Leather Tsuba?

[Newbie]

I heard a while back (can't remember from who, fairly sure it was at this year's Aus Nats though) that you're not actually meant to have hard plastic tsuba on jo bokken (despite that they're always sold with hard plastic tsuba). Apparently if the jo impacts on the tsuba, the hard plastic ones can shatter all over the shiaioji/dojo floor.

I guess that just leaves hard leather? Firstly, can someone confirm? And second, how many people have leather tsuba for their jodo bokkens instead of the plastic one it came with? (Heh, and any pretty designs?)

[shred_lord]

I've had a plastic tsuba shatter on me when I muffed the suriage in Kendo Kata Ropponme. So I can see the logic.

Actually, it was a very tight fit and it kinda exploded on impact :)

[Paburo]

i had a plastic bokken tsuba broken once too... in kendo jigeiko (long story). anyway, it did break but just into two clean pieces. no shattering or explosion or anything! lol

kendoshop is selling some fancy and more katana/tsuba looking rubbertype kind of bokken tsubas. they look like the kind that would deform or bend on impact, but not break apart and shatter(just as leather would do, probably). maybe that's a cheaper option to leather tsuba?

[Fred27]

I recommend you switch to a leather tsuba. It lasts way longer than a hard-plastic one. Two months ago I was doing kenjutsu with a partner who used a bokken with the standard quality plastic tsuba. I managed to shatter it with one blow..(hehe). My partner took it quite well..she wowed to shatter mine...I think she meant my tsuba.

I have a leathertsuba for my own bokken and its perfect. I recommend you get one with no delay unless, for whatever reason, your sensei does not allow a leather-tsuba. DO IT!!!!!

[Newbie]

Sempai's not gonna care if I have a leather tsuba. Especially not if you're not technically meant to have them on jo bokken but he's going to see his sempai (sorry, make that sensei now! woo-hoo, go Tony!) next month and asked if I wanted anything cos Adelaide has sweet FA in the way of MA gear so I thought it'd be a good time to make my jo bokken 'legal'.

Seems like the consensus is that it's definitely worth doing. (Wonder if he can get me a pretty one....)

[satsumaruma]

You can purchase the soft plastic tsuba which are made from polythene - they tend to be a lot less brittle. I have never had one shatter on me but I have seen one split down the 'join'.

Lee

[Aden]

I have one of Tony Pickerings 4 ply kangaroo leather tsuba, very well made piece of gear, sadly does not fit on my SMR Jodo bokken which is a little thicker than a standard kendo bokken..... I do have to replace my plastic bokken tsuba every few years as they deform but have never broken one.

I recomend the leather one.

Aden

[Newbie]

Ha, my kendo bokken is thick and heavy as a club. Nothing standard fits it. My jodo bokken though is a nice, pretty thing I bought at the auction with the corresponding jo.

[Marcus_P]

We were told at Wollongong nationals as well that you are meant to use Leather Tsuba, not Plastic Tsuba - cause Plastic Tsuba are dangerous when they break.

I too use one of Tony Pickering's leather tsuba... my problem is it's kind of soft, so it sits kind of crooked on my bokken, a little misshapen from where it sits in my sword bag.

[Ken Morgan]

I've used a moosehide leather tsuba from Kim for eight years now. I don't want to see the guy/gal that can smash it....http://sdksupplies.netfirms.com/cat_furtsuba.htm

[Fred27]

I've used a moosehide leather tsuba from Kim for eight years now. I don't want to see the guy/gal that can smash it....http://sdksupplies.netfirms.com/cat_furtsuba.htm

I can recommend Kims stuff as well. I got a Solid Leather Tsuba for my SMR-bokken. Unfortunately it didnt fit my bokken so I had to butcher it a bit, but it works like a charm now that it is in place.

[John Seavitt]

Yup - I got one of those (furless) moose? buffalo? tsuba about eight years back while passing through - it fits fine and it's been well behaved the whole time.

John

[Newbie]

Hey, they do look pretty but Tony's a lot closer to home! Thanks for the headsup, Marcus. I'll see about protecting it in transit.

[Reiver]

I recommend the hard leather as well, but don't let the dog near it, they love such things to chew on.

[Kim Taylor]

We haven't had the moosehide tsuba for years now, fellow who made them for us had done disappeared.

The nicest ones are rawhide water buffalo hide since that stuff can get to be 1/4 inch thick, but it's damned near impossible to get hold of the hide.

We looked into getting some water buffalo or ox imported but with the brucellosis and anthrax and other restrictions, things aren't moving as easily as they used to in the raw skin market. Our single tannery around here only does cowhide and it's too thin for single ply.

We now do a machine stitched tanned leather tsuba that's pretty stiff and of course unbreakable since it will bend rather than break.

Protects my thumb pretty well.

We've also got plastic tsuba that are a bit tougher than your usual cheapie stuff, and better looking too, in cream and dark brown with dome to match. I use them for jodo as well, haven't had a problem with one yet.

Kim Taylor
sdksupplies

[Newbie]

Sempai didn't end up training so didn't get my leather tsuba. However, I had a dream on Saturday night that he had one for me... weird, huh?

