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This document is designed as a general "how to" when handling kodogu. In particular, the shipping and packaging of tsuba, so your buyers items get there safe and sound.
1. Handling someone else's kodogu.
Always show respect. Offer to wear gloves or better still, take your own and just put them on. I personally am not too fussed on my old iron tsuba and allow people to hold them bare handed. It gives a greater appreciation of the iron. Some collectors prefer bare hands and others prefer that the oils and acids contained within them be kept off their guards and that is their right. Gloves are always good to have on hand, and a must in regards to shakudo and kinko works.
Do not rub or grind thumbs or forefingers into a tsuba or fitting. It is rude and can damage the patina. Never rub shakudo, you will damage it.
Always pick up and replace kodogu carefully, putting them back where they came from. Hand to other collectors with due care, just like you would a sword. Dropping someone's fitting is very poor form. If you damage it, it will be very embarrissing and could prove costly.
2: Care of your own kodogu.
As from above, do not rub, spit on, lick (don't laugh) or use anything chemical or acidic on your fittings. People use all sorts of odd things, both home made and off the shelf on their kodogu and it is not made for them, they are artificial and damaging. If you need to repatinate a tsuba and want to try it yourself, read Jim Gilbert's article on this, and follow it closely. Otherwise, seek professional help. It is a good article and can be found here:
http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/Cleaning.htm
No matter what people tell you, do not use artificial patina chemicals on your fittings and do not let others sell you their "magic potions". They are not correct and look wrong. All tsubako and fittings schools had their own recipes for patina and to think that a one step chemical can do what all those different recipes did accurately is false and misleading, and the colours look just plain wrong. There are people in Japan who specialise in patina repair, it takes about 12 months to get the process going properly and another 18 months for it to really take hold. It is also only really worth it if the tsuba is worth it. Pick and choose your pieces carefully is my suggestion.
Store you fittings in a safe and dry environment. Keep them away from humid areas or near heaters and air conditioners.
Many of these items have lasted over 500 years, and they need all the help they can get to last another 500. Human intervention is the cause of the demise of many things in the modern day, we just cannot help ourselves, we have to tinker. Don't. Leave them alone and ust enjoy them as they are.
3: Shipping kodogu.
The cheap wooden boxes we often see for storing our tsuba are not too good. The centre peg is held in place with a staple. This can become a very dangerous thing in shipping. All too often, people put a tsuba in a box and pack it in another box all safe and sound, only to have it arrive at its destination scratched and damaged. It is simply a matter of weight. The tsuba gets knocked around in shipping, knocks loose the wooden peg and exposes the staples. After that, it is just a matter of the iron, or worse, a shakudo tsuba ping ponging all over those nasty staples permanently scratching your cherished item forever.
The simple way to ship tsuba is to leave them out of the box. I like to wrap them in either tissue paper or cloth (felt is best) and then pack them securely in a cardboard sleeve. Australia Post has nice little firm cardboard envelopes for shipping CDs that are great for this. Then package in a box carefully like normal. This also applies to menuki, fuchikashira and all forms of kodogu. Keep them safe, and so not let them get loose in a box to bounce their way around the planet getting damaged.
So these are some simple steps for us to help us preserve these precious items, to respect them and our fellow collectors. We really need to look after them carefully until their next protector comes along.
Cheers
Richard Turner
1. Handling someone else's kodogu.
Always show respect. Offer to wear gloves or better still, take your own and just put them on. I personally am not too fussed on my old iron tsuba and allow people to hold them bare handed. It gives a greater appreciation of the iron. Some collectors prefer bare hands and others prefer that the oils and acids contained within them be kept off their guards and that is their right. Gloves are always good to have on hand, and a must in regards to shakudo and kinko works.
Do not rub or grind thumbs or forefingers into a tsuba or fitting. It is rude and can damage the patina. Never rub shakudo, you will damage it.
Always pick up and replace kodogu carefully, putting them back where they came from. Hand to other collectors with due care, just like you would a sword. Dropping someone's fitting is very poor form. If you damage it, it will be very embarrissing and could prove costly.
2: Care of your own kodogu.
As from above, do not rub, spit on, lick (don't laugh) or use anything chemical or acidic on your fittings. People use all sorts of odd things, both home made and off the shelf on their kodogu and it is not made for them, they are artificial and damaging. If you need to repatinate a tsuba and want to try it yourself, read Jim Gilbert's article on this, and follow it closely. Otherwise, seek professional help. It is a good article and can be found here:
http://home.earthlink.net/~jggilbert/Cleaning.htm
No matter what people tell you, do not use artificial patina chemicals on your fittings and do not let others sell you their "magic potions". They are not correct and look wrong. All tsubako and fittings schools had their own recipes for patina and to think that a one step chemical can do what all those different recipes did accurately is false and misleading, and the colours look just plain wrong. There are people in Japan who specialise in patina repair, it takes about 12 months to get the process going properly and another 18 months for it to really take hold. It is also only really worth it if the tsuba is worth it. Pick and choose your pieces carefully is my suggestion.
Store you fittings in a safe and dry environment. Keep them away from humid areas or near heaters and air conditioners.
Many of these items have lasted over 500 years, and they need all the help they can get to last another 500. Human intervention is the cause of the demise of many things in the modern day, we just cannot help ourselves, we have to tinker. Don't. Leave them alone and ust enjoy them as they are.
3: Shipping kodogu.
The cheap wooden boxes we often see for storing our tsuba are not too good. The centre peg is held in place with a staple. This can become a very dangerous thing in shipping. All too often, people put a tsuba in a box and pack it in another box all safe and sound, only to have it arrive at its destination scratched and damaged. It is simply a matter of weight. The tsuba gets knocked around in shipping, knocks loose the wooden peg and exposes the staples. After that, it is just a matter of the iron, or worse, a shakudo tsuba ping ponging all over those nasty staples permanently scratching your cherished item forever.
The simple way to ship tsuba is to leave them out of the box. I like to wrap them in either tissue paper or cloth (felt is best) and then pack them securely in a cardboard sleeve. Australia Post has nice little firm cardboard envelopes for shipping CDs that are great for this. Then package in a box carefully like normal. This also applies to menuki, fuchikashira and all forms of kodogu. Keep them safe, and so not let them get loose in a box to bounce their way around the planet getting damaged.
So these are some simple steps for us to help us preserve these precious items, to respect them and our fellow collectors. We really need to look after them carefully until their next protector comes along.
Cheers
Richard Turner
Guide created: 30/11/06 (updated 28/09/09)
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