5 comments about Cold Steel Bokken Polypropylene Handle.

1. they don't break, when me and the other students train with the old wood bokkens we find that they are yes great, but when i brought my cold steel bokken in and tried it out after i had gotten it i took not to the fact of they are flexible on contact, the grip can be ruffed up more with sandpaper if you like a ruff grip that is. i found with this bokken over my wood bokken that it was lighter then i thought it would be more like a live blade but less like a wood bokken, in my personal opinion of it not great great for endurance drills so that your arm muscles use the weight of the wood in both the cut and the ready stances to build up for a live blade and the faster cut with the live blade from using the wood bokken, but as i said this is very minor difference that most that buy this as there first bokken will not know. i still have and use my wood bokkens for drills and solo training, but when it comes down to sparing i use this do to the fact of i have had a Japanese White Oak bokken shatter on me that was a $50 dollar bokken, and everyone thinks that price is everything... i will NEVER give anything 5 out of 5 to be honest, nothing is perfect, but this is really really close to a VERY good all around bokken.



2. I am a custom knife collector/user and actually own a fairly expensive differentially tempered clay hardened sword, but have no sword training or experience so I can't pretend to rate from that angle. I actually just figured it was an interesting thing to buy and it is cheap. Additionally I felt it would be nice to carry on my neighborhood walks with our Maltese puppy, since my neighbors cat was recently killed by a stray pitbull..
   
   First off this thing is fairly flexible,,,side-to-side at least..Not to the point that you can feel it if you swing it, but it flexes fairly easy with your hands and you can easily bend it over your knee,however it does slowly bend itself back pretty straight. It also was a bit lighter than I hoped..The bokken itself seemed perfectly straight and very well finished..It comes with the plastic Tsuba,but I didn't put it on.
   The blade has the general beveled shape of a katana, but is very oversized(as any bokken is)
   
   At this point I was a little disappointed with the weight and flex, but for $30 not bad plus I do not plan to spar with it anyway. I figured that I may as well try a quick test to see how easy I could dent the blade since I read other reviews saying it would'nt dent(I didn't believe that, but I was to be suprized)..
   
   I first hit a small crown molding board and obviously no damage..I figured this bokken only cost $30 so I decided to try and damage it. I have an old railroad tie in my back yard.. It is a bit old, but still is pretty darn hard..
   
   It was dark out so I took the swings without checking for damage right away..first off I turned the blade sideways and hit the corner of the tie dead-on pretty hard..I then hit it 4 times on the tie corner with the "blade"..I hit it hard enough that after 4 hits my hands hurt too much to continue...I really hit almost full force and figured that the hard corner of the railroad tied was putting dents in the sword so I quit and walked in the house..
   
   WOW,,there were NO DENTS or sign of any dings at all..The only sign of the impacts was scuff marks on the plastic..literally only scuff marks, no scratches could be felt or seen..NOW I WAS IMPRESSED..I got my flashlight and checked the railroad tie,,THERE WERE DEEP DENTS IN THE CORNER OF THE TIE !
   
   So much for my worries..I now look at this thing in a much different light..It would seriously put a hurt on a person or a vicious dog..plus it does not look like a weapon and even if a cop looked at it it actually looks and flexes like a innocent flexible plastic stick..
   
   It is not a "club" by any means and is light enough that it would not feel to dangerous, but this will no doubt keep the stray pitbull away from our puppy and could probably break ribs..plus it's light weight does'nt get to heavy on long walks.



3. i had this bokken for 3 weeks before it broke as a martial artist the first thing i wanted to do was "test" its durability to know its limits before i used it. the first thing i did was spar. I gave my friend a real sword and i used this cold steel boken. i have to say i was suprised that it didn't get cut in half, the real sword broke after the 5th sparing session and i was pleased at the way the sword handled during hard training. it's very cut resistant and i broke 9 cinder blocks with this bokken. so think about it. the reason why it broke was because the 10th cinderblock that i hit....i hit with the top part of the bokken right below the tip, the cinder block crumbled and the bokken snaped in half. I was using a technique called high horse. it delevers an impact 2X the body weight of the user. i wiegh 250 pounds so thats 500 pounds of direct impact on a small surface area plus the power i can deliver with the swing itself, which is an additional 500 pounds of pressure. all in all this weapon is great!



