What is tsuka Ito?

What is tsuka Ito?

Ito – Wrapping of a Samurai Sword. Ito is commonly referred to as Tsuka-Ito which means handle wrapping or handle cord. Its main purpose is both aesthetic and functional, it reinforces the tsuka and prevents technical failure when using the sword.

What is tsuka made of?

Tsuka (柄): The tsuka is the hilt or handle; made of wood and wrapped in samegawa.

What are Katana Hilts made of?

The Tsuka (handle) is customised for every single blade, it’s made of wood covered with ray skin (Same) which guarantees a very good grip. On it there is a rope, usually made of silk, (Tsuka-Ito) braided in a typical way.

What are the 3 types of Katana?

Kissaki was the Samurai sword point that determined the sword quality. Japanese swords changed over time, but the three main Samurai sword types were: Katana, Wakizashi and Tanto.

What are katanas wrapped with?

Ito is the wrap of the tsuka, traditionally silk but today most often in cotton and sometimes leather. A sageo is a hanging cord made of silk, cotton or leather that is passed through the hole in the kurigata of a Japanese sword’s saya.

What is the rope on a katana for?

Sageo is a cord that was traditionally used (and is still used today by students of the Japanese sword arts) to secure the scabbard of a Katana to the belt (Obi) of the person who will wield it.

What is a really long katana called?

Tachi
Tachi (太刀, “long sword”): A sword that is generally longer and more curved than the later katana, with curvature often centered from the middle or towards the tang, and often including the tang. Tachi were worn suspended, with the edge downward. The tachi was in vogue before the 15th century.

How is a katana tsuka made in Japan?

In creating a Katana tsuka these fall into two distinct stages. First, the wood is split and carved to receive the tang. It is joined while shaping the outside. Carving is done by using special chisels known as saya-nomi. the tang is being held by one or two mekugi pegs wrapped with samegawa and the ito.

What is the handle of a katana made of?

The Tsuka is the katana’s handle. The tsuka has been constructed many different ways but the traditional tsuka will be made from wood and custom fit to the blades tang and held by 1-2 mekugi pins. The wood handle is either wrapped in ray skin or channeled for rayskin inserts.

How to do a battle wrap Ito for a katana?

Take the shorter end and position it (diagonally) on the tsuka in a way it will form a diamond with the other end. Take the longer end and overlap the shorter end to form a diamond.

What kind of fabric is used for tsuka-ito?

This is done to prevent slippage of the tsuka-ito (handle wrapping). The tsuka-ito can be woven from very inexpensive fabrics or twine to the most luxurious Japanese cottons and silks.