Sword Fittings

All associated parts of a sword without the blade, including guards, pommels, scabbard fittings, and other types of sword furniture are collected here. Descriptions for each piece are placed below the set of photos they belong to. Please email any questions, price inquiries, or commission requests to michaelcoffeymetal@gmail.com

Bronze Tsuba #1 - This is a somewhat unconventional return to tsuba making for me; the piece is made of a very modern alloy of bronze and the carved decoration is quite raw and unadulterated. I adhered fairly tightly to a number of other design and construction aspects however, so I feel mostly comfortable referring to this as a tsuba and not simply a tsuba-like object. All work was done by hand with a compass, ruler, and set square for layout. All hammering, cutting, and shaping was done with hand tools, and the carving was done with chisels I made and maintain myself. I’ll be revisiting this type of carved field in the near future, with an eye towards a more developed surface in an entirely different medium. In the meantime I’m very happy with the presentation of this effect, the patina on the surface is what has developed from intermittent handling in the two or so weeks since I finished the piece. I really enjoy the way the high points are becoming highlighted by light wear and the low spots are developing richer and darker tones. I plan to leave this surface unprotected as there are more levels of transition for the patina to grow into.

Measurements: approximately 65.5mm tall, 63.5mm wide, 4mm thick at the center

Price: $350 plus shipping