4. I am very pleased with the quality of this training bokken. Good weight, excellent tsuba that fits quite tightly. Takes and gives a strike with ease. I much prefer it to the wooden ones I have.



5. Once I bought my first set of these Bokken, I knew that there was no turning back to old traditional wood and bamboo practice swords. Wood breaks easy...but these things a virtually unbreakable...i have literally beat it on a steal pole and had zero damage to the bokken. It has very easily allowed my students and I to go full force/ full contact while training and not have to worry about if the bokken will break and perhaps hurt someone. Great product, recommend it 100%.

5 comments about 2 Natural Wooden Bokken Practice Training Daito Sword SET.

1. First of all, I want to say that boken are not meant for sparring. If you want to spar, then buy shinai instead. These are for solo practice, to build strength and technique. For that purpose, their quality is pretty good.
   
   The two that I received had slightly different weights, so they're not exactly interchangeable. The slight difference in weight can mess with your perception of your strength and you won't get the right feel if you interchange between them. Use one for proper practice, and the other as a spare or something.
   
   The tsuba, however, are useless pieces of trash. They don't properly fit, and you're better off without them. It's not like you need them anyway.
   
   The grip is completely wooden, so just be aware of that.
   
   Overall, I recommend this product because it's inexpensive and gets the job done. If you really want to improve your skills, I suggest trying out a suburito.



2. Ok, i didn't even buy the product, but the shipping is 10$!! Your not getting 2 for 1, your paying the same price!



3. Great quality, very strong wood, perfect shape and weight... I will keep buying these for practice



4. I have an 11 year old son who is facinated with Japanese culture and weaponry (who isn't?). I bought these for him to get a feel for Bokken and to possibly get him some higher end models when he gets used to using these. When I received them, they were more sturdy than I'd expected them to be. These bokken are very solid. I was basically expecting to receive a couple of "sticks", to be honest, but I was impressed with how these bokken look and feel.
   
   For the money, I would say that these are a very good buy. Especially if you are buying them for a child or young teen. I could see where they could possibly be cracked or broken of used in intense practice, but I think they would definitely hold up to some light sparring and technique practice.



5. these were pretty fun for the week i had them...but they broke near the tip...

5 comments about Reverse Blade Katana Black with Stand.

1. When ordering I was unsure about picking this sword or getting another set of 3, in a different color. I must say I am thrilled with my choice. The reverse blade isn't sharp, beveled; but it is an authentic weight and is made to the best quality you'll see below the $300 price range. Clearly this sword is capable of being sharpened to battle readiness, but its hard to risk damaging it. The fact that the blade is reversed makes my favorite part of the purchase, a truly unique sword.



2. Loved the feeling of holding this blade in my hands. The hilt seemed much longer than most swords I have, but that's great since I find it hard to grasp some swords with two hands. Just felt a touch excited when I examined the blade and touched the backside to feel the sharpened side. Heh, my wife loved seeing it too. Not overly excited about the stand since the sword kind of sits oddly in it, but it's not enough to dash the happiness of having this sword.



3. when it came i was just amazed at the detil in the sword and the scabbard! it is the most shiny sword i have ever bought! ;)



4. I got this just today and i did not get this sword i got a Ichigo Tensa Bankai Replica Sword so think before you order



5. Delivery was on time,this is a very sturdy sword. Considering that people say "you get what you pay for" I got more than I expected. Although you have to understand that it is not super sharp and therefore not made to cut stuff such as bamboo. Also its blade being on the opposite side will make it difficult to swing properly. There one specific problem that irritated me two days after I recieved it. I noticed there was some sticky substance(much like tape residue) along the the unsharpened end of the sword, it was about the width of a quarters edge.It is removable but you should be careful not to dmage the blade.

5 comments about Kendo Bamboo Shinai Practice Sword.

1. You can't beat the price. The bamboo on this particular one was well matched and ready for a snappy "men" (head) strike!



