|
|
Post by Dalaran1991 on Jun 12, 2012 6:24:54 GMT
I once ordered a white oak bokken from amazon and it lasted me a year. Ordered another set today which got 4.5 stars for reviews, and it broke in two after 20 minutes of practice... Now I really need a good bokken for practice, but there's no good martial art store around. And I've had just about enough of ordering from amazon and e-bogu. Does anyone know where I can order a good bokken that will last for light contact? My black belt friend has been using his for 5 years and it has only nicked a little. His cost 60 bucks and I'm willing to spend up to 80. I found this one that seems legit, but the low cost made me a little bit suspicious. www.bugei.com/japanese-white-oak ... 6-prd1.htm Edit: I have a cold steel bokken, but to be honest for form and contact training it's really wobbly, although it is indestructible. Plus it's black and all my partners bokkens are white, so when the weapons clash they really make each other dirty. |
|
|
|
Post by Adrian Jordan on Jun 12, 2012 7:02:17 GMT
Bugei is a very reputable company, so no real reason to worry about them. $30 to $40 is a fair price for a quality piece. Also, e-bogu has some very good quality ones for very cheap. www.e-bogu.com/Bokken-Bokuto-s/31.htmYamato Budogu. www.yamatobudogu.com/Standard_Bokuto_s/40.htmTozando. www.tozandoshop.com/BOKKEN_s/17.htmNihonzashi. www.nihonzashi.com/bokken.aspxAll four sell great quality and have extremely positive track records. Before, I got what was supposed to be a Master Quality White Oak Bokken on Amazon for $20, and it was horrible. My nephew had it in splinters in under ten minutes. So while I usually tell everybody to check Amazon first, I'd stick with the above listed vendors for a quality, real bokken.. I hope this helps. |
|
slav
Senior Forumite
Posts: 818
|
Post by slav on Jun 12, 2012 7:03:43 GMT
second e-bogu.com
|
|
|
|
Post by Dalaran1991 on Jun 12, 2012 7:16:35 GMT
Thanks for the replies  Since you are all recommending e-bogu, can you be more specific? What sets/sword do you think offer the best value for money? |
|
|
|
Post by ineffableone on Jun 12, 2012 7:23:09 GMT
You might want to check out this thread I posted awhile ago about a bokken review blog and youtube channel of the guy's tests. Bokken review blog forum.sword-buyers-guide.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=9044He went through a series of testing different bokken to try and find one he preferred. You might have missed this thread as it is older, and in Sword Training Techniques section. hope this helps.  |
|
George
Member
Banned
Posts: 1,899
|
Post by George on Jun 12, 2012 10:59:29 GMT
Ill personally recommend bujinkanweapons.com/bokuto/All are personally handmade not punched out from a factory. About twice the thickness of normal Bokken's too (match the weight of a real katana) i have used in the past. A bit expensive but definitely a work of individual art. I got the purple heart (not for sparring for individual waza) and its incredible. You could use it for sparring as i said before these things are THICK and designed to beat stuff... |
|
|
|
Post by stickem on Jun 12, 2012 11:55:07 GMT
I just got a daishō of these: www.budo-aoi.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=20_46&products_id=298The grain is tight and they have some weight to 'em. I haven't whacked anything with 'em yet, so no experience on the durability yet. One thing to note about this vendor is the shipping costs are pretty high unless you order enough stuff to get free shipping (or live in Canada). My other pair of bokken are kamagong (ironwood) from Kris Cutlery:  Kamagong is really dense stuff... the kind of thing where if you whack yourself or someone else accidentally (or on purpose as the case may be) they will know it... in most cases they'll know it again tomorrow :lol: One thing to note about kamagong if your intention is to practice with others: my experience is ironwood tends to shred everyone else's less dense sticks during practice. So while they are great for real life application, your practice partners won't want to play with you if their oak sticks last 5 min. |
|
|
|
Post by johnwalter on Jun 12, 2012 12:32:53 GMT
Mine came from Nihonzashi,heavy white oak,it has held up great for kumetachi.
