Dotanuki Yokai Tsuba

[DoTanuki yokai]

 

The color is the same on both sides, just a flaw in my pictures.
 

So here enjoy my 360 grams of ignorance just want to share and hear some opinions. 
Definetly not a masterpiece, but a fun project that really improved some of my skills. 

So I can’t stop making Tsuba after I started this and will try to share some of my projects here.

 

 
 

[DoTanuki yokai]

This one was donated for a cat charity project 

I’m not a fan of the square shape but I did not know it earlier.

[DoTanuki yokai]

I showed this one in the copper Tsuba thread in different colors for the copper patina examples. 
So here again with a few more pictures of the finished piece. 

[DoTanuki yokai]

This is just mostly an experiment with different engraving and I don’t know if I will ever finish this…

It evolved and I added more and more but it would be a solid Tsuba without the engravings 

[DoTanuki yokai]

This was my first finished Tsuba made after the Ford Hallam tutorial. 
So this one started it.

[DoTanuki yokai]

 I try to keep the pictures small so it don’t waste too much space here. 
 

 I tried something different with the symbol of my hometown, the 1000 year old oak. It feels like most people here have forgotten about it but I always liked it.
Experts say it won’t last long anymore…

 

ended up rethinking my design and decided to change so much that it would be more wisely to start again. 
 

[DoTanuki yokai]

This ring is more a of a teaser for the big project I’m aiming for.

It took some time untill my Daikon was big enough to harvest (still very small) it but needed it for this, in my opinion awesome Shibuichi. 

 I made this ring from my test ingot of Shibuichi and messed up soldering it, needed a few tries that ended up with adding some silver to the surface and small holes but this shouldn’t be a problem with Tsuba. 
I dont have a clue about making rings and soldering them. 
 

[DoTanuki yokai]

Here is my old thread that gives some additional information of my first 2 Tsuba. 
I would also like to do some pop culture relevant piece like Godzilla but this will need much more practice untill im good enough to not waste my time…

[DoTanuki yokai]

This is what I actually work on. 
 

the big Tsuba took all of my saw blades so I ended up using one of this scroll saw blades (they suck). I ordered new ones and continued my work but will make the 2nd part of the video when it is finished. 
 

So the experts will realize a few things 

1. Melting the copper took too long and the water was too cold when I casted it.
 

2. actually the friend I make this Tsuba for wanted a lens shape and liked the texture so I don’t had to clean it and add another texture.
 

3. Kill me for the scroll sawblade :D 

 

 

 

4. I have my daughters rabbits in my forge when the weather is bad outside 

 

The Video is not educational and more for my Instagram audience but maybe I can make a longer YouTube movie from it when it is finished. 

 

 

Here is what it looks so far and I still have some work to do. And a picture of when I tested the color when I had to wait for my sawblades. 

[DoTanuki yokai]

There are still so many things I can improve or spend more time on but sometimes the exhausting life takes its tribute and push me to „mediocracy“. 

(I made this comment somewhere else but it fits)

 

But look at that color 

[DoTanuki yokai]

For the completeness. 

 

 

actually there was much more filing but I did not record everything and lost the part where I file the rim. 
I plant my own Daikon and the first few I harvested are really small.

At the end is a clip of the finished piece that shows the shape much better. 

 

[ROKUJURO]

Well done, I like it!

[DoTanuki yokai]

Thank you Jean
 

If some of you can remember I wanted to do an utsushi of the “Oda Sa tsuba”

but after some questions I decided that i can’t do it back then. 

 

I have learned a few things and now I will give it a try. 
So what I have is a blurry picture without much additional information and this texture is unlikely accurate but hopefully will help me to achieve my patination goals. 
 

After my Tsuba has some variations in the calligraphy I won’t say it is written by Naomasa.

I have a little file work to do but then the patination experiments begin.

This one is not so much influenced by my own experiments and maybe more tasteful. 
 

[DoTanuki yokai]

Now I had some sad tries with the Oda Sa Tsuba and will try again later. 

 

The first try was (imo) ruined by a small piece of iron from my hammer or anvil that got stuck in the surface. 
It is right next to the „Sa“ but it is so small I did not see it earlier. 
So I removed it and tried again to see if I can still use this rokusho solution. 
 

 

but now i have to clean it again and clean the surface with different polishing compounds to achieve (hopefully) the effect of the darker outsides and around the nakagoana. 

In my opinion it actually is a result of its age and was more like mine is now when it was finished, but I don’t have houndred years to wait and touch it. 
 

I don’t have the high hopes for the next try 

 

Also does it look too plain completely unsigned ? 

[DoTanuki yokai]

Here is another one that I made from a blank that has some kind of personal story, the reason i don’t removed the scratches from the „dirty“ side. 

 

And the bonus picture of my first Nanako experiment 

[DoTanuki yokai]

This is my best try so far and im not sure it will get any better  

 

It is already lacquered with Urushi but not fully cured and I will have to wipe some off depending on how much it darkens. 

 

 

[DoTanuki yokai]

I call it finished, here the video that shows it much better 

 

Now some engraving after I haven’t even signed the last piece 

 

Katakiribori a Yokoya motif. 
Some flaws and many things that could be done better but I won’t get better not doing it.
Love the horses eye, after looking at  Somin pieces it was cool to see that he does not used a punch like many later artist did but chisel around the pupil so I also tried it.

I’m happy with the result but this was actually the easier side of the Tsuba. 

[Brian]

[Brian]

In case no-one told you, that is superb work! Well done, I find that quite skilled, and one of the hardest techniques to get right. Ford would have given you a big compliment I am sure.

[DoTanuki yokai]

Thanks Brian I appreciate your words ! 

In Germany we say “Man soll den Tag nicht vor dem Abend loben.”

and google told me the English equivalent is “Don't count your chickens before they are hatched.” 
We will see where it goes 

I always highly valued Fords Opinion and I hope my efforts would meet his expectations and I can make the best of what he shared so generously! 

[DoTanuki yokai]

I have decided to do the patina again after I made the video because there are some ugly spots… 

But it looks cool in the video so here it is and I don’t think it will change much.  

[Brian]

That is lovely work, and very nice patination. Could easily be mistaken for Japanese work.

[DoTanuki yokai]

The crane got a little Shibuichi belly 

 

And made a new nearly flawless patina for the horses Tsuba 

 

old

 

new

 

 

ofc the old one had a little more urushi in the groves but this can be added and some will say the old one looked more alive but look at this 

 

 

[DoTanuki yokai]

 

Learned to do Ten zogan what is cool but my relief engraving needs more practice. 
Only one of the dot inlays is gold the others are silver and I’m not sure if it is possible to see which one without the piece in hand because of the reflections. 
 

 

The crane Tsuba still feels unfinished but got some golden eyes.

 

Edit: I said some parts of this Tsuba have some personal value but a friend wanted the Tsuba without the personality so I changed a few things on this…