Tsukaito is used to wrap the tsuka (handle) of a Japanese sword. All our tsukaito are made in Japan from top quality Japanese silk or cotton dyed with the traditional vegetable dyes and woven using traditional kumihimo patterns and techniques.

The weaves used in making tsuka-ito are specific to their function. They are not weaves that were used in Europe. It is therefore not possible to use any old bit of woven tape as tsuka-ito and expect it to function well. Additionally synthetic fibres do not function well in this role since they continue stretching, and will eventualy become loose enough to fall off. As a result, we do not sell synthetic tsukaito.

It is, on the other hand, quite possible for silk bindings to last for up to a century if the tsuka is well maintained.

To work out how much tsukaito you need for your tsuka, measure the length of your handle in inches. If your tsuka is 4 inches long, you will need 4 feet of tsuka-ito, plus an extra 4 feet, making a total of 8 feet. Similarly an 8 inch handle will need 12 feet of ito, and so on. Now divide the number of inches needed by 39 to give the answer in metres, i.e. if you need 8 feet, divide 96 by 39 to give approximately 2.5 metres. Now order to the nearest whole metre.

Alternatively measure the tsuka in centimetres, multiply by 12, add 122, and divide by 100 to get the answer in metres.