[beginner_mind]

The tsuba I just got for my boken from swordstore.com is made of very hard rubber-like stuff. I can't imagine it can shatter or break. Maybe tear, but it would take something pretty extreme.

[Blane Bellerud]

I make leather tsuba that are designed for SMR bokuto. They have been used for a number of years in jo training and have performed well. If you are interested you can see some at:


http://www.blanetoons.com/handm/tsuba/

[skilled]

Leather Tsuba is much better and looks nicer , I don't like plastic Tsuba .

I think they make my Bokken look like a toy :P

[sparky2488]

I've recently been tinkering with hand stitched tsuba's, finding reputable suppliers in the UK has been fun, but I've finally got them cracked . . . two layers of 5mm Veg Tan Leather cuir bouilli treated to make them stiffer, then an inner section of very hard hide leather to increase stiffness even further. Leather stamps are very similar the world over, although I am currently talking to someone that has an idea for a very low cost stamp that can be made . . will be ideal for club logo's as it's all done with laser engraving.

http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/sparky2488/DSCF0272.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/sparky2488/DSCF0279.jpg
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m106/sparky2488/n719942386_2178341_618.jpg This is made from Saddle leather, needs to be three layers thick minimum to make it stiff enough.

[jmaia]

Hi... These leather tsuba look nice... And during the last jodo practice, a friend of mine's plastic tsuba broke in hiki otoshi.... So I'm wondering if anyone knows where to get these leather ones in europe ?

The ones from england look like tsuba for shinai, not for bokken, or am I mistaken ?

Cheers from Portugal,

jm

[Sandra S]

The ones from england look like tsuba for shinai, not for bokken, or am I mistaken ?

The tsuba on Sparky2488's post are indeed for kendo, although very nice looking ones. :cool2:

As for the bokken leather ones, I've also been looking for them following a senpai's advice. Ninecircles does sell them: they were sold out for a while but apparently they now have some in stock.

Sandra

[sparky2488]

Hi,

they are for a Shinai, have made a couple for my Bokken from the saddle leather, am going to do some for Bokkens this weekend in the thicker leather, will post the pics.

Mark

[Andy_Watson]

I can confirm that the ZNKR Jodo Manual now specifies the material for the tsuba to be leather.

[jmaia]

I can confirm that the ZNKR Jodo Manual now specifies the material for the tsuba to be leather.

Is this the translated version ? Or the japanese ? I don't remember seeing it on the english translation but then again I don't know it by heart (shame on me, I know), and I don't have it here with me to confirm (shame on me again, I know, it should always accompany me wherever I go... :) ).

jm

[Andy_Watson]

Is this the translated version ? Or the japanese ? I don't remember seeing it on the english translation but then again I don't know it by heart (shame on me, I know), and I don't have it here with me to confirm (shame on me again, I know, it should always accompany me wherever I go... :) ).

jm

Hi Joao

This is the newly released Japanese version. The English version is in the pipeline.

Andy

[HugoB]

Plastic tsubas for Jodo are really not the best option. Mine was in a very bad state and had to switch bokken in the middle of practice .. Fortunately a friend is going to order some stuff from ninecircles and I asked him to put a leather tsuba in the order. I hope it lasts :P

[sparky2488]

All leather will soften over time, the natural oils in your fingers and getting hit will slowly cause it to soften . . . if you soak it in hot water (as hot as you can tollerate your hands being in, any hotter you risk shrinking the leather) for ten minutes then dry over a warm fire it'll harden up again for you. Works better on untreated leather, but will have an effect on a coloured leather too.

[Andy_Watson]

All leather will soften over time, the natural oils in your fingers and getting hit will slowly cause it to soften . . . if you soak it in hot water (as hot as you can tollerate your hands being in, any hotter you risk shrinking the leather) for ten minutes then dry over a warm fire it'll harden up again for you. Works better on untreated leather, but will have an effect on a coloured leather too.

I'm not sure that the "leather" tsuba's are leather in the classical sense. I seem to remember from some Japanese co-students that they are actually made from a section of cow skull hence they are so hard.

I have one which I had from thirteen years ago and there are no signs of it going soft.

Thanks for the advice though.

[Kim Taylor]

I'm not sure that the "leather" tsuba's are leather in the classical sense. I seem to remember from some Japanese co-students that they are actually made from a section of cow skull hence they are so hard.

I have one which I had from thirteen years ago and there are no signs of it going soft.

Thanks for the advice though.

Cow skull??

The Japanese jodo tsuba are rawhide, like a dog's chew toy, and they have to be made of water buffalo or some such because they sure aren't your usual cow, I once went through several dozen whole-cow rawhide skins looking for something thick enough for tsuba and never found it.

Kim Taylor

[Tanukisan]

I wanted one, so I went to my local leather shoe repair shop with a tracing of my plastic Tsuba & she made a really nice hand stitched 3 ply leather one for me for NZ$35.00

I have polished it with Bees wax & it looks really nice & will take any inadvertant hard knocks dealt out to it during my Kendo practice.....
I also feel it gives my bokuto more of a natural soul - if thats the right term for it....

I am curently making a wooden black laquered Tsuba for an antique handmade Japanese Red Oak Bokuto I have aquired as I could not bring myself to put a plastic Tsuba on such a majestic, proud old piece :)