Tsuba school : Hosa Kusa - Recreating a Modern Classic, Part 7 - Filing and shaping the rim.

[@jwjones0321]

Thank you so much for making these! As a military man I have little time to learn things like this. I absolutely want to learn everything about engraving and metal working. You are a great teacher!

[@FordHallam]

thank you very much

[@jamesperkins9833]

I am very much enjoying working on my first Tsuba project and appreciate you sharing your knowledge with us.

[@bernardlegendre4884]

Thank you for this demonstration and perfect teaching of the practice of the right gesture which does not vary.

[@robertringe7904]

Ford, keep up the good work. I find your videos very interesting and very calming. Good stress relief. Thank you.

[@jakevoss1980]

That's a very stylish hat you have there O-tengu

[@FordHallam]

Thank you, perhaps I should start showing off my hat collection in my films. ;-)

[@mojoxide]

Loving this. The whole channel. Absolute master, thank you for sharing your expertise. I want to start collecting tsuba now, and perhaps even attempt my own!!

[@nahte123]

Great! I think the artistic choices are really starting to shine through. I've been waiting to see what the woobly edge hammering was all about. I probably would have hammered evenly like a doofus! And then I thought, "Isn't that filing going to make another sharp edge?" "This will, of course, make another sharp edge...but that's tomorrow's exercise..."

[@ozhughes716]

As a knife maker I really appreciate the time and effort you put in to your pieces! Really enjoying this series! Oh and I think the hat is very posh mate!! 👍👍🎩🎩

[@FordHallam]

ta, glad you like them.

[@swordsworn7]

I am in awe. The process is so mystical yet so encouraging.

[@Trainwheel_Time]

Thank you again Ford! Really starting to come together.

[@vassa6483]

Thank you for sharing your valuable experience and knowledge! It's so awesome to actually go through this series watching a skilled metalworker! Subscribed!

[@kdweb1]

Ford I hope you don't mind but I shared the link to lesson one on the bladesmith forum. Your work deserves a fiery beard!

[@FordHallam]

don't mind at all, thanks for the share. I quite fancy a fiery beard actually :-)

[@vladimirkovacevic1656]

awesome tsuba

[@apo1915]

time and effort = success.keep it up ford.. thanks

[@TheLabulatolijus]

Thank you Great details and insights

[@johnnyoro4]

Done with this part on my own Tsuba! Thank you so much for this journey of knowledge!!

[@FordHallam]

Great to hear, and I'm glad you could make the trip :-)

[@kitb4549]

Very cool hat.

[@mikeday2720]

Personally, I like the hat. Great video again, Mr. Hallam. I've got my project tsuba one step behind this video over the weekend. I have a question, though. After upsetting, could you just stop there? I really like the look of the tsuba with just the upset rim around the outside. I'd like to smooth that out and just stop, but I'm concerned that might be considered "bad form". My working anvil and hammers are all very polished, so I had to spend some time hunting for suitable items to make the textures. I found an old 10 pound sledge hammer with all kinds of pitting in it that I'm using both as a hammer and anvil to create the skin. I've also got some old wagon wheel rim material that is very pitted that worked well as an anvil. Would love to hear your perspective on not folding over the rim.

[@FordHallam]

Cheers Mike. It's your tsuba, you decide what works for you. I don't think it'd be poor form at all. If it looks good it's good. And not all tsuba have raised or folded over rims anyway, they were a pretty creative lot actually and if you can imagine it someone probably tried something like it in the past. 500 years or so of innovation....

[@robertlibbiter573]

Hi Ford The top of your hat is out of frame so we can't see its shape. I imagine it to be a tall pointed affair as would be fitting for a wizard such as yourself.

[@RecklessModelling]

Copper arrived in the post today! Time to make! Also it is a very nice hat

[@FordHallam]

cheers :-)

[@stefanocorrias1]

Woke up this morning and watched this while having coffee. I agree the hat is great 👍

[@s4nzyG]

Great hat! :D

[@FordHallam]

Thanks! 😄

[@dreaden6761]

nice hat!

[@exposuremeter]

Just can,t wait to see the result. I assume that you will add patina on it. Wondering if you could share the acid potion you use to get the patina.

[@FordHallam]

patina will be done with a flame only.

[@Sheepdog1314]

thank you Sir -- is the book still on the horizon?

[@FordHallam]

it is indeed. Hoping to have it ready for printing when life gets back to normal.

[@MP_pov]

Very grateful for these videos. I admire the attention you give to details. Also really liked your ‘on the bench’ series. Have you done sword blades at all? Or is that too much of a niche? I guess if you can make the fittings you can also transfer the skills to a wider range of applications, like jewellery.

[@FordHallam]

thanks, glad you like the films. Actually I trained as a goldsmith, I'm a qualified master goldsmith in the European tradition first.

[@MP_pov]

Ford Hallam's Japanese Metalwork Channel I see, makes sense

[@JDub_GP]

Nice Hat Ford. Just wondering if there are rules about sizing etc. Does the hole have to be the same size? Is there a prefered tsuba diameter? Thickness of metal?

[@FordHallam]

Ta, glad you like the hat. The nakago-ana is based on the size of sword really but as they are not supposed to be a tight fit, just clinched at top and bottom, they tend to be similar for the various sizes of blade, tanto, wakizashi and katana, for example. Size and thickness also are somewhat dependant on the blade but there are countless variations. Average size for a katana would be around 70 mm plus up to around 80mm high, with exceptional, and rare examples I've seen at about 100mm

[@JDub_GP]

@@FordHallam thank you

[@dougtepfer1899]

Dear sir how do I get the pdf for the patterns. Thx so very much . Would like to try my had at it .

[@FordHallam]

Hi Doug, there's a downloadable file on my Patreon channel. That is also freely available at the moment.

[@dougtepfer1899]

Thank you ! Stay safe !

[@dougtepfer1899]

P. S. Love your hat !

[@charliebowen5071]

Never scrub back and forth with a file like shown here... yes it’s copper but it’s learning poor practices

[@FordHallam]

you're a sucker for punishment! ;-)

[@charliebowen5071]

I don’t think in an educational setting that you should be teaching incorrect or poor tool technique.... you scrub with files and other lazy things which should not be taught... this is a masterclass... cmon ford!!!

[@FordHallam]

I've demonstrated a number of approaches to filing in many of my films, if you'd care to ex[lore my channel. This particular approach, as shown here, is specific to the effect I wanted in this case and as such is, imo, a perfectly legitimate technique to use and share. If the content I offer here, for free, is not up to your expectations, or standards, you don't have to watch any of it but could instead make your own. I'm sure they'd be helpful.

[@charliebowen5071]

Ford Hallam's Japanese Metalwork Channel I didn’t say any of those things regarding content and expectations which are your words not my own.. I was merely pointing out what I was always taught as I’m sure were you. Scrubbing with a hand file is a no no in any respect that’s all... the underhanded sarcasm at the end just seems uncalled for. I know who you are and reputation. Just disappointed that I get well don’t watch or do it yourself from someone I admire such as yourself for merely saying a correct statement....

[@olulabelle]

Charlie Bowen the point is, it isn’t correct to say that pulling the file back is incorrect. It entirely depends on the actual filing you are doing - and also if you watch there is no cutting pressure on the pullback, it’s a very light movement to keep the file flat which Ford very clearly describes in the film. I do this all the time and was also taught this manoeuvre by a goldsmith in the Jewellery Quarter. The idea that you must lift and replace the file for each stroke is t practical in most fine metalwork environments. Charlie are you a metalworker? I’m genuinely interested in your experience.

[@olulabelle]

Also - what are the ‘other lazy things’ you mention?