Description
Design a custom tanto mounted in the rustic satoyama tanto style of your choice. More info: Design Your Own Custom Tanto.
Variation shown: hammer finish blade, copper chisagatana guard, natural brown fukiurushi on handle, and natural brown ishimeji lacquered scabbard. (read more info below)
Blade Finish
- tsuchime – hammer texture (as-forged surface shows marks of hammer and fire)
- kaji togi – stone finish (blade is smoothed with files and a coarse stone before hardening)
- togi – polished (blade is smoothed with fine stones after hardening)
Habaki
- habaki (blade collar, improves hold in the scabbard)
- without habaki (not recommended for large blades)
Guard Style
- hamidashi (almost flush with the handle)
- chisagatana (slightly extended around all sides)
- nata (slightly extended/flared on the edge side)
Fuchi Style
- cord wrap ferrule (lacquered cotton or hemp)
- forged copper open ferrule
- forged iron open ferrule
Kurikata Placement
- none (no cord loop, smooth kaiken style scabbard)
- tanto (loop on omote side for edge-up cross draw)
- nata (loop on ura side for edge-back right hand side carry)
Lacquer Finish
- fukiurushi (smooth wiped-on layer, often in natural brown colour)
- ishimeji (stone-like texture created with urushi and crushed tea leaves)
- negoro (“worn-look” fukiurushi done with two colors)
- lacquered cord wrap (full handle wrap, saturated with urushi)
- or some combination (including giving unlimited creative license to the maker)
Lacquer Colour
- natural (a red-brown when used for fukiurushi, a dark chocolate when used for ishimeji)
- black (shows some wood through with fukiurushi, very deep black with ishimeji)
- antique crimson (very deep red/brown with plum undertones)
- black and red (streaked “negoro” or texture fill, varies greatly)
- natural and black (streaked “negoro” or texture fill, more subtle)
- natural and red (streaked “negoro” or texture fill, more subtle)
- or some combination (including giving creative license to the maker)
Measurements
Nagasa (blade length): 200-220mm
Motokasane (blade thickness): 5-7mm
Motohaba (blade width): 24-28mm
Sori (curve): uchizori
Nakago (tang): 100-110mm
Tsuka (handle): 110-120mm
Koshirae (overall): 350-370mm
Potential Raw Materials
Blade: reclaimed file steel, harrow tooth steel, spring steel
Habaki (blade collar): forged copper bus bar
Tsuba (guard): forged copper bus bar, salvaged steel, or wrought iron
Handle and scabbard: Nootka Cypress, hemp or cotton cord wrap
Finish: natural urushi lacquer, crushed tea leaves
Mekugi (removable peg): Bamboo