The Saya

Saya and shirasaya are traditionally fashioned from honoki wood which is a specie of magnolia.  Honoki has unique quality in that it is a "firm wood", not too soft nor too hard and it is easily worked with hand tools when properly  seasoned. Honoki   is also very  resistant to the absorption of atmospheric moisture making it a very stable base for decorative applications.  The quality of the wood chosen is determined by  several factors; color , grain,  even wood density are taken into account when determining  the overall quality of the wood. The intended use of the saya is the final determiner of wood   choice with  koshirae saya generally receiving the lesser  since it will later be finished  with various color or texturing techniques. The wood chosen, the blank is halved and hollowed out with various tools to form a neat form fitting jacket for the sword . Once the interior work on the saya is complete,  the exterior of the blank is finished in accordance with the intended use of the saya.

Koshirae saya is planed down to dimensions determined by the  habaki and fuchi. The koiguchi should be flush or slightly up stepping with the horizontal lines extrapolated from the fuchi. and  the arc should be smooth and consistent with the sori of the blade. Tachi saya or saya with kojiri are started similarly but then worked in conjunction with the various kodogu to be applied continually  checked and fitted  during the course of saya construction.   Care must be exercised in the handling of the kodogu as the patina is being continually rubbed by the hands and is potentially damaging to the finish   There is slight  fumbari  (tapering) from ha to mune as well as in the kasane of the saya.  These continually changing arcs and lines make it very difficult to machine the saya with  modern tools and make it quite easy to spot one that is.   Beauty in form comes with practice and is continually refined and perfected as the craftsman matures.  When final dimensions are achieved, the saya is then fitted with various horn parts and washi (paper) is applied to the ha and mune.  This washi acts a a binding for the seam that is strong ,yet can be split for future cleaning. In the past, it was not uncommon for a saya to be split, cleaned and relacquered at the seam or relacquered entirely and I suspect was more economical for samurai of less than lofty social status   Today it is is uncommon for a saya to be split and cleaned and for those practicing martial arts, the splitting of the saya due to extensive and robust use is both undesirable and potentially dangerous. Martial arts saya also receive a washi application, but now utilize a modern gluing material that works in conjunction with the washi to create a tough break resistant seam. I stress that this is an external application. Traditional rice glue is still used for the joining of the two halves . The saya is now  ready for nuri

Shirasaya, literally" white saya", undergoes a slightly different process in the final finishing.  Shirasaya are worked with the tsuka and saya conjoined to from a pleasant overall shape.  Early shirasaya were generally made in dimensions in excess of that of the blade contained so that with future cleanings,  the exterior could be reshaped so as to maintain a crisp, virginal, appearance.  In the cutting of shirasaya,   the exterior is subjected  to various stages of shaping. Initial  dimensions are cut in the koiguchi and  ends, and the meat of the wood is removed to reflect these shapes. There is a progression of kanna  used in the removal,  shaping and polishing of the saya with special reverence usually placed on the polishing plane.  This plane for me is the most enjoyed as it brings out the character of the saya. The saya is then finished with tokusa ( an abrasive vegetation  that is  specially prepared and utilized in various traditional arts) and in conjunction with the polishing kana,  used  to shape and true the finished lines.  Once this is complete, another vegetative tool  called muknoha is incorporated which polishes and burnishes the exterior.  The final application involves  an even coat of ibota (wax derivative) which is then  hand rubbed with a cotton cloth or fine wood shavings.  Shape is very obvious with shirasaya and follows  much of the same process as the koshirae saya.  Tapering is applied to the shirasaya from the koiguchi to the kojiri as well as the nakagojiri,  the degree of which is critical to the appeal of the saya and can often be  associated with the sayashi.  Generally there is nothing added to the shirasaya but on occasion there are elaborate, eye catching applications such as hatome ,tsunokuchi, and koppamaki.  Hatome are small eyelets of horn or ivory  that act to protect the wood surrounding the mekugiana.   Tsunokuchi are horn applications to the fuchi end of the tsuka  and or the koiguchi of the saya. They provide a striking  transition between the the tsuka and saya. Koppamaki are wraps of honoki of even width that are applied to the saya at various intervals.  The color of the koppamaki is chosen so that it is in contrast with the foundation wood.  Again, providing visual contrast and enjoyment.   When visiting with Ogawa Morihiro at he Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York,  he stated his dislike for the extras applied to the shirasaya.  His rationale being that these extras often deteriorate with age and render a good old saya useless unless there is someone available to repair these items.  He also stated a dislike for mekugi, citing that mekugi is really not necessary  if the tsuka is cut correctly and that it too is a venue for exposure to the atmosphere.  In his words,  I sensed that it also corrupted the appearance of the final shirasaya shape and was more of an aesthetic preference than a preservation concern. On a different occasion,  I had an opportunity to view swords that  were being sent to  Japan for restorative work that were the property of the Smithsonian Institute, purportedly items received during the Perry expeditions, and found it very interesting that many of the shirasaya were without mekugi.   My discussions with Ogawa sensei immediately brought this earlier experience to mind substantiating the rationale of Ogawasan

A quick historical note on the shirasaya.  Presently,  the most predominant shape being produced is the octagonal shape with the ji of each face being slightly arced   I believe that this style of saya is more contemporary and that that of the full oval was the earliest of styles produced. I  believe that the oval with flat sides was the next natural progression and later the more stylized forms came into existence.  I have seen many shirasaya that were given  further shapes such as ebi tsugata etc.  Were these shapes,  and the application of decorative items such as hatome and tsunokuchi    a result of later  excesses associated with the flamboyance of the Edo period?  .  Is there a correlation with tsugata and age? Ex. Koto: Oval with koshi in the tsuka. Shinto: oval with flat sides. Shinshinto/Gendaito:  Eight side etc. Questions I would like to pursue.