redoing my old worn out iaito blade and need help

[Kusaga Kamui~Shinjo-ryu~]

my old nami ito is just worn to crap. four years of use and the same` is done, the mekugi are crap chopsticks (and wear holes in my hand), the wrapping (tsuka ito? tsuka cord) is grimy and worn to hell and back, the copper fittings look like they went through a sand blaster full of mud, and its just given up. the saya is more electrical tape and wood glue than origional wood. blades fine though:).

so i need new cords and i want to get a few diffenrt colors to try out and keep wrapping it myself. this is negligible cause i know a place with black leather and thats too sexy to pass up!

and a new black saya. if anyone knows which one of the cheap-o's will fit a nami (paul chen of course) i would do a backflip of supream joy.

i want steel, alum, iron, or silver fittings.

and the hardest part a new pair of menuki. steel or silver metals only.
(seriously tired of copper and brass!)

and for pete's sake i need REAL same`. hopefully in black.

if you guys can help me out i will keep you posted on the progress and i may even make cookies! do not deny the aluure of cookies. lol thanks in advance guys.

ps. this is the first sword forum ive ever joined. mosty due to the maturity of you all. thanks for being profesional and knowledgeable

[goose710]

Jason has a set of fittings , you can find them under tsubas, the saya?? Cheness sells a one size fits theirs, saya in black but as to fit??????????????. don't know how handy you are ,but to make one??????????
Jason has ito but no same' and he has the mekugi you might want to replace.
da goose710

[Taygrd]

Welcome to the forum, we are always glad to have you.

As far as leather ito, make sure you get a good quality so it does not stretch. Leather is more difficult to wrap than cloth. Make sure you have your folds where you want them before you tighten the wrap.
Cotton and silk are more forgiving.
Fittings are harder to come by if you are looking for a unique set. I wish Justice could chime in on this thread since he is very knowlegable and talented. The saya would be harder to find a replacement for.
Black same is white same with black leather dye applied. You can shoot a clear coat over it if you want.
Cookies are good but I really only work for sake=))

[Brian Brazier]

Fred Lohman http://www.japanese-swords.com/pages/about.htm has some great Menuki, a bit pricey but IMO are worth the extra money, if you find a set you like Bugei also carries them http://bugei.com/subcategory_87.htm and they are cheaper. There is also a great faux leather that Aaron uses for allot of maki called Tsunami that is carried at Fred Lohman's, Same http://nihonzashi.com/diy_supplies.aspx has a great price I haven't seen a place that sells it dyed but that is easily accomplished. As for the Saya I believe (don't quote me) but I am pretty sure that Hanwei does sell replacement Saya I know I have seen them listed somewhere you can probably contact them and find out.

[Taygrd]

Great sites Brian. Have you any swords with the Tsunami ito? I was curious how it feels and if it looks traditional.
I found out yesterday that the supply of same gawa has been restored to my supplier. All of the natural disasters caused the issues so it may be available now for awhile.

[Kusaga Kamui~Shinjo-ryu~]

as far as the tsunami ito wrap. ive heard it feels like a cheap childs comfort blanket and detracts from the swords "traditional" feel. i personally think it just looks like its no good. anyone else know about the Synthetic wrap?

[Brian Brazier]

I havent used it, I imagine it feels allot like the faux leather on the Classic Practical Plus, if Aaron were here he could tell you. Still Lohman has a great selection silk, and leather in Olive Brown and Black. But do some checking around, his prices tend to be a little high (though the silk ito is fairly priced I think) here is a few links I look at for customizing swords http://www.japaneseswordsltd.com/page5.html http://www.shadowofleaves.com/ http://www.swordstore.com/ http://www.roninswords.com/

[Taygrd]

Thanks for the input Brian, you are always providing good info. I have dealt with Shadow of Leaves and Japanese Swords LTD and had great luck with both. I have met the gentleman who owns JS LTD and have found him to be an honest and admirable man with a tremedous amount of knowledge. I trust him and deal exclusively with him and Jason (SOM) only. They have the same business ethics and practices. Once I find a good person to deal with I stay there. I too wish Justice could stop in a little more often as well.