Adjusting balance on Katana

[Caliper]

is there a way to adjust a katana balance, I know that the tsuka length and shape are useful for a katana balance, but what about a katana that's tip heavy?, can adding a few weights inside the tsuka help the balance? :-?

[willrichtor]

That seems like an entirely reasonable idea. Different sets of Koshirae have different weights and can affect balance. It would seem like weighting the tsuka purposefully to change the POB would be commonplace.

[wolfhound]

OK, heres a subject that I've become very experienced at over the last year.

The best way I've found is to change your Koshirae or shorten/lengthen your Tsuka.

Lighter Koshirae or a shorter Tsuka will push the P.O.B. out and further down the blade making the blade allot easier to cut with, heavier Koshirae or a longer Tsuka will pull the P.O.B. further toward the Tsuba and make the handling a little better but IMHO the blade slightly harder to cut with.

It really depends on your preferences Caliper, do you want it to handle like a Tameshagiri sword or a red oak bokken?

If you completely unsure and you want an all rounder then a P.O.B. 4 inches from the habaki is a good place to start, don't exceed 6 inches or else the blade will have a tendency to try and pull its self out of your hands, don't go too close to the Habaki or else it'll feel like using a Suburi Bokken which I did to my Chen Nami Iaito when I first started Iaido Trust me, it was no fun at all especially when your Sensei's turning round to you and saying "we should just give you a Battle Axe really, as your handling you Iaito like a Barbarian".

As I was saying Too short a P.O.B and you'll look like Conan the Barbarian at your Iai class, Too long a P.O.B. and your sword will over cut resulting in your swings becoming like a small child trying to handle an boisterous dog and you'll become a health & safety liability.

Anyway, hope this helps.

[zentredi]

cal, like wolfhound said changing the furniture will change the p.o.b as will shortening or lengthening the tsuka,but if you don't want to change anything you can drill the core under the kashira and insert a metal 'slug' without changing the look or weakening the tsuka. i,ve done this on some of my kats to move back the p.o.b. to about 3" because i like a fast blade even though their less forgiving when cutting (more presicion needed than brute force). oh yeah changing from a steel or iron tsuba to one of brass or bronze will usually move the p.o.b. back around an inch or so and vice-versa.

[wolfhound]

Oh yes, I forgot about that old trick zentredi, a Japanese friend said that they used to do that in his old Iaido dojo when he was a young boy, It's supposed to work a treat.

I changed most of my Koshirae on my Iaito for brass fittings and it rebalanced it perfectly, Copper is a good middle ground weight.

I think Iron & Steel fittings are my biggest problem with Paul Chen Katanas, It's one of the biggest reasons why i customize them.

[Torawashi]

.....I have a clever scheme, which cannot fail.......you could rest the blade on a log with the tsuka on the ground and set rocks on the tsuka.....of course when you pick the sword up again the balance would be back to what you started with.....:>

[wolfhound]

Lol, or change your menuki for fishing weights =))

[Caliper]

hahaha...thanks guys for the info, very helpful, I'll give it a try and let you know when I'm done :king: