Deer katanakake & CITES

[Veli]

Hi All!

 

Some time ago I decided I needed a katanakake. After searching for makie lacquer ones I finally realized that all the really beautiful ones go for USD 1.5k upwards. Thus I started looking for a deer antler katanakake. I found one at Ebay that finally cost less than USD 300 + freight. It was duly shipped by the seller, and I drove to the local customs office to pick it up and pay the V.A.T.

 

At the customs they asked me what it was and I told them that it was deer antlers. The ladies at the customs office were startled at this: "what, a piece of animal?" First they seemed to think I might be smuggling living tissue, but I showed them the antlers and we agreed they were not dripping blood, so that was not a problem. Then they got worried about CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) regulations. They wanted to know which deer species the antlers belonged to. Luckily I hunt deer myself and was able to answer "Japanese (Sika) deer". It took them 20 minutes and a couple of phonecalls to find out that Sika deer in Japan is not endangered. But they warned me that some related species are endangered.

 

All in all, if you order a deer antler katanakake, be prepared to report the exact species of the deer. (Usually, if the katanakake is made in Japan, the species is Sika deer (Cervus Nippon Nippon).

 

I attached a picture of my new katanakake. Before anyone gets worried: no I do not store bare blades on my living room table . They are there only for the photographs.

 

BR,

 

Veli

[Mark Green]

Sweet!!!

[Klop]

Dear Veli (or should I say "deer Veli"?),

 

Nice set of horns!

 

Here's the tantokake I made from a set of small antlers I found on a flea market, combined with a rock from the garden shop.

 

I drilled holes for a wooden peg in the antler base, and holes in the rock (some granite I guess) for the other and of the peg. Hammerdrill and the rock didn't even crack, pfew...

 

If Bambi is missing, I know nothing

 

Kind regards,

Eric

[Klop]

other END, not and

[Veli]

Hi Eric!

 

Nice work! Somehow, the forms created by nature have a delicate beauty in them.

 

There's a kabuto katanakake for sale in Ebay. Looks nice, but the antlers are made of cast bronze. Horn is a relatively safe material in terms of abrasion, But I'd be afraid to rest a saya on a rough bronze surface without a cushioning, and I'd never rest a bare blade on these metal antlers.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Japanese-SAMURAI-Kabuto-Helmet-Katana-Sword-Kake-Rack_W0QQitemZ400060637652QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAsian_Antiques?hash=item5d2578e1d4&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65:12|66:2|39:1|72:1205|293:2|294:50

 

BR,

 

Veli

[Nobody]

There's a kabuto katanakake for sale in Ebay. Looks nice, but the antlers are made of cast bronze. Horn is a relatively safe material in terms of abrasion, But I'd be afraid to rest a saya on a rough bronze surface without a cushioning, and I'd never rest a bare blade on these metal antlers.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/Japanese-SAMURAI-Kabuto-Helmet-Katana-Sword-Kake-Rack_W0QQitemZ400060637652QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAsian_Antiques?hash=item5d2578e1d4&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65:12|66:2|39:1|72:1205|293:2|294:50

That is a miniature ornament of a kabuto, even though that could be used as a katanakake.

 

The same model in 1970’s:

http://page8.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/h131100621

 

Latest models:

http://kanehide.hp.infoseek.co.jp/115-08.jpg

http://kanehide.hp.infoseek.co.jp/kabuto.htm