Short review of your bogus

[LNGUYEN]

Hello to all, this is my first post and I just want to start something useful for myself and others.

About bogu, so far, every one stated only what is a good bogu like and nobody compare bogus between two different companies because we don't have a chance to compare them.

I would like every one, if you can, put in a short review of your bogu, where did you get it, the pros and cons, how long do you have it, and recommended or not. If we all put it together, we will have an excellent source for a beginner like myself and others too.

Thank You in great deal.

[alexpollijr]

Fine.

My first set was a 5mm from e-bogu.com, years ago. It was good enough for a beginner, but looked ugly and the futon (padding) in the kote leaved much to be desired. Also, It did not hevae lather reinforcements in the target areas ( top of men and part of kote-futon ). The Do was also very thin.

Years after I bought a 2mm set, again from e-bogu.com. The padding is thin, but hard as a shell. It's the set I use to this day, the tare looks nice, the Do is fiber but has that inner bamboo-like reinforcement and three lines on the sides, which means that I don't get hit in the torso above the target area (Do) too much. The Men is very nice and light, and shows little signs of wearing out. The kote, however, provided excellent protection but the palm worn out real soon. That I solved by buying a pair of musyobou Kote from Mori Budogu ( Japan), which are fabulous. Stuff of legends, really.

Att

- Alexandre

[LNGUYEN]

Come on pals, 33 view and only 1 respond!:(

[nodachi]

You gotta be patient, you will get responses, just give it time.

and I don't have bogu, so I can't respond to you, as many people who are looking for bogu but don't have it are probably most of those views with no response.

Patience is a virtue

[AlexM]

No responses because many people have not had bogu for a long time. It's my understanding that the quality of a bogu will be apparent over the long haul, 10 or more years.

However, because I'm a loudmouth I'll still give you bogu impressions.

Bought in mid-march 2003 from Sehyun Kumdo, model #250 (replaced the standard men with a machine-stiched titanium one in set no.210), 2.5/3.0 mm. I practice about 2-3 times a week.

Men: Fits perfectly, no complaints.
Kote: Fit perfectly, nice stif leather. Don't know how long the deer leather will last... time will tell.
Tare: Seems okay, how does one judge tare??? (i.e. I didn't care too much about the tare)
Dou: My dou (fake bamboo) actually has colour to it: A very dark blue that is so dark as to be almost black (D-27 if you're curious.. although they list it as "green" :ermm: :puzzled: ). If you don't look at it directly it looks black. Anyway, I have noticed that the paint is chipping off a bit in some places (strangely enough around the stomach area and not the typical "hit spot"). No gigantic paint chips falling off, just small spots. This just reveals a black base under the paint. There have been no cracks so far.
I'd recommend going for a straight black dou at any rate (although it is nice to have a range of choices). That's the only problem really... although I sort of like the "worn in"/"old warrior" look (no relation to Old Warrior the board member).

I'm hoping this set lasts a couple of years. Ask me again if it's a good set of bogu in 5 years, I should know by then.

[Hongsermeier]

I'm still in my first bogu. I've only had mine for 2 years, but I'm very happy with it. I have the A4 set from Eguchi. It's held up very well so far. I average about 3 practices a week since I got it. As m_french can verify, it has taken quite a beating. :cross_eye

[Flashman]

Got this set (http://www.e-bogu.com/topqualhanst.html) from e-bogu.com. Very nice folk. Everything fits well except the men futon was too short so that part had to be sent back to Japan for refitting. Otherwise great equipment. Since it's new no idea as to how it will hold up but great quality and my sensei was raving about it.

[Karaken]

OK, first bogu was from my sensei so I don't know who made it. Except that I always thought it was 3-4 mm machine made bogu with simulated fiberglass do that fit me perfectly and the day I got it I passed 4 kyu promotion with it. Obviously there were no problems breaking in.
Everything was OK except Kote palm worn out pretty quick and kote protection wasn't so great. So I ordered 2 mm kote from Kendoshop.com - this stuff is made of steel - you feel no pain at all, it was a bit big on me and palm deer leather wasn't as nice as I wanted but it lasted longer.
After 6 years of 1-2 times a week use, my do had some cracks where everyone hit and my men flap was showing inside stuff so I promised myself to get a nice hand made bogu if I ever get to 3 dan ( in my dojo I get to sit in the sensei row starting 3 dan and up ). So I reserched many and end up buying 1.2 bu hand made bogu from Kumdoshop.com ( Korean only site ) for under $1,200 if you believe me( BTW, they also have fabulous shinai under $25 ). It's not the exotic bogu but it has Titanium mengane and 60-piece bamboo do. Oh by the way, while I was comparing my old do with new one I found out my old do was also 40-piece bamboo not fiberglass as I previously believed.

