Selecting fuchi kashira

[Bond]

Gents, what should be the right fuchi size for the katana? Blade is 32 mm.

I heard bigger is better, like 4cm length or over. Though my wooden bokken handle measures 37-38mm and feels perfectly fine.

Thanks

[TosoguCz]

Gents, what should be the right fuchi size for the katana? Blade is 32 mm.

I heard bigger is better, like 4cm length or over. Though my wooden bokken handle measures 37-38mm and feels perfectly fine.

Thanks

 

It is not completely matter of blade but rather tsuka. Ancient Japanese were small figure so their tsuka, thus also fuchi were also smaller. Today European and American are much bigger than Japanese in the ancient times, so bigger tsuka means more comfortable grip. Today's usual katana fuchi size for big westerners are aobut 40-41,5mm. But small person can require smaller fuchi about 38-39mm today too.

 

Also fuchi is usually bigger than tsuka in the centre, but bokken have straight tsuka.

[laowho]

Yes, they were fitted for typical hand size, and if you look at Lohmans you'll see them designating katana-sized fuchi @ 40mm for their western customers (and 38mm as wak size), and possibly also to better match some of the wider production blades. But really, you have to consider the whole finished blade in koshirae. A wider blade might necessitate a wider fuchi so that the koiguchi will make a better match/smooth transition across the intervening tsuba. Personally, I prefer the fuchi and koiguchi to match in size as much as possible.

 

http://www.aoijapan.com/uchi-katana-koshirae

 

And even/especially when the blade is unsheathed, I want the fuchi and habaki to line up. Besides, a wider blade will have a wider nakago anyway, necessitating a wider tsuka and fuchi. Others will know better.

[Bond]

Roman, Doug, thank you for the comments.

 

Let me rethink my question. I want to make a traditional koshirae for my sword. And I would like it to be same as if it was originally made for this particular blade. I do not intend to practice with it.

 

Measurements are quite standard:

Nagasa: 66,4cm

Nakago: 19,7cm

Kasane: 7mm

Width at machi: 3,2cm

Width at yokote: 2cm

Kissaki: 3,7cm

 

But I can see only very few fuchi for sale that measure 40mm+.

So my question is if 37-38mm is a norm and bigger fuchi is for the wider or more massive blades? I mean from the Japanese point of view?

 

It also would be extremely interesting to see the pictures if anyone had made their koshirae. And I would appreciate any advises if someone has been through this before.

It would be nice to avoid at least some mistakes :-)

 

Good point about the koiguchi, it indeed needs to be same as fuchi, thanks Doug.

 

 

And btw, I would like to buy fuchi&kashira and menuki matching water or clouds or dragon theme. I find combination of black shakudo with gold accents quite appealing, but any offers are welcome :-)

 

Thanks!

[Alex A]

A wiser man once said to me "enjoy your blade as it is, in shirasaya".

[laowho]

Your blade width is fairly standard (even if considered robust by nihonto standards) and you should be able to get away with a 38mm fuchi no problem, provided your habaki isn't overly large and you keep your saya thickness modest. We're doing our build now so no pics yet, but the FK was probably the most difficult component to find, largely b/c we'd painted ourselves into a corner by deciding on the tsuba first (and we were eventually helped by members here).

 

But yes, everything is historical, though the components don't necessarily match by period, but rather by patina and style. Our original blade fell through and the replacement blade just wouldn't take the original tsuba, so that got replaced too, and we followed Haynes suggestion that the tsuba should be yin to the blade's yang. But we liked the original dragon menuki and determined to keep those, but my wife selected a Ho-o bird (phoenix) tsuba, but this is the mortal enemy of the dragon, UNLESS they are paired together, in which case they represent wedded bliss...you get the idea.

 

It all starts with the blade and what it wants. Enjoy. We've had a great time figuring everything out all while sitting with the blade in shirasaya. Remember too that even though blades may have started out with matching/themed fittings, with time the koshirae got replaced, point being that if you restricted yourself to matching FK/menuki/tsuba, you wouldn't have much to choose from and you'd certainly pay a premium. Take your time, have fun window shopping, and listen to the blade. The theme will reveal itself.

 

(But p.s. Perhaps have some regard for the type of dragon you select as per your waves vs. clouds ideas...water dragons look a lot different than the more fully matured sky and heaven dragons, for instance. )

[Kai-Gunto]

I have made a koshirae with old parts for a customer.

[Bond]

Alex, right, it is probably better and cheaper to find a sword with koshirae in the first place :-)

But I already have a sword and to fully appreciate it I want to feel its weight and its balance, i want to feel menuki and ito tightly wrapped around the tsuka.

Just my humble opinion - sword without koshirae is lets say like an engine of antique car but without the body :-) It is very nice, but its just incomplete.

Or another parallel can be a samurai sleeping in his night pyjamas vs. the same samurai fully dressed in his armour.

