2 comments about Hardwood Tanto.

1. This is another item I bought for my son. Just like the shoto I ordered, the Tanto is also very durable. He went to spar with a friend of his with this and it didnt even leave one dent. Even though it comes with a handgaurd and a gaurd stopper, you cant put it on. It looks better without it anyway.
   
   Extremely good. 5-5 stars. Nothing is perfect though.



2. When I started getting into weapons during my training in Shotokan, I decided to start out simple for the bladed weapons and got this practice Tanto. That was back in 1997, and it looks the same as the day I bought it. This thing can take serious damage, and not have a single dent or chip. Even the end which would be used for stabbing has yet to get flat or worn away over time. With that said, it's about as durable as you can get for a weapon (not just practice). The only problem is how it's weighted. Actually, it's not so much the weight as it is the shape of the "handle". It's very wide and can make for an akward grip. No regular knife is handled like this, and when you go from this to the real thing, it's a big difference aside from the obvious reasons.
   
   Unless you can find a more linear shaped training Tanto, this is all you can get. And it's not a bad piece for the price and the durability. They also make great self-defense weapons on their own. I've seen a handle-butt to the head knock out someone with just one hit.

No comments about Hardwood Bokken - Youth Daito.

3 comments about Kendo Shinai.

1. +'s
   :light weight
   :decent price

   -'s
   :fragile (doesn't come pre-oiled)
   :light weight (not good for practicing subri)

   This was the first shinai I bought for kendo practice and it broke roughly 2 weeks after I received it. It broke while practicing hare-men. I don't particularly recommend this for anyone who wants long term use out of a shinai, but if you need a cheap low quality shinai for practicing your swing, this will be good enough.




2. I think that this product is worth buying: It is good if you arent serious about the sport and want a cheaper alternative to more-expencive products



3. It's priced cheap and you get what you pay for. It's perfect for practice swings but I wouldn't take it against another shinai. The hand-guard is easy to assemble, and if you use it with caution I'm sure it'll last a good while.

No comments about Slim Blade Bamboo Bokken Katana.

3 comments about Longer Lasting Bokken.

1. I ordered this item because i practice sparring drills often and it boasted being indestructible. I have yet to break it, but its indestructibility brings about something to consider before purchasing.
   
   It's flexible, i.e., it bends when swung with improper blade alignment.
   
   I, personally, see that as a good teaching tool, but others may not.



2. This thing won't break, and is immune to the elements. The weight is good (rather like a light katana) and the flex is perfect because it does reveal incorrect blade alignment in the cutting movement with a distinct wobbling sensation. Perfect blade alignment is vital to maximize efficiency in the cut.
   
   Incidentally, if you want to master a weapon that's more "real world" in modern society (when a firearm isn't handy) study staff fighting instead. The four-foot jo staff is called the king of weapons by some for very good reasons...and broom handles are more easily grabbed in a pinch than katanas nowadays.



3. Pretty much unbreakable. We go through normal wooden bokken in a couple weeks, we have tried to break these with full swings for 2 months now and they show no more then a small ding. They do flex, while it does force you to do good cuts the flex is fustrating when blocking. Well balanced, a comfortable legnth handle, and an accurate shape. Definately worth having a set for when you run out of solid wood practice swords.

3 comments about 2 Black Bokens Wood Practice Swords, Wooden Daitos Training Katana.

1. These black wooden bokens are okay but I prefer the ones with the natural wood grain still visible and with a light colored stain. Also, the "purple oak" ones that seem to be common from Brazil these days don't seem to be as sturdy as the Japanese white oak, although they're okay too. I say "purple" because they look like they're stained as a gimmick, but it's hard to tell unless you're a good woodworker (which I'm not).
   
   In some ways I prefer the suede-covered Kashima Shinryu style straight, suede-covered shinai for this sort of training than the boken, as you can still break a bone with a boken, but a shinai is much safer, and the Kashima Shinryu ones are even covered with suede. But they're straight and not curved, which is different from what most people are used to, but what the hell. Just goes to show you how involved just getting a good training sword or boken is these days.



2. i have to agree with the last review, i prefer the non colerd ones to, i have been useing the same bokin for about 2 years now and have got into alot of fights with it ( with my freand that is 24 years old). it finally cracked after awile but i still use it



3. These were the worst to train with.. I had trained with them on the first day I recieved them.. THEY BROKE!!!

5 comments about Bokken.

1. This bokken is great. It is made of really sturdy hardwood and barely ever gets dents in it. Whether you are looking for a bokken to fight with or just one for show, this one is perfect for the job.