I'm still breaking in my men after 5 month, next time ( if there is one ), I'll go for nice Japanese made 1.5 bu so I don't have to break them in so long but for now I don't have any complaints.

Center only..

[Hai_hai]

Bogus. I drive my Ferrari on weekends and my Lamborghini on weekdays.

Bogu. I do not wear bogu yet.

[Ryukyu]

Flashman, that's a Japanese made set?
Do you know which company in Japan made it?

[heri0n]

heh heh is this you??
http://www.e-bogu.com/unemsenaandd.html

[Nishi]

BOGU-
SEYHUN 1.2 hand stitched, titanium men, Yamato fibre doh to bring cost down. Very stiff kit, i sold the kote because i was tired of waiting over a year for them to break in. Everything else has been great. I think it will last 12-15 years easily, although i get bored quickly and will buy a new kit after another 5 years. This is to contribute to stocking the world of second hand bogu.

BOGUS-
I go cruising with HAI_HAI in his ferrari on weekends, he drives i count cash.

[JSchmidt]

2.5mm set from Seyhun...set me back about US$700, but is probably cheaper now due to exchange rate. Quite happy with, although it's a tad on the heavy side. Recently replaced the kote with a special deal through a friend in Japan with a 1.0bu kote, which are absolutly stunning and fit like a..well..glove!. (And aren't too stiff at all!). They're lighter and offer better protection than my old ones, so I'll probably replace my men at the end of the year through the same guy.

Jakob

[LNGUYEN]

First, to Herion; No that is not me. My first name is Lan, not Lin. It is probably a girl's name.

So far, I see that most people are very satisfy with their bogus except kotes where most want to replace it with hand mades.

[junkyman]

I got my bogu from tozando. This was in 1996 or 1997 and there were not too many options, even in socal. I know that Eguchi was around. There was no e-bogu or kendo shop or any of the online vendors we take for granted today. My Sensei had an old Tozando catalogue and that is all I knew so I ordered from there. It took a very long time for my bogu to get here from Japan. When I finally got it (after a whole summer) I was so happy. It is a 5mm set and at the time I paid around $700 or so. It has held up fairly well. At the time I didn't know the difference but my sensei said that the kote had a very broken in feel despite their machine stitching. My do is fiberglass. The tare has four lines I believe (I don't really give a crap about the tare either). The men is duraluminum. I don't know how heacy it is cuz it is the only one I have ever worn.

Aside from the smell my armor has held up very well. The lacquer on the edge if the men is started to chip, but that just happens with wear. My kote are having problems though. During an extended break from kendo my bogu was put outside on a few occasions by my GF because she thought it smelled. No some of the leather is falling apart on the top of the left kote. The palms of both kote are getting holes- one near the thumb on the left kote and sveral on the right I am too lazy to fix it properly myself and too cheap to have someone else fix it. what did I do? I found navy blue hockey tape (the stuff the wrap around their sticks) and rolled it around the kote so that it would cover the holes in the palms. It works.
One day I will buy good bogu. Maybe I will at least get new kote in a year or so.

[Hai_hai]

Originally posted by junkyman
...Aside from the smell my armor has held up very well....

...During an extended break from kendo my bogu was put outside on a few occasions by my GF because she thought it smelled...

Bogus. Your girlfriend thought it smelled.
Truth. Your girlfriend knew it smelled.

[junkyman]

kendo sweat doesn't smell . . .duh!

[Hai_hai]

Originally posted by junkyman
kendo sweat doesn't smell . . .duh!

So desu.
Skank bogu odor does.

[dorkusxmaximus]

my friend says that kendo sweat is clean sweat, but i don't think it's true. sweat is sweat and it stinks!

[Inouye02]

I don't know but my wife hasn't complained about my bogu , I hang it up after I come home, it dries out nicely, plus i have my son's too..I shower before i go to keiko , since i work in the construction field..now that is stinky sweat ....phew !!

[LNGUYEN]

So Inouye02, would you put in a short review of your bogu?

[Hai_hai]

Originally posted by dorkusxmaximus
my friend says that kendo sweat is clean sweat, but i don't think it's true. sweat is sweat and it stinks!

All sweat is clean sweat. However, when bacteria consume sweat, they let off an odor. In a condition where sweat is trapped in moist conditions, this bacteria will thrive. Why does your armpit smell nasty and your forearm doesn't even though you are sweating in both places?

[LNGUYEN]

How do you know my armpit smell?
Anyway, any one want to get back to the course?

