Help with Saya Stamp & Shoe Strings
Hi all! I have an empty leather saya cover (that I plan to sell), but would like to know as much as is readable on this ink stamp on the saya (likely a shop name? but seems like to much info for that); and if the shoe strings are actual WWII Japanese. They have metal, crimped tips which don't seem like something US made.
Thanks for any help!!!
And the saya full length. I've never held one in-hand, and was surprised at the thickness of the leather and how hard it is. It's not "squishable."
The big-lettered column in the middle of the stamp says 特許出願中 or Patent Application Made (Patent pending). The right column is an address 久留米市西町花園 in Fukuoka Prefecture. The 3rd column must be the name of the patent applicant, but the photo is too out of focus to read.
I adjusted the colors and that right line is a bit more readable ... but not by me! To me it looks like 田中 Tanaka ...
Maybe Nick's native-eye can solve this puzzle?
OR ... maybe Bruce can take a clearer photo!!
That’s wonderful guys, thanks! So it looks like it was put on by the shop that made it.
Wonder if any of the Uniform guys could comment on the shoe strings?
Interesting saya cover.It almost looks like a type of rawhide !
Regards,Geoff
Likely sewn on while it was damp and pliable and shrunken tight as it dried.The laces were likely to be a commen and inexpensive item and the aglets (Ends) would help prevent fraying.
An aglet or aiglet is a small sheath, often made of plastic or metal, used on each end of a shoelace, a cord, or a drawstring. An aglet keeps the fibers of the lace or cord from unraveling; its firmness and narrow profile make it easier to hold and easier to feed through eyelets, lugs, or other lacing guides.(Wiki)
Most of these saya covers are made of a good quality vegetable tanned leather, and often properly sewn with saddle stitch. Given the fineness of some of the stitching I have seen on the permanently attached covers I also suspect that they were sewn with boar bristle instead of needles.
It's unlikely to be rawhide as that has a tendency to turn into glue in wet conditions.
It's a bit unusual because on one side, the eyelets were cut off with some sort of shears and new holes punched. The shoe string was used to tie across to the remaining eyelets. You can see the wear on the string where it held in place.
Appearantly the scabbard cover is made of paper!
"Pressed-paper Saya Cover"
Pressed-paper Saya Cover - Military Swords of Japan - Nihonto Message Board
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