2. This is an awesome practice shinai sword.It is very well made and easy to use.When I was looking for a shinai on here I was suprised to find one like this at a very good price. Most of them I have come across on here are mostly about 20 dollars or more.So this is really an excellant deal and I garentee you will be happy with how well made this shinai is :)



3. The swords are amazing! They came AMAZINGLY fast. Like 5 days (including processing)!
   
   Now i'm not an expert at these but they feel like top quality! Everything is nice and tight!
   
   So I rate the TOP of the chart and would recommend them to ANYONE!!! LOVE THEM!!
   
   Thank You!



4. Its awesome. its light and easy to move with. it came 3 days before the estimated delivery too.



5. This is a very good quality shinai as previous reviewers have mentioned, I do however have a few complaints. The packaging was a nightmare, It was wrapped extremely tight with what looked like a garbage bag and taped up, It took me a good 15-20 minutes or so just to get it off without damaging the product. Also anyone buying this should keep in mind that while it is made to take alot of abuse the bamboo is most tightly bound at the hilt which makes it brittle more or less, this was made clear as I disembled it after my friend went and sat on it thus snapping the bamboo in half right below the guard. I also found that the leather wrapped around the hilt seemed like it was glued on (this too was discovered upon disembling the shinai), although it could be that it just kind of fused to the wood over time assuming it hadn't been assembled recently when I got it, in any case this is kind of a problem because it makes it more difficult to replace the bamboo parts after they eventually become damaged over extensive use without damaging said leather. So other than some minor inconveniences this is a great buy, excellent quality for a very low price, and I've already ordered a replacement for the one that was broken.

5 comments about Forza The Samurai Sword Workout by Ilaria Montagnani.

1. I have owned this video for a while now and to be honest it has just sat on a shelf until a few days ago. I re-entered the martial arts and while I am in pretty good shape I realize that there are differences in "martial" fitness and the weight lifting a running I do routinely. I needed to start preparing those seldom used muscles that enable one to lift a bokken for kenjutsu. I pulled this out of the book case and popped it in the player and off I went.....or so I thought. This workout is a butt kicker. As I stated before I am in good shape and this DVD is a smoker!!! By the end I was hitting only every other technique and my back and shoulders and arms were seemingly on fire.There WILL be muscle soreness so be forwarned!! I reiterate what was already presented in previous reviews that this is NOT in any to be taken as instruction in kenjutsu, kendo, or iaido!! It is a unique and interesting approach to excersize. It will not grow huge muscles but it is a great cardio routine and will tone and strengthen the aforementioned muscles. I do this on my non-run days for cardio. SO do NOT take it to seriously,enjoy the workout,bring water and keep the pause button close. Above all have FUN with it and work hard and there will be results!! I purchased this off Amazon and as I remember the shipping was fast and hassle free.



2. I simply love Ilaria! She is the essence of elegance and feminine strength. Her workout is amazing as well as challenging. I am committed to this now, and have felt more confidence and empowerment in my daily life.
   I am 41 now, and stronger than I have ever been. I would recommend this for every woman to try.



3. Let me first say that I am not at all a genetically blessed mesomorphic natural athlete. Mother nature has been very crual to me but even I think this is the worst exersize video ever made. I bought this because im interested in swords and sword fighting (Im a dork) This is a major rip off. I wouldnt recomend this to anyone of any fitness level. Not even a woman could benefit from this pathetic "work out". I played this DVD on my computer first to see what all they did and it was SOOOOO BORING! I kept skippin along the video and it was nothin but the same thing OVER AND OVER! They stand in whats called a horse stance where their feet are about shoulder length apart. And with the boken (or wooden practice sword) directly held over their heads they swing the swords slowly straight down infront of them. Then return to the starting position. THATS THE WHOLE THING! Maybe after 8000 reps youd get a slight tricep workout but thats it. This wont help you burn fat, put on muscle mass, and deffinitally not show you any real actual interesting sword techneques and combinations. You'd learn more of swordmanship and get more of a work out after grabbing a stick or real sword and just randomly swinging it around, commin up with your own stuff in your home rather than wasting money on this pethetic repetitive rip-off! I cant complain enough about this. Weather your 8 years old or 80 years old and anywhere in between...this is not for you. Male or female...too weak for you. Sword enthusiasts...you wont learn anything. Keep your money to yourself and away from this con artist.



