bushido and Fabrication, Japanese sword making, conclusion.

Often as a project draws to a close my interest wanes and I slow down. This was not the case with this project. I sprinted over the finish line on this one. After completing all the components, I was very excited to assemble the final piece. 

Before assembly began I had to put a finish on the scabbard (saya). Sayas are traditionally finished in a variety of ways. Lacquer is one of the more common finishes. I decided to go with modern automotive enamels instead of a traditional lacquer finish. I made this decision for a couple reasons. Firstly, traditional lacquer is a process that I am not familiar with-- and I knew I could replicate the look of a lacquer finish with enamels. Secondly, lacquer is quite toxic-- I did use clear lacquer on the metal fittings but it is becoming increasingly hard to find lacquer here in California. The finish on the saya is a combination of four different enamels layered to give the look of lacquer with gold powder embedded in it. I also applied several coats of clear top coat.

The final assembly mostly involves lacing the hilt (tsuka) with a silk cord material called ito. I managed to hunt down instructions on how to lace a tsuka online. These are the best instructions out there. Silk ito comes in a variety of colors. I settled on a color called tetsu which is the Japanese word for iron. The color is a very dark gunmetal blue. I also ordered some tetsu ito in a wider size to use as the lanyard for the saya-- also known as a sageo. The sageo was tied in a fancy knot known as the ronin knot. Now please enjoy a some pictures of the finished project:

Thanks for following this project with me. I am quite satisfied with the results however there are things I learned, and things I would do differently. In the end it was a rewarding study of traditional Japanese sword making techniques.

Thanks for looking.