The Swordmaking Tutorial: Part 4 (Cutting out the Tsuba)

Have you ever asked yourself "How do I make a sword?"more pricesely a katana. Well If you have asked that question then I am here to help you answer that. This swordmaking Tutorial will cover everything you need to know about swordmaking. It has an attractive layout, easily readable discriptions, easier to understand discriptions and step by step pictures to know which process you are at. These swordmaking tutorials are aimed towards swordmakers and propmakers, however anybody is free to use them at their own leisure to try swordmaking.

Right to make things clear first the "tsubsa" is the guard which is inbetween the habaki and the handle. Now this is the reale asy part of swordmaking where you just have to cut out the tsuba design out of MDF. However that is tottaly dependent on if the tsuba design is very complex. A word of advice when sawing always saw directly on the line and if you move away from that line make sure your not sawing into the tsuba. The sanding part of the tsuba will make it look clean and pristine.

The Swordmaking Tutorial: Part 1 (Tools and Equipment) [link]
The Swordmaking Tutorial: Part 2 (Planning and Drawing) [link]
The Swordmaking Tutorial: Part 3 (Cutting out the Sword) [link]
The Swordmaking Tutorial: Part 4 (Cutting out the Tsuba) [link]
The Swordmaking Tutorial: Part 5 (Sharpening the Sword) [link]
The Swordmaking Tutorial: Part 6 (Sculpting the Details) [link]
The Swordmaking Tutorial: Part 7 (Painting and Glossing) [link]
The Swordmaking Tutorial: Part 8 (Constructing the Sword) [link]