4. This DVD is definitely a creative workout for the upper body, as you keep all the muscles of the arms, shoulders, forearms, and upper back engaged throughout the 1-hour workout while gripping a bokken. Ilaria is a good instructor as always, but I agree with one of the previous reviewers that for almost $40, the DVD is a bit poorly recorded, and the recording could have been crisper with better production-quality resolution. However, this doesn't detract much from the quality of the workout itself. The music is rather abstract, but fits well with the workout, and adds to its concentration and intensity towards proper form. I'm not so sure about being able to burn 600 calories during this workout; I may have burned 300-400 max, even with full, proper execution of each movement (I do believe that I can burn 600 calories doing Ilaria's Powerstrike or Body Strikes workout, however). I think the calorie burn is less for this workout due to it being concentrated more on upper body vs. lower body movements. The core is engaged the entire time for proper wielding of the bokken, and full range-of-motion of the shoulders and arms is required for proper execution of the movement; so having restricted shoulder movement can be a problem for this workout. I will say that I felt an engaging burn in muscles I haven't recruited actively in my arms almost immediately, which lasted several days; this workout will definitely define those hard-to-reach areas of the upper body musculature. I would have liked to see some male participants in Ilaria's demonstration crew, as she had an all-female cast (unlike her Powerstrike 5 and Body Strikes DVDs). I only say that because I think the workout will appear more inspiring to both sexes if males are executing the workout as well, although some of the women in this DVD do look pretty tough themselves. I follow this workout with a lower-body strengthening workout, just to round it out, since it focuses much less on lower-body strength (although there are still a fair number of squats involved). I would recommend this workout for those seeking something unconventional, effective, and martial arts-based in their workouts. It wasn't heart-pounding for me as a workout, but was still quite enjoyable and empowering.



5. I ordered this about a year ago. I got this along with a black bokken.
   
   First, a general observation. Much like all other exercise that does not involve weight, you MUST put force or strength behind your movement in order to get the maximum benefit. This concept is explained a bit in the video, but it might not be as clear as some would like it.
   
   I liked this video in that it is a non-traditional way of firming up your arms and abdominal. There are some fun moves and the temple is certainly fast enough that you get a good workout. The down side is that the video does not provide a search option, so unless you bookmark it through your DVD player, you basically have to fast forward through the introduction every time you played it. Now, for some users they might also like to exercise until a certain point and then resume from there. Personally I don't treat this video that way. From my perspective, there are no segment so I always start from the first move and keep going. But that is just my personal view.
   
   Overall, the exercise it self is very interesting and does help me tone up with out getting bulky. But, the video it self does not provide any indexing or bookmarking options so you will either have to fast forward or bookmark it through your DVD player.
   
   One last note, make sure you have the ceiling hight to swing a bokken. This isn't a suggestion, it is a requirement, unless you like to break things...in which case...you might also need to get some anger management help.

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

1. Sooooo... as the title says, you get what you pay for. Also, the bokken you receive don't look like what is in the picture. There are no hand guards, but I don't really care about that. There was a knot in the wood of my black bokken and upon minimal partner practice it broke a foot from the top of the blade. So now a have a practice bokken and a practice shoto/tanto combo. lol. Hopefully the other one doesn't break any time soon. I expect it to though. I'll order another single one for the hell of it and hope it doesn't have a knot. I don't feel like spending more than 20 on something I'm just practicing with.



