Question regarding mounts for blade in shirasaya

[markturner]

Hi, I would like some advice on what is involved with assembling a set of mounts for the blades I have in shirasaya. I have a nice saya for the katana, that Don Banyen the dealer I purchased form had that fitted my katana. I need Tsuka, and all the other fittings. My plan was to get as nice as I could, buying old items that were as in keeping with the blade as possible. I have already purchased a nice Tsuba from a member here.

 

My questions are: are fittings that I buy likely to fit? I Have seen plenty of Tsuba, menuki, fuchikashira for sale, but not really any Tsuka. How would I get a Tsuka for the blade? How would I know if all these disparate items will all "fit" together?

 

Is there anyone in London or the UK, that offers this kind of service? Is it something I could undertake myself?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Rgds, Mark

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Mark,

You have to have a new tsuka made to fit; no old tsuka will fit properly. The rest is pretty straight forward: find pieces that fit and that you like.

Understand, though, that you will be spending much more on this project than you will be adding to the value of the sword. If you spend, for example, $1,000 for parts and labor to mount the sword, you can expect the sword to be worth about $500 more once you're done. Collectors value nice, old, Samurai mountings. Mountings put together by a western collector in 2011 aren't valued nearly as much.

Grey

[pcfarrar]

Is there anyone in London or the UK, that offers this kind of service? Is it something I could undertake myself?

 

Mark,

 

Try contacting Richard Adams:

 

http://www.habaki.co.uk

 

Peter

[markturner]

OK, thanks guys. Grey, I was thinking of using appropriately ( to the era of the sword) aged and nice antique fittings wherever possible, ( rather than new fittings) will that point re the value still apply then ? Or did you mean that the original koshirae would add more value to the sword than putting together a set in the way I described. I was advised by Don, the dealer, that it was fairly common practice to change the wrappings and rayskin as they got damaged and worn etc and also that a Samurai might have various Tsuba etc and dress his sword with varying finishes, rather we would today have several pairs of cufflinks etc. Obviously , I am hoping to add not only to the visual appeal of the sword, but also the value. Do you mean the Koshirae would be more valuable off the sword? Sorry for the questions!

 

I did rather suspect the Tsuka would have to be made, as all the Nagako I see vary considerably.

 

Thanks again,

 

Cheers, Mark

[Grey Doffin]

Hi Mark,

I meant that no matter how old or authentic the parts you assemble, after you get done the increased value will be significantly less than what you paid for the parts. Yes, the parts will be worth more if sold one by one rather than as assembled for your sword.

I know that someone can find an exception to that but in the large majority of instances I'm sure this is true. When the time comes to sell (and the time will come; you're not going to be buried with it) your sword will be put together in the West in modern times, and competing with original Samurai mounted swords.

It is very common for beginners (not implying that you are a beginner; I have no knowledge of you or your collection) to want to do this. Everyone, when they get started, wants to buy one of each (katana, wakizashi, tanto and/or Koto, Shinto, Shinshinto), have a sword polished, send it to shinsa, and assemble koshirae. My advice is always to hold off. With time and experience, new collectors often are glad they didn't put their money into a sword that now holds little interest and less value than originally paid.

That said, it's your money, your collection, and there is nothing wrong with what you hope to do.

Hope this helps, Grey

[markturner]

Hi Grey, I am a complete beginner, so hence all the request for advice. I hear what you are saying, my trouble is, I don't know the meaning of patience! I have always struggled with this! There is so much to learn, I guess the fittings can always be viewed as separate and interesting and valuable items in their own right.

 

Generally, then, a blade in shirasaya, the same price as a blade in koshirae, for the same price, should always be a better blade, assuming its priced correctly? How much would be added to the value of a typical blade if it came with original authentic fittings as opposed to shirasaya?

 

In a nutshell, you are saying keep my blades in shirasaya, ( unless I have money to burn ) and perhaps look at acquiring my next blade in mounts, correct?

 

Thanks for the help, Mark

[Grey Doffin]

Grasshopper,

There are no rules for how much mounts of which vintage add to a sword of some vintage; everything is relative. I'm not saying that a blade is shirasaya is worth no less than the same blade with koshirae, only that assembling mounts for a sword doesn't make financial sense in most cases. How much mounts add to the value of a blade in shira saya depends on the blade, the mounts, the market, and which way the wind blows.

And if you're asking my advice for what you should buy, my answer is books.

Grey

[markturner]

Thanks Grey, I do have my head in several books at the moment, but I fear the path of enlightenment is a long and winding one....!!!

 

 

Best, Mark

[drdata]

Mark, Grey has offered you great advice.

 

I have only been into nihonto for 1.5 years, and I already see what he predicted happening to me.

 

That said, if you have the money, then why not invest a little and have fun while you learn and study? I find having a real something, helps kindle my interest and motivation to study. The hope is, when the study is done that something will a), still interest me, or b), be able to be sold for something that does w/out too great a loss.

 

If you are doing this to increase the value of the item then do read again what Grey has said. If you need a fun projects that can take years when done "properly", and don't mind if you recoup all your money, then why not?

 

Best regards