Meet Two of Japan's Best at Making Sword Hilts According to Their Age

Once employed in warfare, the Japanese sword evolved into an object of artistic appreciation during the Meiji era with the issuance of sword presentation rituals. The Japanese sword comprises six main components and there are specialized craftsmen for each component. The craftsmen responsible for creating the hilt are known as Hilt makers.
For the end of the era of warfare and the advent of the Edo period,
samurais stopped unsheathing their swords. Instead, they focused on the external features of the sword, such as the scabbard and hilt,
striving to obtain the finest craftsmanship. As a result, craftsmanship saw a significant improvement, and the hilts from that era display flawless, perfectly aligned lozenges.
In the town of Yukuhashi, Fukuoka Prefecture with deep connections to swords, the best Hilt maker in Japan spend their days:
Hilt Maker, Kubo Kentaro. Born in 1992 as the eldest son of the Kubo family, Kentaro excelled in physical abilities from a young age, ranking third in Kyushu in track and field during high school.
After graduating, he decided to become an apprentice upon witnessing the work of his father, Master Jyuuichi. Feeling that it would be a waste to end the techniques my father had struggled to acquire, Master Junichi, his father, has 45 years of experience in this craft and boasts 27 award-winning achievements.
He successfully revived the hilt winding technique that predecessors had not passed down. One of his accomplishments is the whale winding technique (Kujira-maki). Skillfully manipulating the hard baleen like plastic, Kubo creates impressive pieces.
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[@tomsokoli]

I deeply respect their dedication and strive for excellence in everything they do.

[@Tattooed-bs4cm]

These are all pieces of ART!......I highly respect such craftsmanship from such japanese masters!..... Wonderfull!....Greetings from Vienna

[@s.p.q.roctavianvsavgvstvs900]

The Japanese are people from another planet. With them, everything is simple but perfect. And this master is no exception - he creates masterpieces. Well done. I am in awe of his work.

[@drconflict629]

I think I puked a little when I read that. Grow up weeb 🤦‍♂

[@sorensouthard927]

The level of dedication to any particular field is pretty amazing. I mean, generally things like the hilt of the sword nonetheless the wrapping might go unnoticed, and the artistry somewhat adheres to that as a standard, meaning, it's so perfect and in place that it looks natural. It's hard to imagine how many countless hours it takes to get that level of perfection.

[@Joe___R]

That is a very impressive wrapping technique. Much better than I have seen on any modern swords.

[@BasicUniversalEconomics]

i might could learn and love the first part, but the patience to bind that string alludes me

[@0utSideTheBox]

An art in perfection that we are losing in the west, amazing skill.

[@imjusttrolling7944]

because most people make do with just ïf it works then there's nothing to improve" type of mindset..

[@a-a-ron8437]

In the west, we want everything cheap instead of quality.

[@malisinimicus4358]

amazing skills and patience. his correction of the slightly curved thread showed us that the only real mistake we make is the one we are not prepared to take the time to correct

[@blacklabel810]

Japanese work is truly the best In making samurai swords, Thank you for the video for sharing your experience...👍

[@WoodworkingEnthusiasts]

our pleasure!

[@oneshotme]

Beautiful handle and masterful made!!! I very much enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@WoodworkingEnthusiasts]

glad you enjoyed it

[@threethrushes]

I'm proud to own fountain pens made by Japanese masters.

[@chieshart47]

思わず息を止めてた！ 美しいとは、キツイな！　頭が、下がります！

[@glong2720]

Patience of a god. This man is remarkable. So impressively committed. What would the cost be for such a sword? This young man is just incredible.

[@WoodworkingEnthusiasts]

It cost around $700 for this one, Sir.

[@Exen88]

Just came back from a video of some guy making a katana in his garage. Then I watched this. There’s no comparison. This was amazing and authentic. Pure Japanese dedication and technique made a whole difference.

[@WoodworkingEnthusiasts]

I'm glad you enjoyed it

[@joeyong1418]

Insane skills are needed to make such artworks

[@CS-te4th]

That was informative, the knotwork incredible....another great video...thumbs up

[@WoodworkingEnthusiasts]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@richcollins3490]

The dedication to perfection is absolutely amazing keep up this amazing skill set, and thank you for sharing your amazing skills.

[@SlingbladeJim]

Now THAT was astounding..............................

[@Zatracenec]

I felt sorry for this man, when he realized that one thread is misaligned. Amazing skills.

[@スカシレコクサモナカ]

技術の継承が素晴らしい。この技術が失われない様に守ってくれてるんだ。

[@Some_Idiot_on_the_Internet]

The funny thing is you know all of those masters from the Edo period were looking back at masters from earlier periods thinking the exact same things as these modern masters.

[@WoodworkingEnthusiasts]

Good point! lol :)

[@danaaxelson6200]

Very good and informative video that shows perfection is ultimate goal. I would like to take what I learned and try this. I am 70 year old former pro athlete and would welcome this challenge. I have all the time left for me in this world to consider it a worthwhile endeavor.

[@WoodworkingEnthusiasts]

Go for it!