2. Product arrived swiftly and in great condition!!! Price was wonderful!!! I would definitely recommend this seller!!!



3. So my daughter loves martial arts as well as asian art and scrolls, so I thought "Maybe a Samurai sword for her birthday?" Not good with mom, so I found the next best thing:a wooden bokken. Heck They had two for a great price so I kept one for myself, tee hee ;)



4. It is an amazing 2 bokkens. the wood is light but it is stll great for sparring. They do come nylon wrapped wich is not said but it didnt make me mad just made me love them more. The order came 1 day before it was supposed to come so i only waited 1 week and half. its even better for what you paid for



5. The black one looked fine. The natural colored one had cracks on both ends. Some as wide as 1/4 inch. Both bokens were wrapped in hard plastic. I can tell from the way they are packaged that the damage did not come from shipping. So they probably decided that a split end boken (on both ends!) was okay to sell. Amazon really made return easy. Just click on return, and print out the return shipping label. Since this item can not be replaced, I had to return the set and order another one. I will post review when second set arrives.

5 comments about Set of 2 47" Kendo Shinai Bamboo Practice Sword Katana.

1. Nice and sturdy and great for a good workout if you're into the traditional forms. They kinda hurt to get with but, that's what the pads are for. Excellent!



2. Two shinais for the price of one. These are very light, but they seem to be just as durable as my heavier ones. My 12 year old son prefers them over my heavier more expensive models. The finish is less shiny and I wonder whether they would suffer if they got wet.



3. Right out of the box my daughter and I started playing around with these in the living room, not really going at it very hard and about 3 minutes into our light playing my daughter came at me with a swipe that broke the Shinai I was using clean in half. We just stared at each other for about 10 seconds. All I could do was assure her that she hadn't done anything wrong. Amazon was Excellent on the UPS pickup and return credit.
   
   I have used bamboo fighting sticks for years and I didn't think it could break like that. I have to assume these are made of some kind of bamboo substitute. Obviously, I wouldn't recommend.



4. Ok to start off, if this thing didn't come in as a set it would have been such a ripoff. Not only does it does it not give you tsubas (hand guards), it also falsely advertises them as being 47". What you get are two cheaply made 42" ones. When these things break, and I'm sure it will be soon, I'm definitely not buying these again.



5. Bought these cheap for a sparring match, first good practice swing (not connecting to anything) and the thing breaks right at the handle ><. didnt even get one match outa it

5 comments about Single 40" Hardwood Datio Bokken Kendo Practice Sword.

1. This bokken has a good feel to it but it's much lighter than the other one that I bought Single 40" Dragon Datio Bokken Kendo Practice Sword.
   
   The guard is nice, but it's not like the one pictured, it is a simple rubber band type that does not extend outwards on to the guard as shown. Also, the color on the one I received is much different. It is darker, like a wooden desk with varnish, but I still like it. Maybe it's just the seller, who knows: [...]
   
   Here are the dimensions, the hilt is 10" (0.25" more than the Dragon bokken), and the blade is 28" (1" less than the Dragon bokken), with an overall length of 38.25" (Dragon bokken is 39", an inch shorter than the advertised length).



2. The Bokken arrived well protected and is intact. It feels solid and has a good weight its definitely good for practice I haven't hit anything, neither do I intend to so for impact resistance I can only say it looks like it can take some beating. Blade is 29.5" in length.



3. I bought three of these over the weekend. I have to say that this is the best use of my money in my life. I have been using and beating this sword all day and the only damages are small dents. This s the best bokken I have ever had. I was beating this thing as hard as I could and it still won't break. The only complaint I have is that the guard is not black and it tends to slide up the sword when you spar. This sword is excellent for sparring...I don't know what these people where talking about when they said it wasn't a sparring sword.
   I recommend anyone to buy this bokken.



4. I dont practice Kendo or any martial art. I bought this sword to swing around my house and poke my sister. Its great cuz it looks scary and my sister can't kick me back. I swing this around my neighborhood and bring it on my walks to Micky Ds and Jack in the crack. Neighborhood kids loves my sword and always want to sword fight me with their plastic swords (I always win ofcourse cuz my sword is wooden and awesome). Im a professional photographer by day and so sometimes i bring this to my model shoots and wack my models if they don't behave, again it works great because it looks scary and they cant kick me back.
   
   I would recommend this sword to everybody. Im buying my grandma one of these to replace her walking stick.



