Sticking Tsukagawa - Help needed

[schiedsrichter]

Hi!

As I received several weeks ago some quite old Club Shinais for maintenance work, I wanted to disassemble them for better handling (and also for changing the "hitting site", so that the Take are not used unequally the whole time).

Unfortunately, some Shinai's Tsukagawas were that sticky as if someone had glued them on. All efforts using physical strength (pulling, wringing, inverting etc.) failed and the only result was that I just got some blisters :wink:

Has someone an idea how to get them off (except by cutting them off)?

[shred_lord]

Try wearing some thick rubber gloves (like marigolds).

[Toshiro Mifune]

I haven't experienced any glue but some super tight tsuka I have. Sometimes I've cut the tsuka along the stiches. Just to loosen it then taken it off that way. Then you can shorten it or just repair the tsuka. But more than often I will have 3 or 4 tsuka from previous shinai and just use them. It is probably not the answer you want to hear but at least you make use of those extra tsuka you might have just laying around.

[LarsCW]

The best way to get them off is with steam.

This glue like substance is most likely from using the shinai without kote on.

They get really dirty.

Washing your hands help preventing this a little bit but it's basicly a buildup of dirty and oils from your hands.

When you try using steam to get the tsukagawa off, just apply the steam over the length and make sure the leather isn't over heathed.

This way will make you take it off without problems, unless someone really used glue which then mostlikely has gotten through

[schiedsrichter]

@LarsCW:

Thanks for your information! I was astonished as it worked ... but 2 of 4 Shinai really got rid of their sticky tsukagawa. The other 2 needn't to be treated with steam as I loosened the tsuru 5 days before ... and obviously the tsukagawa also got "relaxed" ... and could be pulled of.

[Twobitmage]

how, exactly did you apply steam?

I just bought a thick gripped shinai and it's been driving me crazy that I can't take it off. To make matters worse, since it's the first thick grip shinai I've ever bought, I don't have any tsukagawa to replace it if I wanted to give up and cut it off.

It's been driving me nuts. My roommate had a good laugh watching my constipation face as I tried to take it off, though.

[schiedsrichter]

Hi Twobitmage!

I used an old electric water boiler (for an "powerful" steam jet) and locked the switch so that the automatic shut-off didn't work (of course outdoors ;-) ). When the water was boiling, I started to take the Shinai and applied the steam on the tsukagawa, beginning at the place where the Tsuba usually is located and moved slowly to the tip of the Tsukagawa. Then, after a certain application time, the Tsukagawa could be pulled off (I always pushed the Tsukagawa from the Tsuba site to the tip. To grip the Tsukagawa itself is useless since it is to slippery...

But be aware: It is leather! Too long applcation time leads to shrinking of the Tsukagawa.

Hope I could help you.

[Kagerou]

how, exactly did you apply steam?


pot + water + stove = steam

[Abramo]

pot + water + stove = steam

That's a pot as in pan, guys. Not weed.