handling

[peter]

Hi Guys,

As i sit patiently on the delivery of my sword from polish a thought crossed my mind,( rare i know)

are gloves recommended for handling a blade , ALWAYS? if so what kind and material?

Peter

[Brian]

You shouldn't be touching a bare blade, so gloves shouldn't be totally necessary. You should only be touching the nakago. But if you like, you can use soft white cotton gloves..available in many places. These are more important when viewing tosogu.

 

Brian

[peter]

Thanks Brian,

i thought i,d through that one in as i searched the board for a gloves topic ,

thanks again,

peter

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Peter,

Even if you're wearing gloves, you still don't touch the polished portion of the blade. You can rest it on a folded soft cloth in your hand but there isn't enough thickness in glove material to prevent moisture from passing through to the blade.

Grey

[Guido]

Please do not wear gloves while handling a sword. There's nothing worse than a blade slipping through your fingers because you're wearing cotton gloves, preventing a firm grip on the sword. Yes, I've seen it happening. It's perfectly o.k. to hold the Nakago in your bare hands, using a Fukusa cloth to support the blade.

[Curgan]

how about surgeon's gloves? They are both thin and waterproof.

[Guido]

how about surgeon's gloves?

If you touch anything in between, they will, for instance, transfer the fingerprints from putting them on etc. But how about constructing a robot that will handle the sword in a climate-controlled vacuum?

[paulb]

Without getting in to a protracted debate about the merits or lack thereof of different forms of gloves cant we just agree that the method used for the past x hundreds of years is proven to be the best? Hold the sword either in the tsuka of the shirasaya or if it is totally naked by the nakago. Support the blade with the other hand using a multi folded piece of soft cloth (traditionally silk). Every Japanese video I have seen on sword care have always used this method. Gloves of whatever form are more likely to cause problems than prevent them.

Also dont only consider handling as the cause of problems.I would also suggest that by far the most damage is done by people talking over blades, the resultant saliva and moisture from the mouth falling on to the steel creating small rust spots in a very short time.

 

Regards

Paul

[Ted Tenold]

I agree with Guido. There was a time when I thought gloves would be a good measure of protecting the nakago. Well, I got over it. Having tried it a couple times I found it to be very uncomfortable and clumsy. The threat of slipping from hand is increased even moreso with some stubby or oddly shaped nakagos like those on many Soshu, Sengo, Satsuma, and Bizen blades, which even with bare hands can be mildly difficult to hold while shifting around. Big heavy blades are also very difficult to hold with gloves. Friction is your friend in these cases.

 

The question of moisture vs. preservation is certainly important, so the individual needs to consider his or her own personal impact. If a person has unusually moist hands, carry a seperate handkerchief or "tenugui" in your pocket. Use it on your hands and put it back in your pocket before picking up the blade. If the owner of the sword is concerned about the preservation of the nakago then the tsuka can be left on the blade during general exhibition with an accompanyng oshigata or photographs of the nakago to illustrate it. Or, it can be removed after general examination for viewing unheld.

 

I also can't count the number of times I've had to tell people that the cloth that touches the blade, *never* touches the nakago and vice versa. Folks pick up a fukusa and hold the blade, then contact the nakago while shifting the blade then put it back on the blade again. Worse still, the set the blade down, and wipe the nakago in a well meaning effort to remove their oils from the nakago, then set the fukusa down for the next person to contact the blade again.

 

Just my thoughts on this. Wish I was in Japan right now...

[Jean]

Never wear gloves in Japan while handling swords

 

You'll be deconsidered ....

[leo]

Handling a disassembled blade with a cloth is formally and technically absolutely ok. But if you talk about handling swords, they might be mounted!

 

I somebody comes to my table, regardless wether in Japan or elsewhere and touches a new shirasaya with sayagaki, a koshirae with high gloss roiro saya or a new white silk bound tsuka with his bare greasy fingers, I`d cut them off!

 

Martin

[Eric H]

right or wrong...

Eric

[Lee Bray]

Holding a fresh shirasaya in gloves sounds like a ticking clock to seeing a dropped sword.

 

If the sword is on show for a lot of people, don't show it in shirasaya. In out, in out...

If you're showing one or two people at home, make them wash their hands.

Bare hands on nakago, clean cloth or tissue on blade steel.

[Veli]

I have understood handling the nakago with bare hands is essential for the development and preservation of a correct kind of patina.

 

Veli

[Jean]

You are right Veli. Go to Japan and handle sords with gloves at a dealer'shop and you'll see if you are not frowned at. I have handled and was not the only one more than 35 yushu and sai yushu blades for NTHK 50 birthday. Nobody had gloves.

 

It is something in vogue in some private Kantei session - to wear gloves but not in Japan. Guido has explained why.

[Veli]

I wonder whether this guy used gloves when laying the blade down...

 

http://www.huuto.net/kohteet/antiikki-katana-miekka-wakizashi-japani-edo-aika/153962477

 

Veli