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Post by Deleted on Apr 21, 2007 6:40:11 GMT
Hey all, Received a pair of cold steel synthetic bokkens from 13swords on eBay. cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320102478718Upon initial inspection I was struck by the overall quality of the mogito - they feel nice to the touch and look great. We gave them a trial hit today and I'm very pleased - they are a bit light but together with the centre of balance (just over 15cm or 6" from tsuba) makes for a very quick mogito. This means the larger tsuba (9cm or 3.5" vs 7.5cm or 3") comes in quite handy The tsuka is longer than the red oak bokkens I have used previously (25cm or 9.8" vs 28.5cm or 11.2") and feels much more like a katana. The slight flexibility in the blade material absorbs some of the impact energy so less is transferred to the handler (not so good for learning technique but my girlfriend appreciated it!). The blade becomes slightly scuffed by impact but doesn't become dented like wood. I would be careful not strike against anything harder than it as when parrying a low cut I accidentally struck a brick lying on the ground and a small chunk (0.5mm depth) was taken out of the blade. Unless these things fall apart, which seems unlikely, then I don't think I'll go back to a bokken again.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2007 20:45:03 GMT
I've read in another review that they feel 'dead' in the hands compared to a high quality bokken, I don't know what bokken you've handled, but as far as training weapons go I've been quite spoiled(with Newstirlingarms wasters and Kingfisher woodworks jos, and the nicest bokken i've ever seen that were hand made in Iwama...)
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2007 4:57:56 GMT
Adam, I have tried a kingfisher jo, feels pretty sweet but maybe one day I'll get my own. In Oz, we have a tree called an Ironbark, these have been made into some pretty mean Jo's and bokkens( I'll try to find a link after work). They are just abit heavier than an Japanese oak jo, but hardly dent at all !
I just don't like polypropelene. I agree when you say "dead", plastic is just made to imitate what nature makes better, in my eyes.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2007 6:07:27 GMT
I've read about different other hardwoods... they don't have the same internal shock strength as hickory, and from what i've read they get brittle with age. If you take good care of 'em though they can do a serious number on softer woods...
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2007 6:14:59 GMT
I've read about different other hardwoods... they don't have the same internal shock strength as hickory, and from what i've read they get brittle with age. If you take good care of 'em though they can do a serious number on softer woods... Only problem I have found with Ironbark jos and bokkens, they are prone to buckling if exposed to too much hot, then cold. I have also seen bokken made from Palm tree wood. It is very, very strong but a little light for my liking. To prove how strong they are, after a cyclone, they are the only trees left standing so can take alot of beating. My sempai tells me that bokkens have a indeterminate lifetime if used correctly. Even shorter if used carelessly!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2007 10:06:34 GMT
Hi adamsharp,
The synthetic bokken was my choice in terms of price and potential reliability after having my red oak bokken converted into a wakizashi by my girlfried during sparring - I was quite impressed by the power behind her strike! (Maybe I should be dismayed by my lack of skill?)
I have had the privilege to use friends' brigalow and japanese white oak bokken which are quite nice to the touch. In terms of performance; other than differences in mass, centre of balance and length I really don't find much difference between them except in terms of monetary or sentimental value.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2007 11:24:07 GMT
I have had the privilege to use friends' brigalow and japanese white oak bokken which are quite nice to the touch. Hi vyapada, my favourite is the Japanese white oak. Although, apparently it is not oak, but a form of beech wood just called white oak. In the dojo I train at, most use and prefer the white oak Jo's and bokkens (don't know if it is just a Shinto muso ryu thing, or not .
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2007 22:26:44 GMT
Most of the aikido guys I've spoken to have similar feelings about japanese white oak. Again though, I prefer hickory. If the kingfisher bokken balanced as well as the iwama white oak ones i've got then i'd use them without a second's hesitation.
By the way, Red Oak is complete and utter garbage compared to better woods like white oak and hickory(the 'stainless steel' of the wooden weapons world). Considering a good white-oak bokken costs around $40, might as well spring for one.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2007 23:27:15 GMT
By the way, Red Oak is complete and utter garbage compared to better woods like white oak and hickory(the 'stainless steel' of the wooden weapons world). Considering a good white-oak bokken costs around $40, might as well spring for one. Amen to that brother. Bought a few from these over the years. www.e-bogu.com/Kendo_s/184.htmNo complaints on price !