[SirFingerLickin]

I got a 4 mm bogu from e-bogu for about $500 including a bag. Its a decent bogu, but I'm wearing through one of my kotei's already and I've only had the set for about 6-7 months. Its a small hole on the thumb and it isnt much of a problem. Also, when Ii went to the shop, they were moving, so they only had a larger size Do for me, so its wider than is necissary. That aside, its a good set I think.

[slidercrank]

I got my bogu from my sensei almost 4 years ago. He orders bogus, uniforms and shinais from this bogu store in Japan. I have seen its ad on Kendo Nippon, but it has no internet presence.

My sensei doesn't order a specific model. Instead, he asks what your budget is, then mix and match everything. For people ordering bogu for the first time, he always orders yamato doh, with different qualities of mune and other leather fittings, depending on budget. He tries to put the most money towards kote, then men, and lastly tare.

With my budget of $1300 at the exchange rate 4 years ago, I got a yamato doh with a decent quality mune and folded leather border. 3 mm kote, with deer leather for palm, kote head and reinforcement patch on the kote buton. 4mm/2mm men and tare, both also with deer leather reinforcement on edges and corners.

In the beginning, I was bummed, because I saw all those bogus for sale on internet with tighter stitching, bamboo doh, titanium men-gane, and all for a lot less price. 4 years of hard practice later (2 to 3 times / week, plus a week of kendo camp every year), I've realized how much quality went into my bogu, despite the nominal yamato doh, 3mm and 4mm/2mm stitchings.

For example, I didn't get any holes on my kote until very recently. This contrasts with some poster's kote from e-bogu that developed holes within months, despite being deer leather and with seemingly fewer practices a week than I do.

I used to wear sweatband under kote. After a while, I realized I didn't need it. My kote buton was stiff enough on its own. AFter 4 years of pounding, my kote is still stiff enough to withstand all but the most muscular hit.

My men is also adequate. The padding was very stiff in the beginning, and for a long time. The men didn't start wrapping around my ears until after almost 2 years of practice. Only now do I consider my men broken in.

The flaps on the tare also has taken a very long time to become something less than stiff. The flaps are only now starting to become soft enough to hang with a little curve, instead of sticking out into the air like a washboard.

I'm assuming you're soliciting reviews to help you shop for a bogu. My advice is, find a machine stitch set that's the most expensive within your budget. An expensive 3 mm set will give you the stiffness for long lasting protection. Also, all the "extra" money you pay for the "only-3-mm-machine-stitich" set go towards the componets, like thicker and better quality leather, more leather reinforcements, better quality padding, quality dyeing and others that will make the difference in the long run. Those little things you will not see on a catalog.

[Goomba]

I bought my 2mm machine stitched bogu from E-Bogu. It is a really nice set. I only had one complaint. The men did not fit correctly, so I ordered a 1.5 hand stiched men. Other than my first men not fitting well my armour is nice.

I am getting tired of catching shinais with my chest, right above my do. So I will order a new bamboo do in hopefully a month or so.

[Inouye02]

well let's see , I bought my set from E-Bogu ( 1st set was from Japan back in the 70's ) i also got the 4mm, upgraded the kote's from the ones that came with the set ,,Ariga Sensei was kind enough to let me trade the kote's for a pair for my son, so i got the upgrade , he also gave me a better tare ..I practice 3x's a week, sometimes being motodachi 2x's a week, from all the beating it has taken , everything is just fine, except for my men himo which is starting to fray since i let them hit my men during kirikaeshi, do is scuffed from the kurukuru waza's ...the paint around the mengane is still fresh..overall i'm happy with my bogu...

[highelf]

*Strength and Honor*


:D Ebogu-Really like it!




The Best Quality 2mm Bogu Set ever can be!
(Actual Sample Shown)


This is the same Bogu as the 2 mm Custom made bogu sold at $999.99. e-bogu.com brought the price down by puchasing in large quantity. Embroidery pattern are the most popular "True S Kumo with Diagonal Back Dots" or "Oni Kumo with Diagonal Back Dots". (Mune Patterns will depend on availability).

Our top of the line quality machine stitched bogu. All assembled by hand with 2.0 mm quality (Japanese materials)

MEN: Titanium Men, Seikon #8000 fabric, Seikon dyed deer leather

DO: Black 50 Bamboo Look Do, Natural leather for the Mune (chest part), Double folded leathers on the borders of Do, (Can be upgraded to Color 60 Bamboo Do), Embroidery made of Silk thread.

