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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2007 22:04:21 GMT
I've found a local place here in sweden that sells tatami omote for about $5US per mat. They're from a company named Mugen Dachi, anyone heard anything about mugen dachi? good/bad? Its cheaper than buying from swordsofmight.com, and i dont need to add customs taxes or shipping! ;D Also for you experienced with cutting tatami, how does one make a tatami roll with a bamboo center? Roll the mat and soak it in water, and then stick the bamboo into the roll? or, Roll the mat around the bamboo, and soak it in water together with the bamboo? Please tell me how to do this correctly so that i dont mess up!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2007 22:50:08 GMT
I've found a local place here in sweden that sells tatami omote for about $5US per mat. They're from a company named Mugen Dachi, anyone heard anything about mugen dachi? good/bad? Its cheaper than buying from swordsofmight.com, and i dont need to add customs taxes or shipping! ;D Also for you experienced with cutting tatami, how does one make a tatami roll with a bamboo center? Roll the mat and soak it in water, and then stick the bamboo into the roll? or, Roll the mat around the bamboo, and soak it in water together with the bamboo? Please tell me how to do this correctly so that i dont mess up! Well, although I think you are getting a bit ahead of yourself considering you haven't started training yet, the questions are reasonable. Mugen Dachi is the only source of tatami I use. A good review can be found here: ejmas.com/tin/tinart_scott_0800.htmTheir tatami in the US is excellent and a good value for the money and I cant imagine their overseas operation being any different. You are very fortunate not to have to pay shipping as the mats tend to be heavy. When I purchase them here in the US the shippinjg is almost as much as the mats. If you go to the mugen dachi web site you will find a good description for rolling mats with and without a center such as wood or bamboo www.tameshigiri.com/assets/rolling_illus.pdfThe bamboo must be inserted when initially rolling the mats because after you soak them the rolls swell with water making it impossible to insert anything. As a general rule tatami is soaked for no less than 6 hours but 8-12 hours is best. Once the soak is completed they need to be removed from the water and allowed to drain for a while. Since you are just starting out, half mat rolls are going to be most beneficial for you as they better show mistakes and have nearly zero risk of damaging your blade. Visit Mugen Dachi for all other info you may need here: www.tameshigiri.com/home.htmlGood luck
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2007 23:10:02 GMT
Thank you, that was very informative! Have a Karma!
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Post by rammstein on Jul 20, 2007 23:13:54 GMT
Thought I should mention - karma can be given once an hour, not once a day.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2007 1:46:57 GMT
Aha, well thanks ramm!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2007 3:11:27 GMT
As I use freshly cut bamboo only for tameshigiri, I soak the mats over night then let them drain. Unravel on my backlawn, place 2cm thick piece of bamboo in centre and just roll it up. Dry bamboo can chip or damage your blade, so fresh is best. Fasten it with a few pieces of string and wah lah. Ready to go.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2007 9:58:21 GMT
As I use freshly cut bamboo only for tameshigiri, I soak the mats over night then let them drain. Unravel on my backlawn, place 2cm thick piece of bamboo in centre and just roll it up. Dry bamboo can chip or damage your blade, so fresh is best. Fasten it with a few pieces of string and wah lah. Ready to go. Well if one soaks the tatami with the bamboo in it, the bamboo is nott gonna get dry, it's submerged in water. ...right?
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2007 10:09:34 GMT
Well if one soaks the tatami with the bamboo in it, the bamboo is nott gonna get dry, it's submerged in water. ...right? Thats right. Im not sure why chop uses the method he does, perhaps he can elaborate, but when soaked tatami is unrolled it will never be as dense. However, I am not adverse to learning new techniques so maybe there is an advantage to it that I am unaware of.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2007 11:46:36 GMT
Well if one soaks the tatami with the bamboo in it, the bamboo is nott gonna get dry, it's submerged in water. ...right? Thats right. Im not sure why chop uses the method he does, perhaps he can elaborate, but when soaked tatami is unrolled it will never be as dense. However, I am not adverse to learning new techniques so maybe there is an advantage to it that I am unaware of. When I soak them I mix in a little sunflower oil and make sure the water is warmed.It seems to absorb better when not pre-rolled around the bamboo stem. I also found after I have rolled it I give it a squeeze up the length, and this seems to press the tatami against the bamboo a little more adhesively. Also I notice after each cut the pieces seem to fall off in sort of wedges, rather than fans of matting. I only do this for personal preference and it also seems to produce less scratching on blade surface after a heavy weekend. Which means less polishing.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2007 17:58:32 GMT
When I soak them I mix in a little sunflower oil and make sure the water is warmed.It seems to absorb better when not pre-rolled around the bamboo stem. I also found after I have rolled it I give it a squeeze up the length, and this seems to press the tatami against the bamboo a little more adhesively. Also I notice after each cut the pieces seem to fall off in sort of wedges, rather than fans of matting. I only do this for personal preference and it also seems to produce less scratching on blade surface after a heavy weekend. Which means less polishing. Thats interesting chop, how much oil do you use in a given soak and what kind of receptacle do you use for the soak. I am all about less scratching but that must be some kind of mess when you are all done. Does the oil from the mat transfer to the blade causing more of a bead or does it make everything sticky? Curious to hear a bit more ;D
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2007 15:07:14 GMT
i just started, and realized sumthin about my rolls. i soaked the bamboo cores in my rolls, wh/ may have helped ensure a softer skin (the incredibly thin/tuff part of bamboo, wh/ is waterproof!), since i got them f/ the dump cuz they "seemed" fresh. BUT, i didn't account 4 the nodes, wh/ are wice as thick as the walls. may have 2 switch to clear pine dowels.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2007 23:48:15 GMT
You don't really need bamboo or any core at all, especially when you're just starting.
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