The Sword in Japanese Martial Traditions, Vol. 2 by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Via Media Publishing
Published: 2017-12-11T00:00:00+00:00

FIGURE 8

The saya’s open end has been carved out to accept the habaki.

Jointing the Two Halves of the Saya

The two halves of the saya are simply glued together and clamped until the glue of choice has cured or dried. But there are some problems to consider. First, what glue should you use? If you are making a saya for a practice blade, the choice may simply be what’s available. The author started out using Carpenter’s glue of either the white or yellow persuasion. It cured in about two hours and was quite strong. When a saya was made for a live blade however, it was found that over time, the glue appeared to discolor the steel.

If the saya is to be opened for cleaning, hide glue—which is prepared by mixing it with and equal volume of water and heating it—works very well. It is strong and brittle, allowing the two halves of the saya to be split apart without damaging the wood. The tops of violins are actually glued on in this way, and are ‘popped off’ for prolonged storage of the instrument.

More recently, the author has come to use epoxy glues. These are very strong (essentially fiberglass) and, unlike other glues, can fill significant gaps in the joints, or other holes or defects in the work. They are stronger than the wood so the sword’s edge can rest upon a joint that is very solid and non-reactive. Using an epoxy with a half hour set time allows some adjustment when gluing the sides together. These completely cure in about twelve hours. For gluing on the eyepiece holding the belt-cord (kurigata) and caps, or for making minor repairs or fills, epoxy that sets up in five minutes works well and is good to go in a couple of hours. With either type, you must be careful to mix equal amounts of glue and resin or it will never set up!

Another consideration in the process of creating the glue joint is the bead of glue that gets squeezed out of the joint and into the inside of the saya. This has the potential of keeping the blade from fitting all the way into the saya and depending on the glue, could damage a good blade. To some extent you control this by using the least amount of glue necessary for the job. Apply it to both sides before joining them. Some glue however is still going to run. This is where the STP comes in again. The two saya halves are joined and clamped, but before the glue can set, the blade (with the sleeve, habaki) coated with STP can be slid in and out of the saya once, pushing the glue out of the way. The blade should then be immediately wiped clean with a cloth—and a solvent, if necessary, depending on the glue used. This is probably not appropriate for a live blade, at least an expensive one. In this case, the saya maker is probably well advised to have make a wooden model of the blade ahead of time to use for this purpose.

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