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redsamurai
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Post by redsamurai on Jul 18, 2007 13:03:16 GMT
Has anyone tried one of these... the black/yellow one is right perty! www.karatedepot.com/wp-ke-52.htmlI'm tempted to get one for if I decide to take up Haidong Gumdo, but I'd hate to think it might be frowned upon for the sake of uniformity.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2007 3:29:59 GMT
Has anyone tried one of these... the black/yellow one is right perty! www.karatedepot.com/wp-ke-52.htmlI'm tempted to get one for if I decide to take up Haidong Gumdo, but I'd hate to think it might be frowned upon for the sake of uniformity. In all my years in martial arts I have never trained with someone who has used a bokken with a sageo wrap. I just don't like the look of it, but I am pickie with my training weapons. Has a hardwood sheath though. I've only seen those plastic sheaths used but I used to use a fishing rod case cut-down to saya length. Did the job quite nicely. Also not too fond of red oak.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2007 8:43:54 GMT
Hi redsamurai,
I've used bokken (hand made brigalow) with a wrapped tsuka and they are quite nice to handle, but I can't comment on those particular ones!
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2007 8:16:23 GMT
ok lads, on sunday I was given a cold steel plastic bokken from my ken instructor, who was giving it away due to dissatisfaction with his purchase. It has taken alot more than the average red oak bokken but is just deceptively light. I was always under the impression that Cold steel made 'weighted' products that were heavy in the hand. What the folks at Cold Steel should have done is place a steel rod inside the casting before it is struck. This would have given it more weight, but I guess they were trying for maybe, durability. I just ain't going to use it, mostly because it is plastic and looks like it has come out the back of a monkey.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2007 17:38:41 GMT
<snip>I was always under the impression that Cold steel made 'weighted' products that were heavy in the hand. What the folks at Cold Steel should have done is place a steel rod inside the casting before it is struck. This would have given it more weight, but I guess they were trying for maybe, durability. I just ain't going to use it, mostly because it is plastic and looks like it has come out the back of a monkey. I don't like the feel of them either. Dead. Instead of a steel rod, how about hollow-fill a narrow column with steel shot? Don't know how to manufacture a hollow shaft, but the steel shot would not take a set.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2007 18:31:58 GMT
I was looking at this boken for the pure purposes of sparring around in the backyard with someone. I dont' want to use my nice white oak boken and ding it up and risk damaging it, since it's what I use in class. But I do want something that resembles a boken/katana that can take a beating vs a similar weapon. Would this be something good for that, or is there something better?
I don't know, I think I like the wrapped handle on a boken. I mean what's the big deal, our swords have the wrapping, so why not our practice swords? Might give you better grip when your hands start getting all sweaty on that hard wood.
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redsamurai
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Post by redsamurai on Sept 30, 2007 6:39:44 GMT
I've just bought a few new bokkens. Including one with a saya (but not the tsuka wrapped one). I'll do a review of them in the near future.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2007 16:09:05 GMT
I was looking at this boken for the pure purposes of sparring around in the backyard with someone. I dont' want to use my nice white oak boken and ding it up and risk damaging it, since it's what I use in class. But I do want something that resembles a boken/katana that can take a beating vs a similar weapon. Would this be something good for that, or is there something better? I don't know, I think I like the wrapped handle on a boken. I mean what's the big deal, our swords have the wrapping, so why not our practice swords? Might give you better grip when your hands start getting all sweaty on that hard wood. At our Shinkendo dojo, we use white wax wood training staffs (sword length) for choreographed contact sparing (tachiuchi). Because this isn't free/dynamic movement, but rathing highly choreographed partner practice to develop a sense of timing, distance, strength and speed, we do not wear protective gear. I don't see why a synthetic bokken wouldn't also work, although I've not bounced such an idea of the sensei.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 8, 2007 18:18:59 GMT
I was looking at this boken for the pure purposes of sparring around in the backyard with someone. I dont' want to use my nice white oak boken and ding it up and risk damaging it, since it's what I use in class. But I do want something that resembles a boken/katana that can take a beating vs a similar weapon. Would this be something good for that, or is there something better? I don't know, I think I like the wrapped handle on a boken. I mean what's the big deal, our swords have the wrapping, so why not our practice swords? Might give you better grip when your hands start getting all sweaty on that hard wood. At our Shinkendo dojo, we use white wax wood training staffs (sword length) for choreographed contact sparing (tachiuchi). Because this isn't free/dynamic movement, but rathing highly choreographed partner practice to develop a sense of timing, distance, strength and speed, we do not wear protective gear. I don't see why a synthetic bokken wouldn't also work, although I've not bounced such an idea of the sensei. That's actually what is used in our classes as well. I do not have one yet. Do you know a place online to buy one of those training staffs used in Shinkendo? Feel free to PM me. Thanks
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