Shitodomé were designed to fit into both the hole of the Kurikata and a smaller version to fit the Kashira.  Their primary purpose was to act as a 'buffer' to prevent the handle wrapping cord (Tsukaito) from fraying against the sharp edges of the hole in the Kashira where the Tsukaito must pass through.  As a bonus, they also to add a little bit of glitter to the Kashira and Kurikata.

Like all of the other metal parts we make in Portland, each Shitodomé is an exact copy of the original Japanese part.  Each is made of Sterling Silver and offered either Black in color or with a 24K Gold plate finish.   Because the production of each individual part requires a great amount of 'hands on' time and effort, they are a great bargain for the price.  We offer several other different designs that are not displayed on this page.

A note about Shitodomé:

Shitodomé can be found on many fine quality Japanese swords produced in the 'old days'.  Because Shitodomé need to fit into a tight & small hole in the water Buffalo horn Kurikata, there is a tendency for them to bend easily and as such, restrict the free passage of Sageo and in most cases, totally deny their passage.

SHITODOME are NOT recommended for most modern made 'martial arts' swords and here's why:  In the old days when Sageo were produced by hand, they were made thinner and slightly narrower.  Most all of today's Sageo are made by machine and unfortunately the weave cannot be made as tightly as they were in the 'old days' and their added bulk will not easily permit them to pass through Shitodomé without snagging.                                                                              

For a working sword, we strongly recommend Kurikata part # 32 as the Kurikata to us because it is produced with a polished edge to the hole that will permit smooth passage (no snagging) of your Sageo.

Shitodomé Prices