# Custom Yari Spear / Bo staff



## Braxchat (Apr 25, 2016)

Hi there! This is my first post and I'm Looking to make a custom Yari spear.
I love practicing with my bo staff but lately have been peeking into spears. Although it's a pretty simple concept, I do not like the looks of mass produced spears online. And FULL custom spears from oustanding guys like *Miller Bros Blades* is really (*really- really*) expensive ...Therefore why not make a custom one.  If you have the money (say 1500$ ) then I wouldn't waste any time in not getting one from them since they're probably one of the best custom sword and spear makers out there IMO.

Nonetheless here's my concept:

***5ft ' 3in carbon fiber pole
-filled with wood

I like carbon fiber and think it's a good material for practicing your forms while still being light and strong enough to hold its own against wood. Ofcourse not many recommend it since wood is proven true to be the best material (and theres a reason we still use wood bo staffs today folks.) Weight, sturdiness, flexibility. Good wood gives you all of these in a staff.
However, recently I got inspired by a thread i read at a different site about filling a carbon fiber pole (air tight) with a wood of some kind (ash, wax, hickory,..etc.).

The blade will be from Millers Bros Blades.
Custom 9" z wear pm steel / double edge blade. Pretty tough steel.
Overall Length: 6ft (I'm 5'11)

Other custom ideas like a Reinforced Steel end cap will be worked on as the setup gos.

What are y'all thoughts on this? Might turn out just as cool as it will be fun. Also could use some tips on how the blade can be secured in the tubing.

Thank you for taking a look!

P.s. Ill attach images of what i want the spear to look very similar too. Its a full custom spear made by Miller Bros Blades.


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## pgsmith (Apr 26, 2016)

Welcome to Martial Talk!
  First off is the foreign word usage police ... Yari means spear in Japanese, so yari spear is redundant the same way that bo staff is redundant, since bo means staff in Japanese. 

  Now that that is out of the way, I would suggest that your yari is much too short to be used in a traditional manner. For comparison, here are some vids from very well known schools of traditional sojutsu (Japanese spear fighting).

  Hozoin ryu






  Owarikan ryu






  Kukishin ryu


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## Russian Whips (Aug 14, 2016)

One interesting idea for Everyday carry Yari trainer


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## Chris Parker (Aug 14, 2016)

Braxchat said:


> Hi there! This is my first post



Hi, welcome aboard.

First off, I'd like to invite you to visit the Meet and Greet area and let us know something about you… giving advice about using and, more to the point, making weapons to someone we don't know is not something many of us are overtly comfortable with… 



Braxchat said:


> and I'm Looking to make a custom Yari spear.



"Custom"? Was there a particular thing you need to customise it to? And, for the record, to yourself is not quite enough information… the requirements of your study is more important as a starting point. To give an idea, I study a particular form of swordsmanship, and that system also uses a range of other weapons. One of these is a naginata, which (in this school) is a bit different, and practically impossible to find in stores, online or elsewhere… so I'm going to need to have some custom made in order to continue my study. These training weapons won't be necessarily customised to me, but to the specifications of my school. That same system also teaches spear work, and uses a particular length spear… but another system I study (which also contains spear arts) uses a different size/configuration again… customising to the usage is the key here.



Braxchat said:


> I love practicing with my bo staff but lately have been peeking into spears.



Well, Paul dealt with the double-talk, so I'll leave that here… and just ask… practicing what with your bo? And when you say "peeking into spears", what exactly do you mean?



Braxchat said:


> Although it's a pretty simple concept, I do not like the looks of mass produced spears online. And FULL custom spears from oustanding guys like *Miller Bros Blades* is really (*really- really*) expensive ...Therefore why not make a custom one.  If you have the money (say 1500$ ) then I wouldn't waste any time in not getting one from them since they're probably one of the best custom sword and spear makers out there IMO.



