How to make Hishigami wrapping - Hanbon Forge

What is the Hishigami? Hishigami are the little wedges or triangles that are placed underneath the tsuka-ito (handle cord wrap) when wrapping the tsuka of your Japanese style swords. They provide many functions such as aiding in the shaping of the diamonds, keeping the ito from moving around on the core, and protecting the ito from fraying against the rough Samegawa (ray skin) to name a few.
HanBon Forge also provides hishigami wrapping service. The video above shows that our master is making hishigami wrapping. If you are interested, you can also try to do hishigami by yourself.
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[@ProcyonDei]

This is most relaxing, definitely using it as a guide to do maintenance on swords...

[@hanbonforge]

thank you👍

[@dirtyscavanger]

Idk what's nicer the work she's doing or her nail paint love the flowers.

[@BowsettesFury]

Probably my most favorite thing about the katana. But the over all style of the sword itself is simply beautiful.

[@hanbonforge]

thank you so much👍

[@СабриТаиров-ф5ы]

Сколько метров уходит ленты на обвязку рукочти ?

[@jakefisher-psalm23]

Great video! I got my custom Iaito from HanBon Forge (with Hishigami Tsuka-maki) and I love it! I always imagined that kind of wrap would be challenging but whoever is being filmed makes it look so simple! To her experienced hands, anyway. 🥰

[@hanbonforge]

thanks👍

[@AgouraSteve]

This is great. I love that your sharing these videos. It is very interesting and informative.

[@michalviktorin6758]

I don´t think it is informative enough. It does not tell you how long your flat cord should be to make full handle. I think you need like 4 metres at least.

[@done.6191]

This is a really cool process, and also shows the care the factory/forge puts into the piece.

[@SoloKyoto]

Absolute respect, I have replaced entire handles on a couple of my Katana because the ITO started to come loose or fully untie and I have tried but can not seem to get this right no matter how hard I try.

[@TryptychUK]

Wow. That is fiddly in the extreme. I would go spare trying to do that. Huge respect to that lady. May I ask if anyone knows, what is the little gold emblem embedded in the braid?

[@andytomlinson415]

These are Menuki, small metal ornaments to hid the bamboo pegs (Menugi) that fix the handle to the blade tang. Sometimes they are positioned where the hands are to aid in gripping or training of where to place the hands. Originally the Menugi and Menuki were one item made from a metal. As the swords of the Samurai evolved and blades were serviced rather than replaced, the pegs began to be made from bamboo, as the sword fittings were detached when the blade was serviced, bamboo pegs were easier and cheaper to replace as metal ones would need to be re-forged to guaranty a secure fit after being removed.

[@TryptychUK]

@@andytomlinson415 Thank you for a really extensive explanation. I am starting to work with sword-making, but have little knowledge of the Katana and Japanese tradition.

[@nix0849]

細かい細部に至るまで職人の技が栄えるよね！ 又一つ魂が宿りました！お見事です！

[@hanbonforge]

thank you so much

[@mountainwolf1]

Very nice tsuka-maki beautiful work.

[@JhanDeCal]

Very nice work. ❤❤❤ I would love to try something like that for the handles on my weapons of choice...fishing rods. 👍👍👍

[@crimedog7576]

She makes this look easy. For anyone who hasn't tried tsukamaki, it is not. Keeping the ito pulled taught this way is hard. For novices like me, you can keep a hand clamp nearby to give yourself a break, and not lose all your work. I assume she can also apply kusune to the ito while doing all that as well?

[@SeanCrosser]

Yeah I've rewrapped both of my katanas, and while it eventually becomes sorta therapeutic, tensioning the cord takes a lot out of you.

[@GamingWithZeap]

dude my hands hurt so bad after i wrapped my wakizashi, ive been putting off my tanto and katana because it was so rough haha maybe one day

[@MultiBegbeg]

Bonjour , j ai un souci c est pour la création des Hishigami , la traduction est une galère !! connait tu une vidéo ou c est bien expliquer .merci

[@alexejnemov]

Shes realy good, nice diamonds.

[@knightingalesaid]

Beautiful work!

[@christucci9962]

Magnifique, très beau travail, précision et rigueur, bravo.

[@laksivrak2203]

Where did this tradition come from? I have the romantic vision of a warriors’ woman creating a cushioned handle for the first time unrivaled buy any grips before it

[@y11971alex]

Wrapping strings around the grip is an ancient practice and not limited to Japan. This specific kind of wrapping I am only aware from Japan however. We have examples of Japanese swords not wrapped this way even. 😅

[@BigHenFor]

Not really. Making everyday weapons would have been a man's job, and cheaper swords would have used materials that would really optimise the grip, especially through gloves or gauntlets. Such high-end, ceremonial swords give a false impression.

[@竹田信夫-b1h]

this traditional wrapping had became from long peaceful age , edo era. In edo era , there were about 260 years no war in Japan. so samurai had want to dress up their sword more beautiful and more gorgeous. In the end of edo era, the trend of sword wrapping has changed more simple and for original usage (Slashing and kill human). because the war and mayhem has started.

[@Dramure]

Beautiful

[@alimorad437]

تشکر از آموزش هنرمندانه استاد گرامی سلامت وشاداب باشی❤

[@blackmamba3427]

Beautiful ❤

[@UptownFade666]

I love this! Could you please make a video for how to wrap Katate Maki?

[@brunosousa1977]

Amazing ❤

[@gargoylesblade]

Very cool, do guys do that if requested

[@hanbonforge]

yes, friend, we do that if requested.😏

[@sanitafanita3956]

You are amazing!!! Thank you so much! ❤️

[@hanbonforge]

thank you

[@kjvwarrior777]

Excellent work.........

