Tachi tassles

[dakary]

Hi everybody,

I am wondering about how tachi tassles were attached. Some questions were raised in my head when I looked at these reproductions: https://www.ebay.ca/...0:g:cVQAAOSweE1jeNwc
 

They have closeup pictures that show screws being used to attach the caps to the rope or leather. I thought that looked funny, and also can't be right considering how difficult screws must have been to make back in the olden days (especially that small) but they have what they call "network pictures" that show similar tassles that seem to have something...maybe like a pin?...but those swords don't look to be antiques. Any insights? I always thought they might have been glued in but I have no idea. I haven't seen any in real life or even pictures. I have only seen them represented in period art.

Thanks!

Dan

[Larason2]

I don't think there's a hard and fast rule, but they were probably either threaded through the loop around the ring (sarute) (like most sword tassels), or attached to a pin like the one you show. The Japanese didn't like gluing parts that might have to be replaced, and even after they started having screws, they didn't like using them. With WW2 gunto though, they may hve used a screw to hold together the pin for the tassel. I would guess that for ancient pins through the sarute eyelet, they either used a pressure fit for the pin, or a two part pressure fit like a rivet. There was a lot of variety in tachi fittings though, and many different schools that did them. They also made other fittings for the tachi, including tsubas, and they could be very ornate.

[dakary]

Thanks Larason. I suppose a pin or rivet makes sense then, if they didn't like to glue, because back in the tachi heyday I'm guessing that screws probably weren't common (if they were around at all) - especially that small!

[Jussi Ekholm]

Here are some pictures that I was able to find fast, I should have a good bunch of various pictures spread throughout my books.

 

[dakary]

Thanks Jussi! Those ebay ones look right to me (am I wrong?) but I still think there is something suspect about attaching them with a screw. I'm guessing it was really pin/nail or rivet of some kind that secured these things. All of those that you show don't have a sarute. I posted in another threat about the purpose of the sarute and I think it is probably just another way to have a tassle?