tightening scabbard on lung chuan jian...

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MT Cup
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tightening scabbard on lung chuan jian...

Post by MT Cup » Fri Apr 10, 2009 3:42 pm

Does anybody have any ideas on how I can tighten my scabbard for Lung Chuan Jian? Accidentally fell out too many times to count. Thanks in advance.

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Re: tightening scabbard on lung chuan jian...

Post by Nik » Sat Apr 11, 2009 5:53 am

Glue a piece of leather or cloth to the inside of the sheath just enough to fix it with friction.

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Re: tightening scabbard on lung chuan jian...

Post by Scott M. Rodell » Sat Apr 11, 2009 5:18 pm

Sometimes you can tighten up a scabbard by running some oil down the inside of the scabbard causing the wood to swell a bit. I've done this by dipping a straw into a bottle of Camilla oil, then holding one finger over one end of the straw, insert the other end into the top of the scabbard & releasing my finger the oil drains into the scabbard. But this will only work with scabbards that are just a bit loose.

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Re: tightening scabbard on lung chuan jian...

Post by taiwandeutscher » Mon Apr 13, 2009 1:48 am

If the scabbard is too loosly fitting only at the mouth, you should glue in some bamboo paper, works perfectly, very nicely to adjust.

Otherwise, in dry climate, you might oil the whole scabbard often, many organic oils for wood treatment are ok 8my own experience). Especially, when you bring a sword from Asia (high humidity) to very dry, indoor heated air of a colder area (winter in Europe), one needs to take care of the wooden parts carefully.

But then you might save on time caring for the metal parts, which won't corrode as quick as here in the Taiwan heat and humidity.
hongdaozi

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Re: tightening scabbard on lung chuan jian...

Post by Nik » Mon Apr 13, 2009 10:00 am

It's a known problem according to a sword testing website that wooden scabbards shrink within months and then don't fit anymore.

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Re: tightening scabbard on lung chuan jian...

Post by Peter Dekker » Mon May 11, 2009 5:36 am

Nik wrote:It's a known problem according to a sword testing website that wooden scabbards shrink within months and then don't fit anymore.
This is probably due to the fact that the wood may not be properly cured for use.

Another reason was pointed out already, when the sword goes from high humidity to an area of low humidity. Longquan and Shanghai are very humid in summer. Though the wood used by Huanuo doesn't seem to shrink much, if any.

In any case it is recommended to always make sure your sword has a tight fit in the scabbard. Many accidents happen when a sword tends to slip out and the person tried to grab the blade in a reflex to prevent his favorite toy from hitting the ground. When too loose to fix with oil, gluing something on the inside is a good idea. To add to the good suggestions already given, I personally use a soft piece of wood for this. In order to glue it into a scabbard that is already soaked in oil, be sure to get rid of the oil first by using acetone.

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