2. This is a very nice bokken! Nice weight, shape, size and it's very sturdy.
   My training focus is in MMA and grappling. I bought this sword to have FUN and add some variety to my workouts (I purchased the Forza Samurai workout book along with it). I don't plan on sparring or hitting any trees or rocks so I expect my bokken to last me a long, long time.
   I've heard that the white rubber stopper that goes over the handguard is hard to slip in place--my solution: Vaseline (it works great!).



3. I am 14.
   Well to start my review is that i do not know martial arts and I was using these to swordfight with my brother. These are very strong wood and they smell nice too. They are strong and durable but the second one we ordered(we ordred them for swordfighing) snapped after our 4th fight becuase it had a wood knot and a soft spot in it. Mine didnt have any problems and was fully solid. They can replace it which we are gona do so if you order them, you should if you are a kid like me and wana swordfight. Remember if you do order it makesure you look for any knots or softspots or have your parent do that before you fight.
   
   The handguard was easy to get on (with some spit) and if you use some bat tape to keep the handgoard down and for some grip it helps alot. By the way they are as shiny as they look.
   
   Remember im just a kid who ordered these for some fun sword fighting



4. i do VERY hard training with mine, been doing so for 15 years and i have used mine that i have had from day one of my training and still do, i have yes bought others, and made some as well, it really dose not matter one bit if it is cheep over a expensive one it is how you take care of it that matters i have had a $50 dollar Japanese White Oak Bokken shatter on me when training that was made to take the abuse and was hand selected and made, free of knots and well balanced and made by a company that has been making bokkens since before world war one, and my sensei even says as well that it really dose not matter how cheep or how expensive the bokken is but a matter of the woods quality to begin with, sanding the whole thing helps yes but is not needed, merphies oil/soap once every 4 weeks and let dry for one week is all that is needed, keeps the wood from warping and drying out and you dont have to sand all of it except the handle and even then it is not fully needed, the one i have had since the start of my training has been used and abused IN TRAINING and never broken splintered or cracked, we use live blades that have broken long before training was done in cutting exorcizer's of SIMPLE THINGS LIKE BAMBOO, IF your really worried about anything happening to your bokken or afraid of the quality of the wood AT ALL BEFORE YOU BUY IT then GET A COLD STEEL BOKKEN, and they hold up to even their own live blades with minor scratches if any, they mimic the shape of a bokken and the feel of one almost exact and you DO NOT have to treat them in any way. BUT if it was me then i would prefer to be able to look at mine in person if i could before i ever bought it to make sure that it was free of knots and dose not warp in any way. If any one thinks they know it all about swords and bokkens at all your wrong cause no one knows everything about them or anything, i know i do not know all there is myself all i know is what i have been tough from the start of my training, and that is a SWORD ( or a bokken )IS AN EXTENSION OF YOUR BODY AND SHOULD ONLY BE USED AS IT WAS MADE TO BE USED, and it is a matter of what feels right to you no one else, in then end what i am saying is what works for me might not work for some one else, buying it offline is yes great for those that do not have the ability to get them in there area, but it dose not really help you choose, it is more chosen for you and might not have the feel of what you really want it to feel like, and this is true of even swords and knives that are bought, i give this a 4 out of 5 cause i know nothing is perfect and nothing should be perfect, feel it out and know in the end it dose not matter it is more how it feels to you when using it and also what your doing with it as well, hard training, or beating things up that it was never meant to be used on, and i do and will admit A BOKKEN IS NOT A TOY they can cause serious injury EVEN DEATH to any living thing and should not be put in the hands of a child as a toy at any time OR ANY ONE THAT IS NOT WANTING TO LEARN HOW TO USE THEM CORRECTLY AND THAT IS OF SOUND MIND, if any one wants to learn how to use a sword then know that there are schools and dojos that do teach them how to use them, but most do not take children under the age of 18.



5. Good quality wood for practice. It is a bit thicker, but that would makes it quite strong enough to withstand a few hard clashes. The only minor problem is that of the plastic/rubber hand guard at the handle which tends to come off loose, but its a minor inconvenience which I have seen in other similar ones too. Overall, good to practice around with, and learn new tricks as well. Feels quite comfortable in hands, and also gives u the feel of an old style way of practicing.

5 comments about 2 Natural Bokens Wood Practice Swords, Wooden Daitos Training Katana.

1. This bokken feels heavier than my Japanese white oak bokken. It simulates the weight of a live blade katana made for tameshigiri (test cutting) more accurately. The sticker on the wrapping says it's "red oak" but I'm not sure if it's American red oak, Japanese red oak, or other. The description on here says it's just a generic hardwood. It's beautiful because it's highly figured but it's not suitable for all swordsmanship practice. It would be a nice display piece without the tsuba (hand guard). The tsuba is ugly and mine is bent so it's rippled around the edge.
   