[@gilinf.2662]

Japanese people: After 30 years, we still far a way from the peak... Western people: After 3 years, we're masters now...

[@calvinbass1839]

Wow, that has to be a labor of love. There can't be a huge demand or income i would think. Enjoying what you do makes up the difference. Thank you for sharing. Have a blessed day.

[@WoodworkingEnthusiasts]

It really is! Thanks a lot!

[@joesmith3829]

I will support you by watching ads

[@WoodworkingEnthusiasts]

Thanks a lot!

[@6pingpongpang9]

I live in Japan... and eat really good food everyday!😂😂😂

[@longrun575]

柄巻の美しさに魅了されました。私の愛刀の柄は柳生拵えで目貫きの位置が逆になってます。

[@SuperPromethee]

Amazingly this old day skill is still a money-making way for many in Japan...

[@Andrew.PJMsia]

19:17 Here you can see the pride the dad has for his son.

[@DarkBluePaperHats]

The Japanese are SO Humble..

[@lerosh2226]

Beautiful work,,magical skills,,good luck !

[@stedro]

7:50 not shark skin but ray skin

[@althesmith]

I'm not sure but the narration is almost AI.

[@Invictus19]

this is the difference between japanese made katana vs. Foreign made katana . 😊 the quality

[@Andrew.PJMsia]

Before watching this video, I was watching a few western forgers making what they call as a "katana"... what they made is nothing compared to a katana made by a Japanese katana craftsman. As an example, in one video of a katana made by a Japanese katana maker, the bend in the katana came out during the hardening process. How the western forgers make the bend is by cutting material to shape the bend. SMH!

[@HuggiesiAm]

This video is considered ideal.

[@TheAmirsialkoti]

Beautiful work

[@WoodworkingEnthusiasts]

glad you liked it!

[@auntiecarol]

Good Lord! I just don't have words for this!

[@PanjiNopriyanto]

Karya seni yang luar biasa✨❣️

[@ksp543]

That’s actually skin from a stingray, not a shark.

[@alf9638]

Great video. Confusing pronunciations of words and an error with the fuchi being referred to as 'the edge' was very odd. Otherwise great.

[@mrkiky]

Yea I think both the translations and the voice are AI. There's too many mistakes and the voice absolutely insists on pronouncing "j" as "i", when Hepburn romanization was made to follow English pronunciation rules as much as possible.

[@martinhenzl]

Shinogi. With SH, not S. Fuchi and Kashira. Those are the two parts. Ray skin. Not shark. A file, not a sandpaper. Dying the skin is optional. Kujiri is wrongly pronounced as well. Ajiro, not Airo. Menuki doesn't hold the tsuba and the blade together, it is purely decorational - in history, it used to hold mekugi in place, but now it is not done that way; it also used to be part of the mekugi (they were a single part) - there it would serve to hold the blade and tsuba together, but not in this case; inacurate/false claim in the video. You can also search for videos/articles, how the tukamaki is tied at the end - it is not a secret. Don't take me wrong - the stuff shown in the video is truly a mastery, but the commentary is wrong and deceiving/misleading.

[@setiorudi5946]

not shark skin, but ray skin

[@JediContrast]

Exquisite

[@mike3020]

Beautiful work , it's amazing ❤

[@WoodworkingEnthusiasts]

I'm glad you like it

[@ابراهيمشحاده-ث5ض]

عمل رائع ومجهود طيب . ❤ممكن تزويدي بالقياسات الحقيقيه للسيف . وشكرا لكم

[@Ucceah]

and there i thought wrapping the grip tape on road bike handlebars perfectly symetrically was an effort. is still is, though!

[@yuumetal2363]

thumbnail sword is for Sephiros

[@jonnyquest1120]

This is such a pleasure to watch Can somebody tell me what they call the first wrapping to keep the two pieces together? It looks like he also wedged pieces of wood between the wrapping strands to make them tighter

[@pressloh]

Nice

[@stefanoguerri]

Wonderful people

[@badjaeaux]

the edo period is using special natural elixirs to form and preserve the yarn, i know cause i was there

[@Cha4k]

You can get shark skin do in kendo but I feel like you have to be pretty good if you're going to show up wearing something like that.

[@th.burggraf7814]

Exquisite 👍🏻

[@No_Way_NO_WAY]

Why are they not orienting the shark skin in a way that the seam is on either the upper or lower portion. The way it is done here, always shows the seam beneath the binding. Seeing the binding is made from individual threads instead of one large blew my mind. The reproduction ones always come with a single wide band.....

[@mrkiky]

The wrap with a single strand is legit, he just made a fancier style here. Not sure why the seam is not on the side, hidden by the wrap, but this is how they used to do it traditionally. Some handles don't have a wrap at all and in those cases, the seam will always be visible no matter what, so maybe this is just how they always made it and didn't change when they added the wrap either.

[@larrys-qr6zr]

This is competition for a very expensive sword that would have been made for a daimyo.

[@brianwhite1776]

The main purpose of the rayskin is to support and give strength to the handle. Remember the handle is made of 2 pieces of wood glued together. You don't want the seam of the handle and the seam of skin to line up as that may lead to the handle splitting apart more easily. As that is also in line with the shock forces of the blade when cutting.

