Glue?

[SwordGuyJoe]

All,

I have an Aikuchi mounted O-Tanto that has the kojiri and the piece over the saya mouth (term?) that have seperated from the saya. What type of glue can I use to reapply them? Rice glue?

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Joe,

What are the kojiri and koi-guchi made of?

Grey

[SwordGuyJoe]

I believe copper

 

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Joe,

Someone with more experience repairing koshirae might have a better idea but I would try rice glue. It is reversible, if necessary, and won't do any damage.

Grey

[Stone]

I beleive urushi and and uchiko mixed with rice glue is often used, and or pine resin, but I am sure some one out their will correct me if I am wrong.

Regards,

Tony.

[Ted Tenold]

For the most part, koshirae parts are fitted using an adhesive called Matsuyani, which is basically pine pitch. Preparing it is a little bit of a chore, smelly (if you don't like that "pine fresh scent" :lol: ), and requires a couple ingredients. Andy Guy provided the recipe and preparation for it. You can find it courtesy of John Stuart at http://www.johnstuart.biz/new_page_22.htm .

[Basho12]

Thanks for passing this on. I knew from experience that rice glue is great for gluing saya/tsukas but to attach buffalo horn or copper fittings? Not so much.

[Ted Tenold]

I should probably clarify that what I described as general "koshirae parts" meant parts such as metal kojiri, menuki, kashira, etc.. Another adhesives I've noted that was used to bond horn to wood and metal parts to wood which is lacquer (probably a raw lacquer) mixed with a fine agregate such as wood dust, stone powder, etc.. My implication was that rice glue isn't something I've seen used for your applicaiton, though it is used to bond the samegawa to the tsuka foundation and often times there is white paper used in conjunction with it to further reinforce the seams and add a white background behind the samegawa.

 

I was once told by an Armenian fellow that a common construction adhesive that part of the world is egg whites mixed with pulverized gypsum. Don't know the validity of it, but it seems reasonable.