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Zanshin offers a choice of four different wrap styles as part of the purchase of any of our samurai swords; add this selection to your choice of steels, tsuka color and sword fittings to create your own personally distinctive blade.
Tsuka-maki
Tsuka-maki is the art of wrapping the handle of a Japanese sword. Ito is the wrapping itself - silk and leather being the most common. The Ito is wrapped and twisted around the tsuka (handle) which has been first wrapped in stingray skin (same). The wrapping is accomplished using one of several complex techniques to create the classic samurai sword handle.
To keep the wrapping even and level, paper triangles (hishi-gami) are placed between the ito (wrap) and the same as it is being wrapped. The hishi-gami help to define the diamond-shaped openings commonly found on the hilt and through which the same and hilt ornaments (menuki) can be seen. These paper triangles also help to create a very tight wrapping. When the entire tsuka has been completely wrapped, a finishing knot is tied to bring together and lock the ends of the ito, and secure the handle cap (kashira) in place.
The tsuka is usually wrapped in a strong, flat silk cord (ito), but other materials may be used such as such as snakeskin, lacquered paper, string or cord wrap, or leather. Sometimes the ray skin is used on the tsuka alone without the use of ito wrapping. In this case the menuki are attached to the outside of the tsuka in a style called hari-menuki.
There have been various colors of ito used throughout the ages but, the more traditional tsuka are wrapped in black or other dark colors. The more ornate Tachi were commonly wrapped in gold, white, or other btight colors or patterned ito on occasion.
The actual design or pattern of the twisted braid wrap has more than 70 different recorded techniques. Among the great many methods of wrapping, Zanshin offers the most popular styles; Tsumami-maki, Katate-maki, Hira-maki, and Hineri-maki.
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