# A good, cheap wooden practice Katana?



## Terrafuge (Mar 28, 2008)

Hey, I'm new here as you can tell, so hey everyone
Anyways, do you guys know of any good website where I could find a cheap, sturdy wooden katana for practice? I forund one on Amazon, but I don't feel so safe about it.
So, please reply if you know anywhere good, thanks!


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## Sukerkin (Mar 28, 2008)

Hi *Terrafuge*

There is no simple answer to that question, really.  Do you want a bokken or a mogito?  It all depends on the art you're practising and the purpose to which the weapon will be put.  For forms, a mogito may well serve you better whilst for partner practise, where contact is likely, then a bokken will be more suitable.

I recall that there have been a couple of threads here on 'wooden weapons' so a search could turn up some insights that are useful.

Also, take a look at the Meet & Greet fora and sketch out a thumbnail of your martial background and interests - that would bring you a few useful replies I'm sure :tup:.


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## Terrafuge (Mar 28, 2008)

Alright, thanks
I'll be sure to check that stuff you mentioned


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## Terrafuge (Mar 29, 2008)

Anyone else?


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## jks9199 (Mar 29, 2008)

Terrafuge said:


> Anyone else?


You're probably not gonna like my answer...

Why?  Are you training with someone?  If so, your instructor should be able to recommend a source.  If he can't -- that's probably a warning sign that maybe he doesn't really know what he's doing.  There are plenty of folks going out and swinging bokken, wall hangers or sword-like objects, and even live blades around with no real clue what they're doing.  If all you're going to do is swing it around without any real training -- go to your nearest hardware store or lumber yard, and buy yourself a nice sturdy dowel.  It'll be less than $10...

Otherwise -- there are some decent threads around about purchasing and caring for wooden weapons.  The nifty search feature will help you find them...


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## Terrafuge (Mar 29, 2008)

Well I attend USSD, and I do a private lesson with Weapons every now and then. It's definitely not our focus, but it's nice to do for recreation and a little change. Do you think this would do?

http://www.amazon.com/Solid-Natural...e=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1206844551&sr=8-5

Keep in mind I don't need a specific sword, or even a really good one, as I'm not hitting anything. Just one that can be used for fun every now and then.


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## Sukerkin (Mar 30, 2008)

A bokken should not have ito (hilt wrapping) really and the low price makes me suspicious of the quality of the wood but if you're not hitting anything then that doesn't matter (other than splinters from duff grain of course).

For anyone wishing to explore their interest in the sword arts, I can't emphasise highly enough that qualified instruction and supervision is very important.  Altho' it may only be a shaped piece of wood, a bokken is still a weapon and thoughtless handling will still break bones.


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## Grenadier (Mar 31, 2008)

All bokken will eventually break with continual use.  

Cheap bokken are going to break more frequently than better ones, but price alone, is not the sole determinant of whether or not a particular bokken is going to be good for you.  

Most cheap bokken are made out of loose-grained, porous red oak, which breaks all too easily.  Use some chemical strippers on a cheap bokken, remove the varnish, and you can see where the manufacturers used wood fillers to smooth out the wood surface.  

It would certainly be nice to have a lignum vitae bokken, but of course, most of us can't afford one (200+ USD for one, no joking).  

Hickory bokken seem to offer a nice blend of strength, resilience, durability, and weight, and they tend to be cheaper than exotic hardwood bokken.  Figure on paying about 50-75 bucks for one, but it will last many, many times longer than your red oak bokken will.  

Purpleheart, jatoba, etc., are also excellent woods.  They're denser and harder than hickory, but they're also more expensive.  Figure on paying about 60-100 for such a bokken.  These exotic woods are certainly beautiful, though.  I still have a jatoba bokken that's been with me for 4 years now.  Although it has a few surface cracks, it's still solidly intact, and can still break red oak bokken with relative ease.  

Ipe / Brazilian Walnut is an excellent wood for bokken.  It's very dense (sinks in water), and doesn't dent easily at all.  Much more economical than Lignum Vitae.  Figure on paying a bit more for one of these than the above woods, maybe around 70-125.


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## Terrafuge (Mar 31, 2008)

Alright, thanks for the really informative answer.
Nice avatar by the way :high5:


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