DIY: $200 Katana…Test Fit
...will the parts fit???
We started our katana DIY project at the beginning of the year. Our budget is:
- $50 for all the components (tsuka, seppa, etc.);
- $50 for the saya (lacquered, buffalo horn opening, ray skin cover, etc.);
- $100 for the blade (T10 or 1095, folded, clay-hardened, hamon, polished, etc.).
Saya
Saya was ordered on Jan 18th and arrived on Feb 5th. Apparently it just squeaked by all the USPS will/will not accept packages from China problem.
What arrived was a package well-protected by foam and bubble-wrapped….and completely sealed on the outside with waterproof shipping tape. Note the large number of export/import custom labels!!!
While our budget for the saya was $50, after negotiations, we ended up paying $100 for two, including shipping.
One saya was all black, the other was partially wrapped in ray skin with buffalo horn, and lacquered. The surprise from our supplier was they also included the sageo, and tied them for us, for both!
Tsuka #2
The second tsuka was ordered on Jan 27th from a different vendor in China via Aliexpress Marketplace ($18.44 complete). Delivery was estimated to be March 2nd, probably due to the continued uncertainty around US/China mail. Anyway, we got a notice at 6:45AM on Feb 15th that it was out for delivery….and then it showed up at 7:20AM!!!
Like the sayas, the tsuka was also very securely packaged. It came shrink-wrapped and with a length of dowel for making the pegs.
At $18, it is of course not real ray skin, but the pattern is better than that of the first tsuka. The workmanship is excellent: very tight wrap, good details on all of the components, and surprisingly high quality, irrespective of the price!!!
Test Fit
With the arrival of the saya, it was time to test fit all of the katana pieces.
The tsuka fit is good with no rattle, and definitely ready for the drilling of the locking pin holes. BTW, it’s quite nice to have a proper workbench for the test assembly.
First observations:
- The blades fit both sayas just fine without the habaki
- The habaki fit the black saya, but not the ray-skin one.
The habaki will go all the way into the black saya and come back out The issue with the ray skin saya appears to be the saya opening, which we are fairly certain can be taken care of by some careful filing.
Next Step:
Over the course of the past few weeks, we have written about ordering/receiving the parts, test fitting of the tsuka to the blade, and the fitting of the blade to the saya.
The next step is to do a test-assembly the katanas. Look for the write-up in a few weeks.
Leave a comment