[@richardharrold4357]

To do what this woman did is crafting. Maybe a machine could but probably not. Thank you for this video. 😢

[@joeyong1418]

Wow just insane

[@03wan80]

Like from Japan

[@齋藤アン]

はぁぁぁ~~~（感嘆）！ こうやって巻いてあるのか！！

[@dodringidiot]

What material are those wedges made out of? They don't appear to be paper

[@souls5251]

Tanks for halp

[@elvensteen1]

Hi, one question, why don't you use kusune (pine tree resin) with tsuka maki?

[@alf3071]

the best

[@user-ej1ql9nf4d]

Of what material are the triangles of the hishigami wrapping? And what are the materials i can use for it?

[@Jaedeok82]

That's paper. Some people use rice paper, but different kinds can be used.

[@dusitn_]

I'd imagine its as stiff as cardboard so you could use that

[@stefthorman8548]

@@dusitn_ carboard isn't dense, since it has a lot of air gapes between panels.

[@evanmorris1178]

@@stefthorman8548I think they are referring to ordinary cardboard-like boxboard. You are imagining corrugated cardboard-a whole different thing.

[@emilflognoid1532]

What is the purpose of the triangles?

[@davidbell2535]

Thank you!

[@zyevriomkoskav3013]

what's the thing you wrap around the handle called?

[@jameslittek8244]

The gold cord handle wrap is a Tsuka Ito. The white material is rayskin or samegawa, it helps provide extra grip for the ito. you can find real and artificial ray skin

[@jessehemphill4905]

your hand?

[@alimorad437]

❤همواره سلامت؛ شاداب وموفق

[@adri92239]

Why did you skip the beginning of the finishing knot?

[@anthonytuccillo6274]

Ancient Chinese secret

[@joshuapena4684]

Wait, those paper things need to be there? I noticed those slipping out of my wakizashi, so I just pulled all of them out. Is that bad? They made it look ugly

[@nicolaiantonov5923]

Those are hishigami, and they're there to help make even diamonds and keep the wrap tight. If used properly, they shouldn't be visible beneath the ito.

[@alexanderjamesINC]

Is this real silk or synthetic silk ito?

[@stefthorman8548]

it's shiny gold color, what do you think? i think that silk isn't reflective.

[@hanbonforge]

this is real silk, thanks

[@souls5251]

Nice

[@zivaradlovacki2666]

And this paper triangles last for ever ? That is hard to belive. Is paper the material of those inserts found on real Katana?

[@Alyxandeyr]

Yes. They used rice paper.

[@s.p.q.roctavianvsavgvstvs900]

Everything the Japanese people do, looks perfect.

[@DavidBrasure-mg2sv]

Hanbon forge is in China. So this lady is Chinese. Her skills are very impressive. Beautiful wrap!

[@s.p.q.roctavianvsavgvstvs900]

@@DavidBrasure-mg2sv Talent has no nationality. If a person is talented, he is simply talented regardless of where he was born. Well done.

[@DragonEnterprises]

What are those triangle pieces you are cutting out?

[@jameslittek8244]

These are called hishigami, they help keep the handle wrap(tsuka ito) in shape and secure

[@MadMedicPhoto]

Where can I get them?

[@BorysHrynenko]

this is paper wedges

[@abeldasilva9368]

Hello Hanban forge I already own a Hanban Forge Katana is it possible to get another for my handle Tsuki for my Iaito( not sharpened) The one I custom ordered from you was too flashy to be used in my school.

[@reer3192]

Woah

[@teralogin1]

LMAO but a bright idea with the paper.

[@siebenstein5637]

wow

[@hanbonforge]

[@cpl_legend2700]

Btw its easy just relax and keep it tied

[@romilsonsoares1199]

Top top top

[@focidhomophobicii2426]

Let's make this guy a top comment for nothing

[@ytac3900]

我还是不明白。。。把这么多纸块塞进去有什么用呢

[@gregorystorey6425]

It keeps the wrap tight. Not using hishigami would make it loose and then it would unravel from even light use. Also it makes the ito look much nicer and more uniform in the shape of the diamonds.

[@devaridproject30]

Chun-Chun-maru

[@syphu9187]

đẹp quá em yêu ơi ok

[@user-simonbolivar]

Женщина занимается обмоткой!? Колотит стальным молотком по мэнукэ!? Это же вам не макраме, мадам! 😊😊😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@KangmasGondrong]

👍👍👍💪

[@CATELlegend1]

wth... how am i suppose to draw this XD

[@azh374]

Можно было бы просто изолентой обмотать и всё.

[@秀雄安増]

😮😢

[@user-simonbolivar]

Морочить себе голову с бумажками при обмотке рукояти, очень плохая идея! Бумага намокает, усыхает, впитывает в себя всякое, а натяжка шнура, при этом, ослабевает. И обмотка начинает ползать по рукояти.

[@StringTone-t6v]

Aku ranabi.raiso di ubah takdire ra nabi

[@メシクラウド]

目釘、嗚呼　竹が手に入らないのかァ～無念。 日本だと、ロ━ソンでお弁当買うと目釘に丁度良い竹箸が、付いて来るのにね。 　因みに我が家の家宝、陸奥義之の目釘は「ロ━ソン駅前商無料一本無造打込み拵え」じゃあ。

[@PaulNelson980]

No narrative to know what is being done how and why etc.Would have made this more of a how to and more interesting and informative video.