Why do you need a tsuba for the bokken?
Although bokken are training swords made of wood or polypropylene, they are usually manufactured in such a way that they come as close as possible to a "real" sword in order to provide realistic training. This naturally includes the tsuba, the blade of the samurai sword.
It sits between the handle (tsuka) and the blade of the sword or bokken. The function is the same as with a normal samurai sword. The main function of the tsuba is to prevent the hands from slipping upwards onto the edge of the sword or bokken. The tsuba also protects against blows to the hand, which can occur during training with the bokken.
What different bokken tsuba are there?
There are bokken tsuba made of leather, which are very durable but also expensive to produce. Nowadays, most bokken tsuba are made of sturdy plastic, which is inexpensive and can be customised.
Furthermore, a distinction can be made between the two different types of attachment available for bokken tsuba:
On some tsuba, the "holder" is attached directly to the tsuba as an extension.
The system with a tsuba dome is much more widespread. This is an elastic plastic ring that is pulled over the bokken after the tsuba and protects the bokken tsuba from slipping. The advantage of this system is that the tsuba can be removed relatively quickly and a plastic ring can be used with different tsuba.
Why many people buy several Tsuba
Most bokken come with a tsuba as standard, which is functional and often not particularly attractively designed and / or in some cases not particularly stable. In addition, these tsuba have a standardised size, which some buyers find unsuitable.
The tsuba was always a special eye-catcher on the samurai sword and great importance was attached to a beautiful design.
This is why many martial artists buy a well-designed tsuba for their bokken, which is also very sturdy and meets their personal requirements. As there are many interesting designs that don't cost much, many martial artists buy several tsuba for their bokken.
