Shiden'issen "Go Rin" (Five Ring) Shinken/Iaito Tsuba

thingiverse

Based on the schematic drawn up by Sensei Maza a few years before his death. I love how the 3D-printed layer texture almost evokes Mokumegane metalcraft by creating a wood-like character. Not only incidental in this case, but technologically inescapable. Now that I myself work as a designer for a foundry, I understand why this heavily customized production originally fell-through so long ago, after Maz announced it on Facebook and got everybody all excited. Such is when fun and hobbies turn into serious hard work like nobody would believe. Worth it, though; I miss these guys and our crazy, creative projects. This 3D-model is precisely fitted to a specific shinken that I'm retrofitting with these custom modeled koshirai. The reason there are two versions is because Maz's specs indicate that the tsuba should be a tad smaller than the one I removed from this sword, and I'm seeking a fair balance between true-to-paperwork and the actual practicality of this piece. This is going to be my primary tameshigiri tool, not (just) a weeby wall-piece. The files that are here won't change, but I'll likely add one or two more options now and then when I can finally allot myself the time to do so. The Shiden'issen school's mon/crest / commercial emblem is five interlocking rings-----in reference to Miyamoto Musashi, who's martial-philosophical writings were foundational precepts to this style and cited in class almost daily. Shiden'issen sought to re-combine surviving historical samurai martial disciplines (Juujutsu / ground technique, Judo / throwing technique, Tachiwaza/ Aikido / standing technique, Kenjutsu / sword combat technique, and Iaijutsu / sword-draw technique) into their more unified original approach...... which included the famous ronin's emphasis on battlefield practicality over school dogma and (by extension) bureaucratic pedigree. https://youtu.be/fJoSCYgtvt0