Saya For Wakizashi In Progress

[SAS]

This saya for one of my wakizashi is made from from poplar wood, with horn koiguchi and kurikata. This is after the second coat of urushi; the first coat caused the grain to rise on the wood, and i decided i liked the textured look. Conditions here in American Samoa are perfect for urushi application.....hot and humid. Coats are drying overnight dry to the touch. Saya will have many thin coats applied.

[SAS]

Tsuka and sword in place, more work to do

[SAS]

Final look; red urushi under a final black matte coat, then red urushi applied in a speckled pattern.

[SAS]

By the way, urushi has an affect on many people similar to poison oak and poison ivy; be careful if you try it. I have gotten multiple rashes from this and i was being careful.

[obiwanknabbe]

Where are you even getting Urushi? I have never seen any supplier for it here in the states.

 

 

kurt k

[Jean]

There are are quite a few shops in Japan which sell it.

[Brian]

Don't think they export though...it is a little bit controlled. Cashew lacquer...yes. Maybe some will export the real thing. I have some here, never tried it though.

[Jean]

My late friend Jean-Claude was doing urushi lacquer, so he had no problem importing it, same for Zenon Van Damme.

[Guido]

  On 2/5/2016 at 10:16 AM, Brian said:

Don't think they export though...it is a little bit controlled. Cashew lacquer...yes.

 

It's the other way around: no shipping of Cashew, urushi can be shipped.

[Stephen]

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=urushi

[Brian]

  On 2/5/2016 at 11:19 AM, Guido Schiller said:

It's the other way around: no shipping of Cashew, urushi can be shipped.

 

Yeah? Wow. Learned something again. Wonder why?

[obiwanknabbe]

Sweet.. thanks for the links guys... I just finished the fine stages of wood work on a gunto saya and lacquer is the last step.

 

Kurt k

[SAS]

I get mine from Namikawa Heibei.

[Guido]

  On 2/5/2016 at 4:24 PM, Brian said:

Wonder why?

 

Apparently because Cashew lacquer is a highly flammable liquid. Japan banned export by sear and/or air in 2010. And since Japan is an island last time I looked  , that means a total ban on shipping. However, I brought Cashew out of Japan in my suitcase on several occasions since the ban (but only small amounts), so there's a way around it.

[SAS]

Does anybody like the way my saya is turning out? Or not, and why?

[Ken-Hawaii]

Kinda' got sidetracked, didn't it, Steve?  The texture of your saya looks good, but I'm having trouble seeing the red urushi.

 

Ken

 

[SAS]

I can see it ok on my monitor, but there is not a lot of red, just kind of abstract splashes of it. I can try to take pictures in better light if you would like.

[Greg F]

Its looking good Steve. I saw one somewhere on the net with the reverse (red with black specks) recently but was smooth, I think the black looks good whith the grainy look. Have you decided on the ito and same color and style or the fittings to put with it? Quite the handy man! All the best.

 

Greg

 

PS. Better pics/light would probably show it off a bit better.

[SAS]

It is very difficult to get the red to show up in pictures, though it is visible to the eye. One more try.... My intention is to just use samegawa without ito if it comes out good, but i have some blue and gold ito if it doesn't. I am still waiting for the samegawa. Thanks,

[Bazza]

I have seen different styles of negoro nuri and I offer here a picture of lacquer on a tanto saya I have that seems quite different to any other style I have seen.

 

Best regards,

BaZZa.

[Brian Ayres]

I like the raised rough look from the grain rising. The red is just enough. Subtle and not in your face.

Poison oak/ivy destroys me. I will leave the Urushi to others. I know that students are tested before they begin work to see if they are allergic. I won't even bother to try. Not worth the risk! ????

Though I am a bit jealous. I think urushi and some magnolia would be the answer to my not liking to do leatherwork for my knives.

[SAS]

Even when it seems dry, a reaction to the urushi can occur. Just applying the small amount of red with a brush caused microspoic amounts of urushi to get on my holding hand and cause a rash that lasted over a week. Thank you for the positive comments.