   I'd recommend it for solo cutting/kata practice but not for partner practice where it would have contact with another bokken, due to the grain of the wood not following the curve of the "blade" and/or knots (both of which create weak spots). For partner practice, I'd recommend a Japanese red oak (aka kashi) bokken at the very least or a Japanese white oak (shiro kashi) bokken which is more durable than Japanese red oak but is more expensive.
   
   Even though bokken are safer than live blades, if they are swung with enough force they can break bones or cause internal bleeding (hence the warning in the description), so be careful. Think of them as skinny baseball bats and treat them as if they were live blades.



2. I just got these swords today, and already I love them. They feel even weighted compared to my steel katanas, and from what I see they seem sturdy enough to last a long time. Only complaint was putting the rubber slip to the plastic tsuba took longer then I wanted. Also, the shipping was faster than estimated, which is a big plus.



3. The moment i saw the box for these in my portch i was extatic, and when i got them out they were more than i expected. they fit comfortably in your hands and are the weight is as good as could be asked.
   
   They accuelly come with one painted and one natrual stained, they are American Oak (witch is easily told by the natural one)
   
   As for use, i havnt had a chance to try them with a partner yet, but they seem solidly built and tight grained, they should be able to handle coming into contact with eachother easily.
   
   one downside is that the package comes with ALOT of packing peanuts, but otherwise no complaints



4. I am 12 years old, and I like the two bokkens I got for my birthday. They are nice and solid and are good to practice with before you get a real sword. I reccomend that you get this product if you want a good practice sword.



5. It was a worthy purchase on these two bokkens. The price was great and it sure beats using a makeshift stick. There was a free gift included as well--- something that remained in the martial arts vain.
   
   Thanks!

5 comments about 1 Black and 1 Natural Wooden Bokens set of 2 Training Swords.

1. I was impressed with the quality of these Bokens. The natural wooden boken is very heavy and solid, it has the weight and feel of a metal sword. The black boken is very lightweight but still quite strong. I wouldn't recommend hitting anything very hard with the black one though, as it does seem like it could break pretty easy. The black sword is good for practicing swings as it's very light, the natural wooden sword is great for actual combat practice. The tips of the swords are quite pointy so that's something to take note of.
   
   These training swords measure around the same length as a normal sword. Very nice for practice!



2. If you're practicing your sword skills or your parents wont let you buy a sword,then buy this.Its great for the price and it delivers well.You can practice with a friend and if he/she hits you,it wont hurt much.You may also purchase a kendo for practicing.If you need help on anything contact me to:jeancarlo@libertypr.net or tenchinkurio@hotmail.com
   I have a message for the Isuishi Clan:Mr.Hamagate cancelled the budokai for personal reasons.We will meet in Hasure's house in Kyoto at dusk,bye.



3. This product is as advertised. Both Bokens are usable and
   suit my purpose for practice, and the price was right. I would do business again with this vender and delivery was quick.



4. Shipping was FAST and both came in perfect condition. My wife and I will be practicing Aikido with them and this set is Perfect. The black one has a thinner grip and is lighter, awesome for her smaller hands. The natural wood Bokken is heavier, and I will be using it. I plan on ordering from Sword demon (Kenshin's reverse blade sword!)



5. The handguard on these is rubber and doesn't fit perfectly, so if the hand guard is what you're excited about, don't be it's pretty much useless and is prone to falling off. As other reviewers said, these are different weights not just different colors. They are bot comfortable to use, I broke the natural colored one after about two weeks of tough swordplay, but I taped it and it was in fighting shape again. These aren't indestructible, but they're also nice and cheap. I recommend them.

4 comments about Deluxe White Oak Bokken.

1. I paid for the fast shipping but the order came incomplete. I did not recive the complete order for two weeks. one boken had a crack already that i didn't notice at first but thats why i bought three. I wuold have liked to have gotten my shipping money back but i dont have time to keep calling them just glad it all showed up as pictured.



2. It's cleanly put together, solid, and very inexpensive. I bought some bokken which were made of some mystery wood that seemed wormed eaten, and had uneven shape. This one is clean, strong and is useful for drill, practice, or beating down a door if you needed to.



3. This product has the weight of a very good practice blade. It was shipped on time and in excellent condition.



4. Product will be used in my aikido classes, and I am glad that I purchased it. Also, item was promptly delivered.