If you see what I mean :-)

 

Well, I understand that unfortunately the investment in making a koshirae will by far exceed the end result value. And I can accept that. But would then at least prefer to find more kind of a bargain deal, its no rush now, not like when I was buying a sword :-)

 

 

Doug, thanks again for your comment and advises, very interesting. I feel that my sword is screaming for koshirae :-)

And 38mm opens more options which I am happy about. Do you know approx when your koshirae can be completed? Would be very interesting to see some photos, also of the work-in-progress and the fittings maybe? :-)

 

Regarding the dragons, what is the difference? I have seen so far simplified dragons, then the ones with the scales and without scales. Plus the scaled dragons – males and females, with or without a ken on the tail.

Which ones are the sky, water and heaven dragons?

[Alex A]

Understand Aleksandr, was just thinking out loud, done a few myself.

 

Buy decent fittings, if you buy low end parts you may end up regretting it, especially if you value your sword.

 

Maybe worth considering having everything new, Tsuba, fuchi koshirae, menuki and seppa, it gives it that personal touch, rather than mixing the old with the new. No fit issues, which can be an headache.

 

I enjoyed searching for parts too, educational. It can take some time sourcing correct parts, which can be a blessing, spreads the cost out.

[Bond]

Decent fittings - that indeed sounds wise, thanks. I was actually considering modern cast menuki, but you are probably right.

 

And regarding new fittings, the dragon theme seems to be somewhat popular around late Edo what fits the blade and I am more leaning towards the old fittings. Though maybe

[Guido]

Making a new koshirae isn't only about using quality parts, it has a lot to do with good taste and appropriate fittings. Aoi Art is auctioning off swords for some time now that obviously come from the same colletion, and a collector who had new koshirae made for his blades; here's an example: http://www.aoijapan.com/katana-tairyusa ... tting-test

 

Tsuba, fuchi and menuki have tokubetsu hozon papers, the lacquer and tsukamaki are of high quality. And the result looks ... just awful! I'm sure the owner spared no expenses, but the whole koshirae is less than the sum of its parts.

[mywei]

Making a new koshirae isn't only about using quality parts, it has a lot to do with good taste and appropriate fittings. Aoi Art is auctioning off swords for some time now that obviously come from the same colletion, and a collector who had new koshirae made for his blades; here's an example: http://www.aoijapan.com/katana-tairyusa ... tting-test

 

Tsuba, fuchi and menuki have tokubetsu hozon papers, the lacquer and tsukamaki are of high quality. And the result looks ... just awful! I'm sure the owner spared no expenses, but the whole koshirae is less than the sum of its parts.

 

It's all down to a matter of taste I guess.... you can't please everyone

[laowho]

Sure, I'll try to get pics up. But just some observations if you don't mind...

 

I know nothing about properly identifying anything nihonto for school, date, maker, etc., though I've been doing a lotta homework to at least know what little I can about what we selected and why. (Interestingly enough, in all of this I've moved from an insistence on the Nobuiye and Kaneie scenic-type solid plates to a beginning of an appreciation for sukashi, tho I still haven't mustered any understanding of all the excitement over Akasaka, etc.)

 

Re: the dragons, maybe start here where Brian breaks down the basics

 

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=20328

 

And check out Chen Rong's Nine Dragons here (you can scroll the entire panel below)

 

http://www.mfa.org/collections/object/n ... gons-28526

 

Re: fuchi size, your koiguchi may still be larger than your fuchi, but it won't have to be a lot larger/should still blend well.

 

Re: fittings, our original blade was from a western smith and we had originally considered Lohmans fittings for this, but then realized that for a little more we could have original. Moreover, since being captured by tsuba years ago, I've always wanted some shibuichi and shakudo--and for warmth/texture/color, cast reproduction just couldn't compare. We rationalized...new western blade, old Japanese fittings, blending...so yeah, you WILL rationalize, maybe especially re: theme. Of course, once we decided instead on a Japanese blade, cast repros were never an option.

 

Re: our build, I can only tell you what we went through. Our same and silk ito are from Namikawa/Hebei in Japan (wonderful), our tsuba from Haynes, our FK from Ian C here at the boards, our menuki from the recent sword show in Philly, our blade from AoiArt, our saya billet from NWTimber (recommend maybe Namikawa/Hebei's precut blanks unless you have access to a bandsaw), our sageo from some god-awful place that charged ridiculous shipping (only place I could find the cord in natural fiber), our seppa nickel silver plate from some jeweler's place, and our buffalo horn from Nihonzashi.

 

Re: shirasaya, our blade will rest in this. We'll make a wooden blade to hold the koshirae with it.

 

Will try to get pics up soon. As for what looks good, only you know. "The more you look for truth outside yourself, the further away it gets."

[Bond]

Guido, regarding that koshirae. Well, I would agree with Matt, taste is often a difficult to agree on subject. Awful... Saya is beautiful, fuchi and menuki are very nice. But yes, there is probably something different in that whole thing. Maybe it would look better with matching kashira? Or shakudo tsuba? Or maybe kozuka would also help? Plus different color ito?

Just thinking out loud

 

 

Woow Doug, what a great story and a wonderful journey! Very inspirational!

Thanks so much and I am looking forward to the photos :-)

 

I have read through the links and the whole big thing about the dragons. Interesting, where they are hiding these days...

 

Btw, i found interesting menuki that I believe could match the dragon's theme, unfortunately they are not for sale:

[laowho]

Wow, those are beautiful. Must be modern? Still...

[Bond]

Yes probably modern, I found this picture in the internet