Installing a New Tsuba

[Ben]

I recently installed a new tsuba on my katana and I would like to bring up a problem that I ran into that people might not anticipate. If the tsuba you have is thicker than the one you are replacing it with your mekugi holes will not match up once you put it back together.

However this can be solved with extra seppa to compensate for the loss of width. You see, the holes are drilled in the tang according to the width of the tsuba. It all has to line up correctly. I don't know what you would have to do if you wanted to install a thicker tsuba, besides drill new holes.

The tsuba I just installed on my katana is the black, iron double ring Musashi type (given to me by Charles aka goose710, thanks a lot man!) I highly recommend this type of tsuba. It is so light, the balance of my sword has improved so much! Plus it looks really cool.

[rick]

measure twice cut once. measure your tsaba before ordering a new one .or gride it (gods forebid)

[Yaso]

I just changed the tsuba on my Cheness Kaze to the ultra heavy one from the Bushido Raijin. I actually prefer a heavy tsuba to balance the blade in a way that it makes it more maneuverable. That and it looks far better.

[rick]

I kinda like a weight forward blade it works with the way i swing