Literal meaning of Handachi applied to sword Koshirae.

[IanB]

All,  Matt Garbut during his lecture to the Japan Society of London in the 19th century includes an illustration from a book on military matters how a handachi could be converted into a tachi using some form of koshi ate and Piers is doing. I have also seen pairs of ashi fitted with hinges so that they could be clamped around a handachi scabbard and locked in place with the hinge pin. Similarly pairs of ashi turn up made of leather that have the same function. About a year or so ago a member of our local ToKen turned up with a rather small handachi, possibly for a boy, with a loop shaped kurigata fitted to a band around the saya on the mune edge. Very careful examination showed this split, the rear half sliding down the saya to convert it to a tachi.

Ian Bottomley 

[Jussi Ekholm]

Looks very nice Piers.

[dig1982]

Handachi koshirae of one of my wakizashi.

[raaay]

Hi Diego

 

Is this not a Tachi style Koshirae on your Wakazashi, because of the two Ashi,I will probably be wrong but is Handachi mounts basically Tachi style mounts minus the Ashi !

[dig1982]

Are you sure?

[Guido]

It's mounted as a kodachi; furthermore the ashikanagu seem to not mach the other fittings.

[dig1982]

Ok i don't think so Guido and can you explain why the ashi doesn't mach with other fittings?

[dig1982]

Without explanation our knowledge does not advance.

[Jean]

Papered handachi koshirae to my Juyo Ryokai

[Geraint]

Jean.

 

That is a stunning koshirae!  Out of curiosity what is the base material for the tsuba, may I ask?

 

Diego, I think Guido is on the right lines for your sword, the fittings seem to be of a type quite often encountered as handachi mounts, it is a relatively simple task to acquire a pair of hangers and convert a handachi koshirae into a "tachi".  This may or may not be what has happened to your sword, you have it in hand and will be able to see much more clearly than we can from images.  I will attach a picture of one of mine to illustrate the thought.

 

All the best.

 

 

 

 

 

[Jean]

Geraint,

 

Tsuba

変り形 木製 黒漆石地 松竹梅唐草図 - Kawai-gata, Wood made, Kuro Urushi stone like finish, Fig. of pine, bamboo, apricot tree, and Karakusa

金蒔絵 鋤残耳 片櫃孔片埋 - Kin-Makie, Sukinokoshi-mimi, One hitsu-ana plugged

[Guido]

Ok i don't think so Guido and can you explain why the ashi doesn't mach with other fittings?

 

Without explanation our knowledge does not advance.

 

The fittings are of the same generic type we find so often on late Edo period koshirae; here's a thread that discusses them: http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/12450-higo-koshirae

 

The ashikanagu look like they are of a different material and design. The photo is not ver clear, that's why I wrote "seem" in my original reply. You have the sword in hand, only you can tell for sure. There's nothing I can "explain", they are either a match or not.

[Geraint]

Thank you Jean.

[dig1982]

Other photos of the koshirae and of the blade. Koshirae was restored some years ago. The fittings doesn't match?

[Guido]

The fittings doesn't match?

 

Again, better photos would be helpful. But from what I can see in the pictures, the ashikanagu are of a different design and surface pattern (ishimeji) than the other fittings (nanakoji).

[Brian]

I agree. Generic fittings of a common type, but not matching.

 

Brian

[dig1982]

Ok no problem. Please admin remove my post if create confusion with the topic. I will think much more before posting anything else. Thanks

[Guido]

No need to get defensive, Diego. As you yourself said before, no advancement in knowledge without an educated discussion. Your koshirae might not receive jūyō papers, but it's also nothing to be ashamed of. Not only have I seen much less desirable koshirae, it also was not uncommon for period koshirae to have fittings that are not perfectly matched (however, I suspect that yours is a contemporary assembly).

 

If I was in your shoes, I would either remove one ashikanagu; or preferably remove both, and have a kurigata installed - then it's a very decent handachi. Or you could look for obitori and a tachi-tsuba - which is more difficult, costs you more, and also might look kind of awkward.

 

But that's just my opinion, your mileage my vary. It's worth what I charge for it. Attached are pics of both a tachi and handachi from my collection to illustrate my point. Both are not jūyō material either, but follow the (unwritten) rules of proper mountings.

  

 

[dig1982]

Thank you for your words Guido, i was on defensive because i don't want to seem an occasional collector...i am a real estimator of these gorgeous sword. The koshirae was restored some years ago...maybe the other owner add only the ashi,i don't know, but i'm scared about removing them, i don't know how he assembled the ashi.

[Guido]

They are probably just held in place by friction. Anyhow, if you are going for a kurigata instead - and don't want to send the saya outside the EU (as long as it still exists) - I recommend having Zenon van Damme doing the work.

[Brian]

Diego,

Nothing wrong with being an occasional collector, I'm mostly there myself. And Guido said it perfectly. Many true koshirae out there didn't match, Samurai weren't worried about themes as much as many of us nowdays. Nothing to be embarrassed about, or to delete.

 

Brian

[dig1982]

But i'm not an occasional collector...i'm trying to improve my knowledge every day...but i was focused on blade, now i want to improve my knowledge on fittings.

[Bugyotsuji]

This thread is quite educational (and interesting) for me. Some lovely examples shown here. Thank you.

 

There seem to be so many permutations of what was possible. Wonderfully inventive, the Japanese, within accepted but largely unspoken parameters.

[Jean]

Yes Piers, who would have imagined a wooden tsuba on a handachi koshirae...

[Robbie Tsunami]

Is the book excerpt from markus earlier in this thread from the 'encyclopedia of Japanese swords'?

[Bazza]

Now, this might "technically" be a necropost, but if I ever saw it (and I've been here for 10-ish years) I don't remember it and TOTALLY enjoyed reading it through.  I'm reminded that I have two handachi koshirae that I perhaps ought to post, but let's see if this thread has a renewed life...

 

BaZZa.

[Kanenaga]

Just found this thread, very informative, thank you all.  Perhaps it can be rejuvenated?

 

Here (better late ...) is a somewhat unusual daisho set of koshirae in handachi style.  The saya and all the metal fittings (except menuki) are wrapped in leather.  The tsuka has leather instead of same, and the tsuba are nerikawa-ish leather.  There is a lot of wear on the kashira and kojiri which has worn away the leather and you can see the underlying metal which is copper.  These came from a well-known Japanese dealer who opined "early Edo."

 

I'd love to know if anyone has seen similar koshirae?

 

 

[chrstphr]

The silver handachi mounts on my sword

 

 

Chris

[Greg F]

Les I'd like to see more pics of your koshirae up close if possible?

Bazza I for one are keen to see you're two handachi koshirae.

 

Greg

[Kanenaga]

Here you go, Greg:

 

They must have been made together as a pair. The construction is unusual, practical, not sumptuous but likely special-order. They show a good deal of wear as you can see in the photos. I have no idea what kind of blades they held, but likely not of the highest grade. 

 

To me, they represent my limited understanding of the untranslatable term sabi:  old, worn, and despite this -- or because of this -- beautiful.