question on a rewrap of a tsuka

[larry]

I found a sword I like but I have a question. Does having the tsuka rebound effect the price of a sword up or down or no effect.

thanks all in advance

Larry

[Geoff Ward]

Hello Larry,It depends how you look at it.If it is done professionally it is considered acceptable as the blade itself is the sword.From a desirability standpoint I personally find it appealing to have the original wrap as long as it is not broken dangling and ratty looking.
Just my 2 sen worth Regards,Geoff

[Beater]

My thoughts...the sword (blade) was the soul of a samurai. He cherished it and took good care of it. It was often passed down to successive generations and before doing so, was usually polished to maintain its appearance and sharpness. The koshirae were regarded more like suits of clothes; worn by the blade but of only a semi-permanent nature. Taste and fashion played a part and when they were worn out, they were replaced. Repairs, like that which you speak of, were routinely carried out.
If you own an old sword it will doubtless have several mekugi ana where it has been shortened. Sometimes to suit the build of its new owner and sometimes to reflect changes in use (from very long tachi carried when fighting was done from horseback to the shorter swords which suited fighting on foot.) Similarly the clothes (koshirae) it now wears may be very different from previous times. In other words swords evolve with time.
So whilst many collectors like things to be as original and "Un-messed with" as possible, this is really just a collectors fad more in keeping with other areas of military collecting - for instance German daggers, which you can observe on this forum. In that field originality and indeed even old tarnish and verdigris are often preferred over cleaned and shiny.
In contrast, during the lifetime of Japanese swords, things were being changed all the time. The only thing I believe to be important, is that it is done sympathetically and retaining an appearance which would not offend Japanese taste.
If you offered me a wartime sword which had its ito replaced with correct material and it was bound in an appropriate way by a professional, that, to my mind is a positive thing.
If you ever get to look in a Japanese sword retailers shop in the Ginza District., Tokyo, you'll be hard pressed to find any grubby, old examples. They restore almost everything. The key is, not that they do it but they do it well.

[larry]

many thanks

many thanks

[Geoff Ward]

Well said Beater Regards,Geoff