By: Sir Tanaka
The Tachi
by Tanaka Raiko
The tachi or
daichi (depending on your translation) is the sword of war of the 11-14th
century Samurai. It was the sword of war, heavier and straighter than it's more
famous and out of period counterpart the Katana, it was the sword that forged
the history of Japan.
Fighting in the
SCA for over 15 years I realized that katana's just don't have the chutzpah
needed in Heavy weapons combat. A heavier (armor piercing) weapon was needed to
fight armored opponents. Research lead me to the Tachi.
The tachi or
daichi (depending on your translation) is the sword of war of the 11-14th
century Samurai. It was the sword of war, heavier and straighter than it's more
famous and out of period counterpart the Katana, it was the sword that forged
the history of Japan.
Seeing as I
patterned my persona after a 11th century samurai it was a no brainer that I
start fighting with a Tachi.
The Tachi is one
of my favorite creations.
The Specs on the
Tachi are as follows:
* Overall Length
50-52"
* Blade Length
34-36"
* Handle length
14"
* Finished
weight: 2.5-3.5 lbs.
* Tsuba with
3-4"
Material List:
* One - 1
3/4" - 2" thick rattan stave (you will eventually cut a 48-50"
billet out of it)
* One -
4"x4" 1/2" thick piece of HDPE (for the Tsuba)
* One - roll of
3/4" strapping tape
* One - roll of
Duct tape (color of your choice)
* One - roll of
Duct tape (contrasting color of your choice)
* One - roll of
white athletic tape ( as the base handle cover or the Same')
* two - rolls of
electrical tape for the handle wrap (or use black athletic tape)
* one -
2"x2"x2" block of high density foam (for thrusting tip)
Possible material
needs:
* Rivets, pop,
two piece smash, etc.. to affix two pieces of HDPE together to get the plastic
to the right thickness.
Tools:
* At least one
Sharpie. I try to have as many as possible around (they walk away at the worst
time)
* Ruler or a
caliper (to measure thickness of rattan after cutting) draw knife or spoke
shave (to shave rattan dowel, I have two different kinds of draw knives)
* rasps, bastard
file, or wood files (to rough shape the handle)
* sand paper (for
finish sanding of the blade sides and handle)
* wood chisels
(for fine cutting work)
* cross cut wood
saw (for cutting the rattan to the appropriate length and for notching)
* Propane or Mapp
gas torch (for straightening the rattan)
* a large vice
(wood working, table, or bench vice for holding
* the rattan in
various stages)
Step one:
Material Prep
1. Rattan
straightening and billet selection
1. After
selecting the rattan stave (I pick rattan that feels "live", hard to
describe I'd have to show you). I used the torch to heat the rattan at the
points that I want to bend it to straighten it. I use either a vice or the joists
of the floor above me to brace the rattan while I'm straightening it.
2. After I
straighten, I cut out a billet 48-50 inch from the stave. I look for sections
that are straight, and are of consistent diameter. Again I look for
"live" rattan. (It has a particular feel in the hands)
2. Plastic Tsuba
prep
1. Unless you go
to a plastic supplier (which is the way to go if you're going to do some
intricate carving of the Tsuba) and buy plastic of a particular thickness,
you're going to have to build up pieces of plastic (HDPE or barrel plastic) to
the appropriate thickness.
2. I cut out two
4"x4" squares
3. Rivet the two
squares together. You will do more to them once the blade is cut out.
3. Thrusting tip
prep
1. Take high
density urethane foam (blue camping mats) and fabricate a
2"x2"x2" square. I contact cement the pieces together and
"LIGHTLY" wrap them in strapping tape (this keeps the foam from
deforming under repeated thrusts).
2. set it aside,
you will need it when the blade is done.
Step Two: The
blade
1. Feel and mark
the billet. You will take the billet in your hands and roll it around and
switch ends until it feels right. You will then mark (with one of your
sharpies) the part in your hands as the handle. Additionally you will mark the
back part of the blade (the side facing UP) as the SPINE. I generally draw a
rough line the length of the blade and mark it "SPINE" I will roll it
over and opposite the spine mark I will draw a rough line and mark it
"BLADE". (These lines are important as guides when you're carving the
blade). On the flat Point end of the billet I will write (PT for point) and on
the pommel end of the billet I will write (PM for pommel) these are important
when carving the billet.
2. Lock the
billet into the vice point end away from you. Your spine marked side should be
on the left and the blade on the right, with the PM marked end toward you.
