Making silver menuki for my wakizashi project, a new venture into the fascinating techniques involved in this process: uchidashi. Similar to chasing/repousse but distinct in that you work the piece from one side only.
Although information about this subject is scarce online, I was fortunate to come across helpful videos by FordHallam which provided valuable insights into the process. For the menuki I created, I decided to shape it like a feather. I’m actually quite happy with how it turned out, despite its imperfections. Honestly, I have no clue if this design holds any specific significance or if menuki are intended to have any. I chose this shape primarily because I thought it would be an achievable first attempt, considering the additional challenge of making two menuki with the same shape. That proved to be quite difficult! Overall, it’s been an interesting and cool project to tackle. However, I must admit that filming it has been quite challenging due to its slow pace and the constant movement of the tiny piece in the pitch bowl. Now that one of the most detailed and small components is complete, I will continue to working on the rest of the tsuka (handle) for the wakizashi project.