Peter Bleed Posted October 6, 2018 Report Posted October 6, 2018 Today I bought - and had to unpack - a totally unimportant little tanto. It had a lacquered tsuka without menuki, but it had rather nice silver foil covered cherry blossoms on what I was sure was the mekugi-ana. I closed the deal assuming/hoping that these were either a threaded or sleeved mekugi. But, NO! They were a matched pair of short nails with silver foil covered sakura-shaped head that had been pounded into the mekugi. They came out - although the mekugi was totally trashed. I have never seen this style of closure before? As anyone else? Peter 1 Quote
Vermithrax16 Posted October 6, 2018 Report Posted October 6, 2018 I have not. Will see what others can add. Pretty cool though Peter! Quote
TETSUGENDO Posted October 6, 2018 Report Posted October 6, 2018 Never seen this arrangement before. I have seen a decorative metal cap glued (kusune) to one end of a mekugi and another cap glued in place on the tsuka, but your 'pins' are new to me. Interesting. -S- Quote
Ken-Hawaii Posted October 7, 2018 Report Posted October 7, 2018 The infinite creativity of the Japanese craftsman. Quote
Gunome Posted October 7, 2018 Report Posted October 7, 2018 I see already once these kinds of menuki that are pinged. I think there are quite uncommon. Usually we see metal menuki with a screw. Compare to traditional mekugi or screw, I an not sure these one are the best way to fit the tsuka as the one I saw were a bit loose. Quote
IanB Posted October 7, 2018 Report Posted October 7, 2018 I have seen these, not on a sword but on the mekugi of a gun - just trivial little copper tacks with rounded silver heads. Ian Bottomley Quote
Bazza Posted October 7, 2018 Report Posted October 7, 2018 Peter said: > They were a matched pair of short nails with silver foil covered sakura-shaped > head that had been pounded into the mekugi. They came out - although the> mekugi was totally trashed. The fact that the mekugi was totally trashed says to me this was not done by a Japanese craftsman, but by some arstistic goombah (East or West) wanting to jazz up the appearance of a plain bamboo mekugi. I have occasionally seen these decorative style heads in tanto tsuka, but they were attached to a tight sleeve/pin style sliding fit. Also seen, of course, are horn mekugi that look quite nice without any decorated tack heads. BaZZa. Quote
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