck...if you photograph or scan your saya pattern, and print that out and cut the strip from it, and use clear masking tape, you won't even notice it from a distance :D

 

Thanks for a great tip.

 

Brian

[kusunokimasahige]

you might find this terrible, but i do have a fairly well done replica katana at my house on which the saya also split at the same place.

 

now of course this was no antique so i removed the sword, put a small wooden wedge in the saya carefully untill the split was opened to about 2.5 to 3 millimeters.

 

then I took simple and plain wood-glue and put a thin layer on each side of the split.

 

I then pushed the two halves together (by rubber band/clamps) and removed all excess glue after which I repainted the split side with Urushi.

 

all in all its hardly visible.

 

Now I dont know how old your saya is but its a way.

 

KM

[Guest Simon Rowson]

KM said:

then I took simple and plain wood-glue and put a thin layer on each sore of the split.

 

Only problem with wood-glue is that it will eventually cause an antique blade to rust.

 

This is why they use rice and water as glue for saya in Japan - even those that are urushi-lacquered (rice glue also bonds chemically with the urushi apparently).

 

Simon

[kusunokimasahige]

Ah thank you for that info! I did not know that wood-glue (the white goo) did that!! i use it on furniture, model aeroplanes etcetera...

 

anyway my replica sword is chromed zink alloy so it wont rust... i wouldnt put my Nihonto in the scabbard though....

 

is there any way of making rice glue yourself? or are there any vendors?

 

KM

[Guest Simon Rowson]

Cold cooked rice, mixed with water and kneaded until it's the consistancy of "an earlobe" - that's all there is to it.

[kusunokimasahige]

makes me shiver to think i have to put my earlobe between the split of the saya and then let it release hahahahahahaha...

 

any rice preferred? sushi rice? broken rice? pandan?

 

 

KM

[Grey Doffin]

I use a short grain white called Kokuho, which seems to be available at most Oriental groceries.

Rice glue doesn't stain the wood, if any squeezes into the saya it won't scratch the blade, and it is reversible (it can be taken apart if necessary).

Which brings me to a question. I know about rice glue from making shoji and I know I can break the bond with a sharp rap with a mallet. How are shira-saya split when the time comes to clean the inside and reglue?

Grey