TLDW #5 - Carving an Aikuchi Tanto Koshirae

**WARNING: This is the longer process version intended for serious students of knifemaking. Watch the overview edit here: https://youtu.be/L8asHTVtyls

Hand carving a classical tanto style mounting from reclaimed and local natural materials using traditional Japanese woodworking tools.

The wood for the scabbard and handle core is Nootka Cypress, the smaller fittings are Oceanspray ironwood.

A note about the wooden koiguchi: I don't recommend this method with any wood other than Oceanspray ironwood due to its peculiar strength in cross section...wood (or better, horn) grain should run vertically across the opening to add strength to the koiguchi in the correct areas.

The abrasive plant material used for fine sanding/polishing is dried tokusa (polishing grass), known as horsetail in english...the plant cells contain silica and it can be used dried as is or glued to wooden blocks with sokui.

Sokui is rice paste glue, the best tasting rice makes the best glue...using yesterday's rice is the optimal time for mixing and mashing completely before adding any water is recommended...read more about sokui here...
making: http://islandblacksmith.ca/2015/10/making-sokui-rice-paste-glue/
strength testing: http://islandblacksmith.ca/2014/03/sokui-rice-paste-glue-strength-testing/

0:10 #1000 synthetic waterstone
0:30 natural suita stone

Saya (scabbard)
1:20 flattening the blank with kanna (plane)
1:39 carving inside the saya with saya-nomi (scabbard chisel)
2:25 mixing sokui (rice paste glue)
3:15 clamping with a leather strap and wooden wedges

Tsuka (handle)
4:29 carving the mouth of the tsuka with nomi (chisel)
5:53 roughing the corners with nomi
6:31 reducing the block with kanna
7:11 rounding the corners with kanna
7:48 sculpting the shape with kanna

Ki-Fuchi (wooden ferrule)
8:56 sawing the slice
10:01 dishing the face with saya-nomi

Saya
11:08 unwrapping after drying
11:44 tracing the ki-fuchi onto the koiguchi
12:15 reducing the block with kanna
13:12 roughing the corners with nomi
13:43 rounding with kanna

Koiguchi (scabbard mouth)
13:50 tracing the depth with nomi
14:10 outlining the habaki area with kiridashi
14:48 sawing the shoulder
15:38 removing the waste with nomi
16:14 carving the shoulder with nomi

17:13 removing inner waste with nomi
17:31 filing ana to final size
17:54 dishing the face with saya-nomi
18:22 removing outer waste with nomi

Tsuka
19:20 drilling the mekugi-ana with kiri

Kurikata (cord loop)
19:37 polishing with tokusa (horse tail)
20:07 sawing keyway
21:38 removing waste with nomi

Kojiri (tip of scabbard)
23:34 rounding with nomi
24:31 polishing with tokusa

Assembly
25:04 making sokui (rice paste glue)
29:12 finished work

Lacquering
https://youtu.be/09S76DSbbI8
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See the whole process of making this tanto: http://islandblacksmith.ca/process/making-aikuchi-tanto-kuro-urushi-koshirae/