Wobbly guards on Jians and Daos

[Philip]

Ever wonder why Japanese hilts have those thin metal washers (seppa) on either side of the tsuba? These plates take up the slack in case a thinner guard is substituted for another. More importantly, they can be used to compensate for shrinkage of the wood handle that would cause a formerly tight hilt to loosen.

With Japanese hilt construction (in which the blade is readily removabe), all this makes sense. With Chinese (and European) hilts that are secured by a peened pommel, it's a different story.

By the way, I don't suggest banging on the end of the tang to tighten a Chinese or Western-style hilt that's loose. Old wood can be dried-out and weak, or may have internal rot or worm damage.