Muromachi Koshirae

[Jean]

Remember that a year and a half ago, I bought a project Koshirae from Christian M. Fittings were not the appropriate ones for a Tensho Koshirae. I trid instead to have a Muromachi one to fit my Yamato blade, using all fittings I got from Christian Koshirae. I tried tto have a saya looking old but nnot destroyed.

 

iron F/K, old menuki, katsuchi tsuba

[raven2]

Very nice Jean. You have really kept at it. Not an easy thing to accomplish.

[Tcat]

Gorgeous, goes together a treat! Congrats Jean

[christianmalterre]

Great Jean !!

 

it does make me an very big pleasure to see this!

Very very nice!

(i do remember it well,buying me the those times needed Metabo for that deal we did... )

(still very happy with...and this time me do further invest into mine IPSC Match tuning..see mine sales add...)

 

Always happy one does not simply buy but also does work with some things!

 

Congratulations!

This mounting is very lovely done!

 

Christian

[Alex A]

Looks great Jean, these older style utilitarian koshirae have a certain appeal, that to me just cant be beat....

[Soshin]

Hi Jean,

 

Great job! Good to see one of my old tsuba that was once in my collection being put to use. :D I also recently sold a tsuba in my collection to a UK collector who is using it for a koshirae for a nihonto.

 

 

P.S. What is the style of ito called on the tsuka?

[Jean]

Katate Maki

[george trotter]

I too like katate maki Jean...are you left handed?

Regards,

[Guido]

Please, someone stop me from going to the root cellar and unchain my evil twin ...

[John A Stuart]

Cry havoc and loose the evil twin!! He needs feeding. John

[cabowen]

I applaud your desire to create a period koshirae Jean but, and I am not a connoisseur of koshirae, I wonder if the execution of the tsuka couldn't have been done at a higher level...

[takakage]

Congrats Jean.

 

I know now that you are a fan of leather.......

[terry8441]

Jean, It looks Great!

[Jean]

Yes you are absolutely right Chris, but I wanted something rustic and did not want to ruin myself being short of cash. Had some difficulties with the leather thong/strap as it has some real elasticity, that's why the spires are not parallel, I am not particularly satisfied either with the tong at the level of the fuchi. As I have seen it on some pictures, I was wondering if I shall not lacquer it after adjusting the spires (parallel). The objective was not to make a perfect copy of a Muromachi Koshirae but one "à la manière de". The cost of a real one would have been prohibitive and of no interest. These koshirae were very simple and robust, nothing fancy. F/K, menuki and tsuba are as plain and as inexpensive as one can find. The real cost of this koshirae was the tsunagi, the saya, the lacquer.

[cabowen]

Not to pick at it too much, but It seems to me that the leather ito should be flush with the fuchi, not above it, and perhaps as you note, more uniform in its application. I understand the spirit you sought though and think in general you were successful in achieving it....

[Jean]

Totally agreed Chris, that's what I tried to explain in my comments above

[cabowen]

Totally agreed Chris, that's what I tried to explain in my comments above

 

Got it.....Thanks again for sharing this...

[Jean]

In fact, in a near future, I shall have it rebinded. It is only a question of getting a new leather thong, the main work is done

[Soshin]

In fact, in a near future, I shall have it rebinded. It is only a question of getting a new leather thong, the main work is done

 

It is good hear that Jean did not overpay on the tsuba. I remember buying the tsuba for cheap and selling equally for cheap on NMB. Can anyone provide some photographic examples of what the leather ito of a muromachi koshirae done in the "Katate Maki" style should look like? I am not at all familiar with this type of koshirae more or less the style of tsuka with leather ito.

[BMarkhasin]

Here is an image of a katate maki style wrapping ca. late Muromachi/Momoyama. A decent example.

 

This example was from Fred Wiesberg's site several years ago. A very nice, typical late Muromachi example.

 

Best,

Boris.

[Soshin]

Hi Boris,

 

Thanks for providing some good reference examples of what the leather ito should look like on this style of koshirae.

[ancientnoob]

Jean,

 

Beautiful Koshirae. You inspire me and came about this thread looking for examples of rustic muromachi koshirae. :lol: I am looking to do something similar with my piece. I don't believe I am crafy enought to do it myself but I have most of the metal parts I need from my existing Koshirae. I am far less confident with my craft skills then you are for sure. I would need to pay somone to do it or do it myself and have it look like hadies. Right now I am in the process of finding a an appropriate muromachi era iron tsuba.

 

You inspire me...and well done.

[Marius]

Boris, I hate you!

 

Seen some of your koshirae, did not buy, regretting ever since...

[Jean]

Nathan,

 

It is a revisited (by myself) Muromachi wrapping and I love it. You have two example of the real one posted by Boris. There is only one constant on both wrapping, I let you and other members find which one. BTW this means there were several ways to implement the Muromachi wrapping

 

Edit to add: you will notice that the fuchi/kashira are very different between the two examples and that the final knots are different.

[Stephen]

not sure if is the same, most likly not but showing anyway, Jean if your happy with it fine but im thinking your going to do it again untill your truly happy with it.

[rkg]

and here's another image of an early tsuka

 

Best,

 

rkg

(Richard George)

[Jean]

Thanks a lot for these examples, Stephen and George, very inspiring. I prefer them to Boris examples, because in his examples the menuki are hidden. Stephen, I think you are right :D

 

Edit to add: in George example, the spires are both spaced and not regular.

 

George any idea of the date?

[Stephen]

Jean

 

my metals teacher asked if I was happy with my work, if not do it ten more times.

[Pete Klein]

I remember that koshirae which Boris posted from Fred's site, the one with the yellow border to the picture. Juyo Toso and around $20K if memory serves. The menuki were two metal bars under the wrap. Purely utilitarian, no drama.

[Dave R]

A fair bit of useful information here, sorry if this is already posted on site. http://www.thejapanesesword.com/forum/v ... f=29&t=124