[@No_Way_NO_WAY]

@@brianwhite1776 that makes sense. thx

[@The-three-eyed-Prophet]

This is #Art

[@rollmodelbjj]

that's stingray not shark skin

[@timrobinson6116]

The music was giving me anxiety, it sounds like a timer.

[@joeyong1418]

But what happens when the paper in the binding gets wet, they should use waxed paper instead.

[@thecommonsenseconservative5576]

You should be a master since you know so much...

[@PavlosPapageorgiou]

The subtitles are good but the voiceover sounds like a bad translation.

[@ysfg745]

8:27 all katana have shark sinking even the iaito

[@ysfg745]

Is iaito not sharp ?

[@gordonhall9943]

it's not "shark" skin. It's stink rays.

[@naruomi9477]

In Japanese it is very common when translating same gawa ( ray skin ) that it turns into shark skin.

[@gordonhall9943]

@@naruomi9477 I know the kanji 鮫 translates to shark. But when it's specific to things like tsuka, one should make the correct translation, for the benefit of us gaijin. 😅

[@naruomi9477]

@@gordonhall9943 yeah I understand that 👍

[@nicojongeneel9734]

Kokoro takumi ❤

[@DoanHoang-v5l]

Ai có kênh của anh làm bao kiếm không cho mình xin

[@parttime9070]

My work is crude compared to theirs..

[@MAG-1234]

Why aren't they using a Japanese voice actor to do the narration!?! And also should play authentic japanese music.

[@RickCarroll-j5n]

Okay so it's not eel skin they use that would be historically incorrect..?

[@SaladDressing69]

Sting ray, the narrator is meh.

[@larrywilliamson2384]

The handel should be Ray skin not shark skin .

HOW THEY PRETEND IT’S NOT A SIMULATION WHEN IT IS

[@petersiska9939]

Stingray skin is better for use

[@sinistersteel1042]

What he don't realize is that during the Edo period they were just doing it because they had to they weren't trying to be like anyone or anything they just did it well and that was it

[@randallsimmons391]

Not so. Artisans wanted to stand out and be famous within the prefect. Gaining favor from the local Daimyo was on many craftsman's minds.

[@mrkiky]

In the Edo period they specifically did it just to show off since they weren't using the swords all that much, just carrying them around and displaying them. All these super elaborate methods probably originate from the Edo period, whereas before they were slight more practicality focused with less emphasis on showing off.

[@orion5334]

lowkey the ai voice is butchering the shit outta the names

[@YellowMonkeyVirus]

i think the old master man shouldn't be too serious , these things are interesting but after all these things are totally useless

[@perttupaavola6174]

There are so many in correct translations in this shit

[@johnandrewpelingon609]

Ray skin! Not shark

[@keithl7852]

I used to really like this channel but the AI voice being used is terrible, pronunciation and tone are all off and make it really distracting to watch/listen. I really hope another better voice is chosen or a real voice actor will be used :( if not I think I'm going to unsubscribe and start looking for another channel with this info

[@WoodworkingEnthusiasts]

sorry for the hassle, I'll do better next time.

[@keithl7852]

@@WoodworkingEnthusiasts it's no hassle, the voice you had previously was just much better. This new voice is terrible, there is an accent and the pronunciation is very bad and it becomes distracting. Hopefully you can switch back or find a better one

[@WoodworkingEnthusiasts]

what a relief, Thank you for telling me. I will change back to the old voiceover@@keithl7852

[@usnchief1339]

Lame

[@qbongers]

Be thankful he even uploads a vid with this voice so we can even understand what they are doing😑

[@jules263]

Japanese reliving the imperialist era. We disarmed Japan so these swords are wall art at best. Plus what good are they compared to modern weapons.

[@6pingpongpang9]

You are missing the point.

[@hnp8184]

It's easier just to call you stupid than explain...

[@jules263]

@@hnp8184 Unit 731

[@fjb4932]

jules, Epitome of ignorance . . . ☆

[@jules263]

@@fjb4932 Unit 731 (Japanese: ７３１部隊, short for Manshu Detachment 731 and also known as the Kamo Detachment and the Ishii Unit

[@ToxicallyMasculinelol]

the translation here makes no sense. and what is with this voice?

THE HAND GUARD DOESN’T GUARD THE HAND SUFFICIENTLY

[@Turboy65]

The translation is TERRIBLE. It'd have been nice to get someone who's knowledgeable about Japaneses Swords and fluent in English to intervene.

[@jules263]

Unit 731

[@rmj7306]

Fuchi and kashira are two different words :/ overall decent video

[@Dreamfyre93]

the voice over is seriously lacking XD but the craftsmanship is amazing

[@MPLS_Andy]

The ai voice is absolutely atrocious and doesn't really make any sense.

[@LightInnDmountain]

The Japanese search for Perfection !!! Is inspiring and admirable My only grudge with japan is they are very inclusive…… then….. I understand, not agreeing but understanding the big picture.

[@whyhello902]

WOW