Tsuka covers

[IJASWORDS]

Often in WW2 photos of officers with their sword, the handles are covered in protective linen, leather or canvas covers. Some wrapped, some sewn, some lace up, some buckled up. They had not endured well over the years, so today they are not that common.

Pictured a few from my collection that have survived.    

[PNSSHOGUN]

You don't see the canvas examples very often, not commonly issued & the jungle climate was fairly ruinous to them.

[EdWolf]

Beautiful collection! Thanks for sharing.

Best regards, Ed

[John A Stuart]

I have one leather one left. I had to throw out one that got so stiff even with oil to soften. John

[vajo]

Great collection. You have so much variants that is incredible.

[Ian B3HR2UH]

And some more

Ian Brooks

[IJASWORDS]

And some NCO swords got the leather covering (rarely).   

[PNSSHOGUN]

Have never seen that before, interesting how it's cut out for for the "Ito" to show.

[Dave R]

 Traditional way of protecting the Ito, I have a couple of Edo period ones. Which oddly are usually cheaper that the WW 2 version. 

[sbf]

An outstanding book on the Pacific war is Shots Fired In Anger. The author, Lt. Col. John George, fought on Guadalcanal and had an uncommon interest in Japanese weapons, tactics, and culture. Has had this to say about the swords:

 

“Maybe that accounted for the craze to carry these useless items in the front lines. Certainly, toward the latter months of the battle of Guadalcanal, the Japs came to realize the uselessness of the sword as a weapon. But they still carried it; often enough the blades found on freshly killed would be so wrapped with protective cloth or chamois hide that they could not possibly have been drawn for use. Sometimes, in assaults, officers were killed with pistol in hand and sword sheathed- even at close quarters.”

 

He has a lot more to say about swords and other Japanese weapons.

 

Steve

[Bruce Pennington]

Traditional way of protecting the Ito, I have a couple of Edo period ones. Which oddly are usually cheaper that the WW 2 version.

 

Dave,

I've never heard - how do you pin the age of a leather cover?

[Dave R]

Dave,

I've never heard - how do you pin the age of a leather cover?

 

 Well you can't pin it exactly, but you can ascribe it to an era with some confidence. Traditional covers for saya and tsuka were made of (rape seed) oil tanned leather, rather like buckskin, that was lacquered to make it waterproof. The shape, and level of workmanship are also indicators of age, the old pieces are sewn with incredibly fine seams.. Fortunately they are not super collectable, but very difficult to fake. I have saya and tsuka covers, the tsuka often sold as yari (spear) sheathes... You also get a short open ended cover which is to protect the nice lacquer-work of your two saya from rubbing against each other as they sit in your obi. 

 

 The tsuka bukuro are slip on's with no draw cord unlike the gunto covers so they can be thrown off in a hurry.

 

 Not many bother to collect them, but as you know by now, I am something of a nerd, and I like the accessories.