How do you make old-school soba noodles?

I have a gluten allergy. I adore soba. I have heard that in ye olden times, that you could make soba with buckwheat only, as opposed to adding wheat or other grains. I have plenty of buckwheat here, and my problems lay in cutting to the proper thickness and cooking them. I seem to cut them too thick, but any thinner and they crumble. Also boiling causes them to disintegrate, and steaming makes them gummy.

So, What am I doing wrong here?

PS: I also make my own Buckwheat flour. some is roasted and then it is all ground up together.