I also recommend Kingfisher woodworks.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dr. Whom on Jun 12, 2012 12:57:51 GMT
I also recommend Kingfisher woodworks
Hand cut Appalachian Hickory and they will customize it to your specifications. You can also get inscriptions and a carrying bag as well. Probably the most expensive although you will get top quality
|
|
|
|
Post by Unit731 on Jun 12, 2012 14:29:38 GMT
(Not looking to derail thread, but an answer or two would be very helpful  ) Does anyone know if a Cold Steel Bokken is any good for contact sparring and practicing Kata? |
|
|
|
Post by johnwalter on Jun 12, 2012 14:52:36 GMT
I say no,in a dojo setting.Its near indestructible,but feel and handle like crap.Very springy and wobbly in kata and worse in contact.
|
|
|
|
Post by Larry Jordan on Jun 12, 2012 15:03:08 GMT
White oak looks good longer but eventually fails from all the accumulated damage. (It is there just unseen).
Hickory is tougher, but "softer" than white oak. It will show impact marks more readily but will last longer.
Bugei Trading Co offers hickory bokken.
|
|
|
|
Post by Larry Jordan on Jun 12, 2012 15:06:51 GMT
I agree with you about the polypropylene CS bokken. Not rigid enough.
|
|
|
|
Post by grmnsplx on Jun 12, 2012 16:23:33 GMT
I just bought some bokuto from Nine Circles USAI am pretty sure they are from the same Chinese supplier that Bugei gets theirs from. Anyway, I am pretty happy with the ittoryu bokuto I bought. I've only had them for a week, so the jury is still out. I'll review them after they had more use - and we use them pretty hard. I was very unimpressed with the "deluxe" white oak bokken from bokkenshop/tozando and highly recommend againdt buying them. Their itto ryu bokken are very good and I suspect all of the koryu bokken are pretty good. The "deluxe" white oak bokuto from Budo-aoi.com were also terrible. Don't buy. josh |
|
|
|
Post by stickem on Jun 12, 2012 18:04:11 GMT
Josh ~ I am interested to hear more of your experience with these since I just bought a pair ( mentioned previously) but I haven't had a chance to whack anything with 'em yet. Did yours break on you? If so, I may have to reserve these for non-contact use, which would be a shame. Thanks! BTW, anyone trying to go to the 9Circles link, try this one: ninecirclesusa.com/Wooden_Weapons__Shinai/Bokken/Specialised_Bokken.aspxas I couldn't get Josh's link to work. |
|
|
|
Post by grmnsplx on Jun 12, 2012 19:19:21 GMT
I broke one on my bokkenshop bokuto almost instantly - snapped right in half. The grain was simply crappy.
None of my Budo-aoi bokuto have broken yet, but all of them generated splinters after little use. One big sliver is starting to sepparate itself from the edge from the middle outward. I've experimented with treating them with oil and light impact tempering before initial use. I don't think it has helped much.
I don't understand. I bought a standard, cheapo white oak bokuto 8 years ago when I started training in Japan. It might have been $20? My students and I still use it to this day -no cracks, no splinters. When I moved to Calgary the dry air warped the blade to the right. It looks funy, but it's still going strong.
josh
p.s. fixed link in previous post, thanks
|
|
|
|
Post by Dalaran1991 on Jun 12, 2012 20:09:58 GMT
The 9circles really does have some attractive options. Anyone has experienced with any of their bokken? I'm talking about this one in particular: ninecirclesusa.com/Wooden_Weapon ... _45''.aspx |
|
|
|
Post by johnwalter on Jun 12, 2012 20:10:32 GMT
Its all in the wood grain.Age of the tree,its health,the conditions it grew under,etc.The one I am using from Nihonzashi is a cheaper one and nothing special but it has a nice tight grain.It has a couple of small chips in the ha from another students bokuto(a much more expensive Ipe bokuto) that has shattered another one from Nihonzashi as well as several others.
So while craftsmanship plays a part,its mostly in the wood,the quality of the wood used and the person selecting the wood.
|
|
|
|
Post by grmnsplx on Jun 12, 2012 20:40:58 GMT
And use. (just to add to what John said)
If you are deliberately bashing bokuto together edge on edge, or edge on ji/shinogi in an oblique manner then you are bound to ruin your sword.
very much agree with what john said.
|
|
|
|
Post by johnwalter on Jun 12, 2012 21:00:11 GMT
As for deliberate bashing,I have been told that it is good to have a bokuto that will break when too much force is applied,rather than have that force transfer into the bones and ligaments.We are taught not to practice with reckless abandon or excessive force for these reasons,however the strike,block,parry,etc.,must have sufficient force for the technique to be practiced realistically.So,an "indestructible" bokken may be counter productive in more ways than one.Imo.Possibly another tool for prcticing control?
|
|
Since you are all recommending e-bogu, can you be more specific? What sets/sword do you think offer the best value for money?
)
