Menuki Tsuka Fitting

[kissakai]

Hi

I did a quick search within this section before I asked this question. Sure I've seen something before but I can't find the post

 

I want to fix two menuki on to a wakizashi tsuka

 

1) what is the correct orientation? One has a moon over clouds but the other I haven't found out the theme

 

2) how should they be fixed?

They did cover a peg hole but this is not used to fix the blade

I intend to use a wooden blade (forgot the term) to hold the koshirae together

 

[Gunome]

Hello,

 

The wooden blade is a tsunagi

To fix the menuki without tsuka ito, traditional  glue is made using pine resine (matsuyani) with charcoal.

 

If you post photo of your set, I am sure that someone will be able to tell you the correct orientation

 

Sébastien

[Ford Hallam]

Greg, If you don't want to go to the hassle of making up some matsuyani (there are detailed instructions on my forum) I'd be more than happy to pop a bit in an envelope and send it up.

 

It's a bit fiddly to use effectively as a 'glue' but I can call to talk you through it.

 

regards

 

fh

[kissakai]

This was from a NMB for sale a few weeks ago

 

 

 

 

 

[nagamaki - Franco]

http://weblog.tozando.com/Japanese-sword-how-to-know-if-a-tsuka-is-good-or-bad/

[kissakai]

Thanks Franco - interesting point about the plant/root direction

So an opinion on these menuki placement

I would have the menuki and tsuka as below

 

 

 

 

 

As I don't know what the second menuki is representing I don't know its orientation hence the two images

 

 

[

 

 

 

 

 

[kissakai]

PS

The second menuki image really looks the wrong way round

[Brian]

Yes, invert the second one.

[vajo]

It looks like spider crawling up a stone. 

[kissakai]

Yes it did look like a spider to me