Iron Tsuba Restoration and Preservation...

I wanted to start this topic to discuss iron tsuba restoration and/or preservation. The idea came to me after reading the long and well done discussion about rust on this forum. I have been working on restoring some of the lower value iron tsuba in my collection. Most of my higher end tsuba are already in good condition and not needing of any restoration or preservation work to the best of my knowledge. The tsuba photographs of before and after my work is to help start the discussion. It is of a late Edo Tosho Styled tsuba signed Kunihiro. The tsuba was purchased in Japan and was covered in active rust but lacked any deep pitting or other such damage to the surface of the tsuba. The technique used involved the application of a white cotton towel and small pieces of dried hard bamboo worked over the surface to remove the red colored active rust that would show up on the white cotton towel. I also would clean the surface with a mild soap and water solution as well. These techniques I have develop from mostly talking to collectors in my local area and reading such wonderful websites such as Jim Gilbert's “Tsuba: Art of the Japanese Sword” and Dr. Richard Stein's “Japanese Sword Guide”. I have also read about the use of bone and ivory but have only used small pieces of hard dried bamboo to clean this and other iron tsuba surfaces.

The objective with starting such a topic is to create a medium of discussion and learning of different techniques used by collectors to help restore and preserve their fine iron tsuba of their collection for future generations. The topic is not to discuss the artistic merit of such tsuba that people provide as examples of their own or someone else work. Let me know if I can provide any additional information about my example I have provided to help facilitate discussion. Any suggestions would be welcomed as well.

Here are basic measurements for the tsuba:

Size: 7.0 X 6.45 cm

thickness 0.55 cm

Yours truly,

David S. (Soshin)

David.

The question you pose and which was dealt with to some degree in the thread that inspired this current one, invites us to reveal what practices we employ to preserve our own tsuba. Whilst Jim Gilbert and others detail practices that are considered correct and sufficient, Your question presupposes that there are as yet unrevealed practices and techniques for cleaning iron tsuba.

I confess that there are a few methods I have tried on badly damaged or rusted low quality plain iron tsuba. some of which worked and some that didnt. Avoiding abrasive or chemical treatments being the basic criteria. The odd thing is that a method that works on one tsuba may not work on another for a variety of reasons. The value in the methods described by Jim Gilbert and others is that they are applicable to most tsuba and are safe and accepted practices. In the end one is always brought back to them as being the most effective. That being said, I too would like to hear of any methods that have proved effective to whatever degree.

I think that possibly the reason that I am the only respondee to this thread so far, is that we are all to a greater or lesser degree wary of criticism by others should our individual methods be considered incorrect in some way. :D

It would however, be very helpful if some of the more knowledgeable tsuba collectors among us would come forward with any tips they may have on this subject.

I would not call myself a collector of tsuba or say I have much in the way of knowledge

on restoring them, but I was told a long time ago by a tsuba collector the best way to remove rust was to freeze! the tusba in a covering of water allow it to thaw naturally

, then gently rub the loose rust with the rounded tip of a peice of horn peg.( of course you would need to repeat it many times) To me the horn sounds allright but find the water idea of expanding ect worrying. I am sure ford is the man to correct this, and put me right.

best regards,

Tony.

I think that possibly the reason that I am the only respondee to this thread so far, is that we are all to a greater or lesser degree wary of criticism by others should our individual methods be considered incorrect in some way. :D

I can see your point and that was why I was willing to display with photographs of my own method and its results. To try to get other people on the forum to open up. I was also looking for constructive feedback (positive or negative) as well and hopefully a discussion of techniques.

One thing that I have also noticed from cleaning this and another tsuba (Bakumatsu Chosu Sukashi tsuba) was the variation in the hardness of the iron (i.e. steel). This might be related to the whole issue of all techniques not always working on all tsuba. The iron of this Tosho tsuba was much harder compared to the other tsuba I also cleaned using the same techniques. This is factoring in that the Tosho tsuba had much more active rust on it then my Chosu tsuba had on it surfaces. Also not counting the inner surfaces of the sukashi which I avoided cleaning on the Chosu tsuba.

Yours truly,

David S. (Soshin)

Hi Gang,

Great subject.

I have always wondered. Where did the idea that cleaning the inside of sukashi tsuba was a bad idea??????

It makes no sense at all. If the rust is eating your tsuba from the inside out, how can that be a good thing. If rust, and mud, lint, cat hair, and lord knows what else is stuck to the inside of your nice sukashi tsuba, why would you not clean it?

Where did this silly idea ever come from? Do the tsuba guru tell where your sukashi is from by how much oil, and belly button lint, is stuck to your tsuba???????

Please clear this up for me, if anyone knows.

Where did this silly idea ever come from? Do the tsuba guru tell where your sukashi is from by how much oil, and belly button lint, is stuck to your tsuba???????

 

Please clear this up for me, if anyone knows.

I remember hearing this rule from other collectors which I also heard extended into not cleaning any of the ana surfaces as well. This rule has also made it into the online resources I talked about earlier if I remember correctly. I also remember being told the the degree of oxidation and dust could be used to date the approximate age of the sukashi tsuba much like a nakago of a sword. From a practical point of view I can see Mark's point about rust damaging the fine sukashi designs in body of the tsuba that has never been cleaned. A more balanced complex approach may need to be taken in addressing this specific issue.

Yours truly,

David S. (Soshin)

Given that the previous thread arrived pretty much at the conclusion that there was in fact no 'ideal' level of cleaning and or restoration widely accepted as 'correct', and that we were all pretty much on our own when it comes to deciding when and how much to clean, then surely the question of cleaning inside sukashi and hitsu ana also stands at the same unspecified level.

Severely rusted sukashi, or sukashi that have become the harbour of red efflourescent rust should surely be stabilised as much as possible without adding to the damage already done by mother nature. Belly button lint and pocket fluff aside, watching the finer elements of your sukashi tsuba deteriorate over the period of your stewardship over them is an unpleasant prospect at best. Seeing the fine workmanship of the tsubako fade into oblivion without any attempt to control it seems almost criminal in one who professes to admire that same workmanship. However, I am not a tsuba collector as such, and perhaps my logic is amiss.

My own view is that there is actually no historical, cosmetic or aesthetic value in an accumulation of unwanted destructive oxidisation (as opposed to patina). This may or may not be correct in the murky atmosphere currently surrounding any possible concensus of opinion among collectors. Definitive answers are elusive if they actually exist, and I suspect that as in all things, there are some extremist views on cleaning or a lack thereof, even among those we consider to be experts in the field. To clean or not to clean, that is the question.

Mark,

It isn't that you never touch the inside walls of the sukashi. It is merely that you treat them like the nakago of a sword. You don't sand or polish them. As per a nakago, you would keep sand, oil and "lint" off them, and would stabilize any active rust. But that is all, and as per nakago, less is more.

I don't think anyone is ever going to give their "instant cleaning and patination tips" out anytime soon. Like polishing and appraisal..the techniques take years to refine and are mostly about experience I guess.

We have enough info out there to preserve and maintain swords and tsuba. That is all we should be doing I think.

Brian

Yes, that is the way I always thought about it.

But I have seen the other extreme written many places.

Thanks