3. with your
spoke shave or draw knife remove the skin from the top to a uniform depth of ¼
inch the length of the billet.
4. Flip it over
and do the same to the other side, make sure that your marks (spine, blade, PM
and PT are in the right places). If you do it right you should have two flat
trails directly opposite of each other on the billet.
5. Take your
caliper or ruler and measure the thickness from flat side to flat side. These
are your guide marks. You will continue shaving down the sides alternately
until you reach your target width of 1 ¼ inch. If you do it right you will have
a BI-symmetric blade blank. With a uniform longitudinal thickness. You now have
a blade blank.
6. From the
POMMEL end (PM) you will measure and mark 14 ½ inches with your sharpie all the
way around the blank. This will be your FRONT Tsuba mark.
7. From the
pommel end measure 14 inches and make another mark all the way around the
blank. This will be your BACK Tsuba mark.
8. Run strapping
tape from the point end to the Front Tsuba mark.
9. wrap a length
of tape around the blank to in front of and up to the front Tsuba mark. This
will be your Tsuka
Note: take your
time. I've made somewhere between 75-100 of these and each one has a life and a
feeling all their own. If you do it right the "live" feeling in the
rattan will transfer to the tachi and magnify itself.
Step Three: The
handle
1. starting at
the Back tsuba mark, carve off the corners, rounding the handle. Your goal is a
oval cross section that feels comfortable in your hands. Keep carving until you
get to the point where the tips of your longest finger (probably your middle
finger) touches the Abbuctor Pollicis of your thumb. (The big muscle of your
thumb).
2. I use the draw
knife to rough carve the handle and use the rasps, wood files etc. to rough out
the handle to the appropriate dimensions. ONCE I get close to where I want to the
handle to be I'll sand it smooth. (Tape adheres better to a smooth surface)
Step Four: The
Tsuba
1. Using a ruler
find the center of the Tsuba blank and drill a small hole.
2. Place the
sword blank Pommel end down on the floor. You should be looking down at the
Point end of the sword blank. Mark the center of the blank.
3. match up the
hole in the Tsuba blank with the mark in the Point end of the sword blank.
Trace the outside diameter of the sword on the surface of the Tsuba blank.
4. From the
center mark of the Tsuba measure out a 2 inch radius and draw a 2 inch radius
from the center circle.
5. Rivet the two
tsuba blanks together in four equidistant point INSIDE the circle you just
drew.
6. cut off
everything outside the circle.
7. cut out the
center of the tsuba to the inside trace mark
8. fit it onto
your pommel end pushing it up to the Tsuka/front Tsuba mark. Trim to fit.
9. If the hole is
too large you can use strapping tape to get it to snug up.
10. You should
not be able to push the Tsuba past the Tsuka. If you can add more tape to the
Tsuka.
11. Remove the
Tsuba until final assembly.
Step Five: The
Trusting Tip
1. Take your
2x2x2 block of foam and measure it up against the Point (PT) end of the blank.
It should be slightly larger than the outside diameter of the rattan. There are
times when I will contact cement the foam on just to keep it in place.
2. tape the tip
onto the blank with 10" strips of strapping tape. With the pommel end on
the floor, place the middle 2" inches of tape on the point end of the foam
and adhere it downward. Repeat this process across and diagonally, adhering the
point EQUALLY. Don't pull down lest you compress the tape too much and loose
it's compression capabilities.
3. holding the
blank in your left hand "Spiral wrap" strapping tape from the spot
where the lashing straps of tape end on the blank. Spiral up towards the Point
end. Cut when you reach the end. The lashing straps hold the point on, the
spiral wraps support, buttress, and protect the lashing straps. If you can
easily bend the point over, repeat the spiral wrap process until the
appropriate stiffness is attained.
4. Make sure you
have enough compression. (1" progressive)
Step Six:
Cosmetic Taping and finally assembly.
1. Cover the
blade with cosmetic duck tape. Use a contrasting color for the edges. Be sure
to mark the tip with contrasting tape to mark it as a thrusting tip
2. Put the Tsuba
into place on the handle against the Tsuka, take additional strapping tape and
build another Tsuka behind it, to lock it into place.
3. Use the
athletic tape to cover the handle.
4. Take the
electrical tape rolls and have two of them unfurling in opposite directions
crossing on the sides of the handle twisting at the apexes of the oval. Continue
til end.
If you've done
this all correctly you should have a Tanaka-styled Tachi.
If you have any
questions please drop me a line.
Cheers,
Tanaka Raiko
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