AN OFTEN OVERLOOKED TANEGASHIMA ACCESSORY ( FLINT & STEEL )

[watsonmil]

In my ever ongoing quest for items related to the Tanegashima ( Japanese Matchlock ), .... I was rather delighted to acquire a seldom seen accruement to the use of the Tanegashima. A prerequisite to firing the matchlock was a means of lighting the match. Given that the Tanegashima predates the advent of the Bic Lighter or for that matter the wooden strike anywhere match, ... the earlier version of a pocket lighter was the Strike-a-lite. This consisted of a piece of high carbon steel or iron, a piece of flint to strike against the steel, and tinder ( a bit of carbonized cloth or some other material which will take and hold a spark ). The combination was usually carried in a small leather purse or metal container. In the case of the metal container this would act to hold the tinder while sparks were directed onto the tinder. The Japanese being rather ingenious at improvement in technology, ... and just as likely because the Kimono has no pockets to carry your lighter, .... utilized a special netsuke ( tinder holder netsuke ) to do double duty in providing a means of carrying the Strike-a-lite contained in a leather bag to the Kimono or Armour Obi as well as providing a receptacle for holding the tinder. The example pictured is just such an artifact. The Netsuke is made of a hardwood having a metal bowl inset for the tinder. The netsuke measures 1 1/2 inches OA diameter while the metal bowl measures 1 inch and is quite deep. The leather bag holding the tinder and flint has a piece of steel riveted to the bottom of the bag. Width of the bag is 3 1/8 inches including the steel. A simple brass catch closes the bag to keep the contents within. Once the tinder took hold by smoldering, ... the match could be lit, ... and readied for shooting.

Submitted for the interest of the NMB members .... Ron Watson

[Baka Gaijin]

Good morning Ron

 

The following may be of interest:

 

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ ... 216wh.html

 

Cheers

 

Malcolm

[Bugyotsuji]

Quick word of warning for anyone wanting to own one of these. The antiques markets in Japan will have these sets for starting fires, in various combinations, but many will be from the continent, eg Mongolian. Often they will be very rough. Ron's example above is more refined, with a good working Netsuke and Ojime. The Himo string looks replaced, naturally, as most have perished.

 

When I can get my systems up and running I will add a pic of some of my bits. The only ones that I can be sure were for lighting matchcord, though, are the ones with a ballbag attached. Otherwise I think they were for more general spark and tinder use, most often for tobacco.

[watsonmil]

Hi Piers,

Indeed the cord has been replaced, ...the original cord was deteriorated to the point that one side had at some point in time broken or rotted enough that it had been tied together. I replaced the cord as it was in pretty rough condition. Yes, ... it is also just as possible that the set was used for lighting up a kiseru.

... Ron Watson

[Bugyotsuji]

Here are some bits. Two tinder containers (Gamaho-ire) with steel strikers. Three household steel strikers of various sizes, one missing its blade, the small one held by bamboo.

[Bugyotsuji]

And here are some more Netsuke for lighting tinder, and for use as ashtrays.

[watsonmil]

Piers,

A lovely collection of ... " bits " as you call them. Me, ... I would call them a wonderful collection of Gamaho-ire. !

... Ron Watson

[Bugyotsuji]

Thanks for starting this thread, Ron. You are quite right. We need to see good examples of what was once vital equipment.

[bluelake]

I run across them here in Korea from time to time, but now they are becoming prohibitively expensive. Not all that many years ago, they were fairly inexpensive, but not now.

 

 

Thomas

[estcrh]

Ron, you made me go through a lot of boxes to find this hiuchigama or hiuchigane (striker) and hiuchi ishi (spark stone) which from what I read is not flint but either meno (agate) or sekiei (quartz), this one looks like agate. I was told that the striker is quite old.

 

 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

OK Eric, with your 'flint' now you have got me going. I bought this set last Sunday and the dealer included this chunk of .... something that does create a spark with a bit of effort. :lol: (It looks fairly flint-like to me, though.)

[estcrh]

Piers, have you ever thought of starting your own business? Everytime you "upgrade" you could just sell the lesser items...humm...or perhaps you are the mysterious Mr. Damyou??

 

Nice set, I got the information about the spark stone from the link that Malcolm provided. Your spark stone and mine looks like it could be agate to me.

 

The rock is what English speakers would call a flint or firestone, but it's not actually flint. It turns out there is very little flint in Japan and it's not suitable for fire making. So, the rock in these souvenir sets is usually meno (agate) or sekiei (quartz), two of the hard rocks that were once commonly used as firestones in Japan.

 

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ ... 216wh.html

[cabowen]

Piers, have you ever thought of starting your own business? Everytime you "upgrade" you could just sell the lesser items...humm...or perhaps you are the mysterious Mr. Damyou??

 

Personally, I often wonder, seeing that he lives in Japan, where in the world he finds the space to store all of this stuff!

[Bugyotsuji]

LOL at the replies! (I have actually met the 'mysterious' Daimyo, about five years ago in Onomichi, BTW.)

 

The house here is quite large for a Japanese house, and I can put stuff in the hall, the tearoom and one of the bedrooms. I keep other stuff from the wife in my office, and some I take back to the old land.

 

The idea of upgrading is good, but although I have on occasion asked for some bits to be flushed into the dealers' auction I do not have a proper in-and-out flow going yet. I need to learn how to sell to support a lean & healthy habit... simple accumulation is truly nuts.

 

In the meantime, apologies...