Tsuba for Katana style Bokken (bokutō 木刀)

myminifactory

Here's a basic Tsuba design for a Katana-style Bokken (bokutō) made from scratch. This design is inspired by an existing Tsuba on one of my own Bokkens, which I've modified to give it a unique look. While there are many Tsuba designs available online, I created this one simply because I enjoy making things from the ground up rather than downloading pre-existing designs. Using a 3D printer with a 0.15mm resolution and a 30% infill setting, it took about an hour and 50 minutes to complete the print. Normally, I use a 15% infill for my prints, but in this case, I opted for a higher infill rate to improve impact resistance. Of course, the actual performance of the Tsuba will still depend on the material used, which in my case was PLA. The design measures 7.85mm x 7.85mm x 6mm and fits snugly onto my Bokken, as shown in the accompanying photos. The original design this one is based on also had a tight fit, so I'm not too concerned about it being a bit of a squeeze. Both STL and OBJ files are included for easy printing and customization.