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Dojorat
27th January 2001, 19:38
Greetins,

I had an interesting insight to my sword technique. I was trying to find a spacer for my sword handle. This meant I had to remove the handle from the tang. Not wanting to expose the blade in public, I removed the peg, held the sword up still in the scabbard and, in order to loosen the handle from the tang, tapped on my wrist with my other fist. This all worked fine to loosen the handle. The additional insight came when I looked down at the counter top which I was facing. There, in a neat pile, were the shavings that I had been slowly but surely carving from the inside of the saya over the years with each draw and each return of the blade. I have always paid particular attention to the mouth of the scabbard and the risk of cutting through the scabbard. I've examined the mouth for cut marks and, happily, have not seen any to note. However, these shavings are coming from nowhere else but the inside of my scabbard and they're not coming from any other person handling the sword. Now this is not the original scabbard and it wasn't made specifically for this blade. So, there is some difference in curvature and fit. But, I don't know if this can explain it all. Maybe so, maybe not. The next class I also noticed that the sword was drawing much easier/smoother. My buddy said the shavings had been helping to hold the sword tightly in the scabbard and now that they were gone, the fit was looser. A plausible theory.

Anyway, I just wondered what that pile of wood shavings on the counter top was saying. Maybe nothing, maybe volumes.

Any similar experiences?

Cheers,

Anyway,

WillG
28th January 2001, 14:28
Many students will tap out their saya after each class (I assume this is a "live" blade your talking about) as a way to guage progress. The idea is that the more skill you develop, the fewer shavings there should be coming out.
When we started tameshigiri at our dojo, several people were using the same sword for cutting. We could have started a paper mill with what came out of that saya!:D OK, small exaggeration, but you get the idea.

Will Graves

pgsmith
28th January 2001, 21:50
Hi Joe,
Since it was not a large pile, and they have been accumulating for a while, I would say not to worry about it. There will be some accumulation, the better you get and the older your saya gets, the fewer there will be but there will always be some. The reason it seems easier to draw now is that your blade was riding on that layer of sawdust which will tend to grab the blade a little. Now that it is gone, your blade is riding on the much smoother wood surface. (your mune only I hope) It is generally a good idea to tap these shavings out periodically.

Cheers!

hyaku
29th January 2001, 01:14
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Dojorat
[B]Greetins,

Now this is not the original scabbard and it wasn't made specifically for this blade. So, there is some difference in curvature and fit. But, I don't know if this can explain it all. Maybe so, maybe not.

Any similar experiences? Cheers, Anyway,
...............

Undoubtedly if its a hand made weapon, no two can be the same without some very serious work on behalf of the smith. It's usualy one sword one saya.

A smith made me another blade finding what could be a serious fault in the first forging. Needless to say it required another Saya . Really finding a lot of shavings is something that happens whaen the sword and fittings are new. Even then the saya is made for the blade before its polish leaving you the room you require inside. Doing a natural Osame-to the blade tends to wear in its own path inside the saya.

P.S. I have a problem with the saya maker (nice work but still inexperienced) There is an excess of glue inside which is stratching the surface of the blade. Don't know what kind of glue he used. Most people who make fitting now are going for modern types of materials ei. superglue, resins particularly simulated leather the has better properties than leather in the fact that it does not shrink.

Hyakutake Colin


[Edited by hyaku on 01-29-2001 at 04:33 AM]