5. For me, the most distinct feature of this bokken is that it smells! Once the plastic wrapping came off, I got a whiff of the strong smell that seems to be all over this sword, but mostly on the cord wrapped portion. It smells like fake incense...and it was annoying enough to stink up my closet in a few hours. So beware!
   
   As for the bokken itself, it probably isn't strong enough for dueling, but you can probably wack someone with it a couple times. I bought four, so I will say that the wood stain is not equal on all of them; some are darker than others. Some do have imperfections in the wood as well, but for $10 you can't really argue.
   
   3.5/5

5 comments about 40" Kendo Wooden Bokken Practice Samurai Sword Katana.

1. The real item given to me is completely different than the one depicted on the picture. I isn't all that shiny, and the shape is a little distorted, but now I'm just nit-picking. The paint is thick, and it dents very easily when practicing. The grip will slip off when handling it towards the bottom, which is how kendo sticks should be practiced as. The guard will also become a problem, and irritate the wrist after a while.



2. Well, to start, I should point out that I paid less than ten bucks for this, and had no intention of using it for any reason other than messing around. The sword was not red as the picture showed it to be, but I didn't really want a red one so it worked out. The sword came with a chip/crack in the tip, and that grew a bit when i dropped it on the cement outside. But again, I just wanted to play with it. The crack is only an aesthetic problem - its still sturdy and can take a decent beating. Its really pretty awesome - not too heavy, not really light. Like I said, its really sturdy and can take a beating. It looks awesome, most people don't notice the crack in the top anyway. Basically, if you're wondering whether or not to buy it, buy it. Yes you can get a better wooden sword, but for less than ten bucks this sword is more than worth it.



3. Looks great! and it is not to light as I thought it would be. I loke it very much, and looks great.



4. we used these swords in our Japanese play and they were so sturdy and beautiful! still look like new after many stage performance fights. well worth the money.



5. My first bokken/practice sword and it seems I made an excellent choice. The only things that it needed were a little sanding to take a couple sharp points off of the plastic Tsuba, and some spots of glue on the wrapping. Overall a nice sturdy bokken that will seem to last for years of sparring and practice.

5 comments about Single 40" Hardwood Datio Bokken Kendo Practice Sword.

1. This sword has excellent balance and feel. I will buy more practice swords from them.



2. The only problems with this bokken is that the nylon wrapped around the hilt is not that tight and the hand guard. The wrapping comes loose as you use it and the guard wobbles around. I completely removed the guard as it was just a nusciance. Otherwise, this is a great practice weapon and if need-be, it could be an excellent and cheap home defense weapon as it is rather heavy if you get hit with it.



3. the bokken arrived in five days.it came wrapped in a type of cardboard cylinder.it brought a guard, but it's a real pain to put on.in the end i decided not to put it on,besides its wood the guard is a decoration.when i removed it from the cardboard it was wrapped in plastic.the reason for the four stars is because the sword had a lot of nicks and scrapes and the sword was split from the top of the sword to about 4-5 inches into the sword.all in all totally worth the price.i plan on buying another one soon :)



4. This boken arrived on time but as i was toying with it i noticed that it had a slight slant to the left....! I was like....wow. But it was only like 14 dollars so i cant expect more. If you want to get something cheap but pretty entertaining, get this sword!



5. I ordered this from Amazon about a year ago along with the Forza video.
   
   It is a decent production, no wood splinter and the weight feels consistent and balanced. Personally this bokken has the right weight; it is light enough for me to get into things, but have sufficient weight that it helps me to firm up my muscle groups. Note, I am only using this for exercise, not Kendo, so I do not know how this item would serve some one interested in Kendo.
   
   The down side is that if you do end up sweating in your hands (which I do), the wrapping do come off within few months after daily use. But, if you wear a glove then the wrapping really doesn't matter, neither does the plastic guard which I also don't use. The finish will also rub off on walls depending on the paint used; I once simply lean the bokken on a wall, that resulted in a black mark which took me nearly 10 minutes to get rid off without actually repaint the wall.
   
   Overall, I'd say for the price this is an excellent exercise tool, provided you are aware of possible coloring of the wall and wrapping coming off.