Forgive the bluntness, but you're 19… and, if the tone of this post can be taken as an indication, are completely unschooled in spearmanship, and quite potentially swordsmanship, so… what actual credibility does your opinion have in this area? I took a look around their site, checked out their videos, and, well… it they're "probably one of the best", then, well, I deplore for the state of custom blade work there… I mean… their swords are frankly terrible, poorly shaped, badly balanced, little more than elongated axes… I'm not impressed, and would see no reason to spend anywhere near the asking price for them. They seem to be geared towards people who don't actually have anything to do with training in any sword art, and are designed more for looks and "survivalist" ideals… which makes them rather looked down upon here, so you know.



Braxchat said:


> Nonetheless here's my concept:
> 
> ***5ft ' 3in carbon fiber pole
> -filled with wood
> ...



Where did you get your specifications from? What form of spearmanship (presumably sojutsu, based on your terminology) do you think that sizing is appropriate for?



Braxchat said:


> Other custom ideas like a Reinforced Steel end cap will be worked on as the setup gos.



For what purpose? I know the reason for the cap on Japanese spears, but am curious as to whether you have a reason for yours.



Braxchat said:


> What are y'all thoughts on this? Might turn out just as cool as it will be fun. Also could use some tips on how the blade can be secured in the tubing.
> 
> Thank you for taking a look!
> 
> P.s. Ill attach images of what i want the spear to look very similar too. Its a full custom spear made by Miller Bros Blades.View attachment 19846View attachment 19847View attachment 19848



Hmm… my thoughts aren't overly positive, I'll admit… frankly, I don't see the point. Are you training in any form of sojutsu? Is there a reason you'd require a live form of the weapon? Or is this just because you think it's "cool"? If so, honestly, that's fine… but I heartily recommend that you recognise that this is a martial arts forum, and we will look at such ideas with that filter in place. I'd also caution against putting up too much about "how to" make your own weapons when you don't know who is going to read it… 



pgsmith said:


> Welcome to Martial Talk!
> First off is the foreign word usage police ... Yari means spear in Japanese, so yari spear is redundant the same way that bo staff is redundant, since bo means staff in Japanese.



Ah, you beat me to it… 



pgsmith said:


> Now that that is out of the way, I would suggest that your yari is much too short to be used in a traditional manner. For comparison, here are some vids from very well known schools of traditional sojutsu (Japanese spear fighting).
> 
> Hozoin ryu
> 
> ...



Yeah… agreed on the length. Most Japanese spears are typically 9 feet or longer… although there are exceptions. Short, single hand spears (3-5 feet) were occasionally employed, known as "hoko", "te-boko", or "te-yari" (basically all variants on "hand spear")… and then there are the (rare) systems who use a slightly shorter "regular" spear… most well known are Saburi Ryu, using a spear about 7 and a half to 9 feet long, the Bujinkan line of Kukishinden Ryu Sojutsu, who use a 7-7 1/2 foot long spear, and some lines of Araki Ryu, such as the Gunyo Kogusoku presented here. What's even more interesting about them is that they have a solo training method for their sojutsu, as well as their Iai… which is not common at all.








Russian Whips said:


> One interesting idea for Everyday carry Yari trainer



And, er… what exactly does that have to do with sojutsu, Japanese spearmanship, or anything in this thread? And how, precisely, is a belt that turns into a short staff a "yari (spear) trainer"?

I guess what I'm saying is… what?


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## Russian Whips (Aug 14, 2016)

Chris Parker said:


> Hi, welcome aboard.
> 
> First off, I'd like to invite you to visit the Meet and Greet area and let us know something about you… giving advice about using and, more to the point, making weapons to someone we don't know is not something many of us are overtly comfortable with…
> 
> ...




Actually the length of this belt may vary ... it can be made long enough for a regular spear.  Anf then there is a thread and the tip so the spearhead can be attached!


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## Chris Parker (Aug 14, 2016)

Er… a 9 foot long belt…?

But, yeah… not seeing it as being in any way suitable. Still, that's only coming from having trained Japanese spear methods for a couple decades, so…


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