KOTE: Seikon dyed deer skin leather, Double Kera, Seikon #7000 Fabric, with embroidery pattern

TARE: 7 embroidery lines across, Seikon #7000 fabric, Seikon dyed deer leather, with embroidery pattern







Availability: Usually ships the next business day.

TopQ2mmMachStitchBoguSaleRegular price: $999.99Sale price: $799.99


:)

[KATSUJIN]

Mine is a second hand 2.5mm which was originally purchased from Kendoshop.com......can't complain abt size since it is second hand....but is pretty good...

[Fraz]

Well, I'm waiting for my 2.5 mil Bogu from Nine Circles here in UK. Soon as I get it I'll let you know what it's like.

I'm really going to miss the club armour I have at the moment.....Not! :lol:

[D'Artagnan]

Got my first set form 9 Circles (Kendo Shop)

It's 2.5mm Machine Stiched

its really nice, coloured Do, Etc.

Comfortable, Pricy though.

i am not really in a position to give a detailed review on a set of Bogu, so i won't. But making the transition from club armour to 2.5mm was incredible. i would reccomend any person buying firs bogu to spend the few extra quid and buy a decent set that lasts.

[Pichit]

I have 2mm deluxe machine stitch bogu from e-kendo with deer leather,titanium mengane and bamboo do. So far so good my men, tare and doh fit almost perfectly and kote is a bit small but still comfortable and give good protection. As I still have not use it much so I cannot comment on its durability.

In my idea it is very good price $990 ( around 650 pounds) which is cheaper than similar 2mm deluxe machine stitch bogu from other company.

[Phlebas]

"i would reccomend any person buying first bogu to spend the few extra quid and buy a decent set that lasts." -- D'Artagnan

This is what I had in mind when I purchased my first set recently. I haven't had a chance to practice in it yet (they forgot to send the himo! They were very apologetic and sent them immediately), but when I do I will post my thoughts when I have formed an opinion. It's the 2mm machine stitch set from eBogu w/titanium Men and deer leather everywhere, and everything looks really good so far. The Men is a perfect fit, as are the Kote, and they both feel sturdy as hell but flexible enough that I won't be whining about "break in" too much. The Kote-bu are hard as steel! After using the club stuff, it's a new world for me. Just a standard black Do, imitation 50 bamboo with leather wrap, etc. feels comfortable and light. I can't wait to try it out in practice....

HAJIME!!!

Oh wait, I still need those himo... (looks out of window wistfully and checks wristwatch)

[samurai999]

Heres a breakdown of my bogu..

First set all purchased from Eguchi 3.5 yrs ago. I think it was the 4.5mm set that cost ~800 bucks American.

Men - My first men was pretty painful to wear. My ears hurt, then became bloody from it rubbing against the fabric. I was also wearing glasses in my men at the time so that could have some effect. I had to take it off during one practice because it hurt so much. Take care of it by drying it off after each practice. My first one became so bad that the outer bindings around the mengane started to become bloated from the moisture and just broke apart when it dried. Got a new 3mm one with chitan (from Eguchi) and I know what to do with this one at least. This one was SOOOOO comfortable it was unbelievable. I was wearing it for practice 2 days after i bought it and later that week was in a taikai with it. It was THAT comfortable. Oh ya.. Men himo. Have an extra set handy. I have gone through 3 sets of men himo since people with screwed up shinais hit it and they start to fray.

Kote: I have 2 pairs. both had to be repaired once. The holes usually form in the palms.The first pair is VERY tight.. Can barely move. The second pair is VERY comfortable. Same stitching too. Sometimes if the padding is thick, your wrists feel like they are cemented in place.

Dou - Still the original. The strings and everything. They should last a long time no matter who you buy it from. Hongsermeier uses Mothers car wax to polish it. I tried it and it works pretty well.

Tare - Still going after more than 3 years, although I might need to have the strings replaced soon. They start to fray after a while.


My 0.02,

Tim

[LNGUYEN]

After a while, I expect more people putting in more reviews. The funny thing is we have so many members but not a lot of reviews to help the beginners like me. First, thank You for those members who put in reviews. Second, I would like to have more review please. Don't let us, beginners, step into your own mistakes when shopping for bogu. Gracie.

[kancho]

I am new bogu wearer. I have a little bit better one since I didn't buy it myself. My bogu is from Korea. So I am not sure what other people say about their Korean Bogu.

Mine is 1.2 BU Stitch with Titanium Men. THe men is a bit heavier than the Japanese Titanium men. But WHen I get hit It doesn't hurt. SO I would recommend titanium. I tried a steel or duralumin men and SInce it was a few years old it hurt when it.

DO I am not sure if it matters since mine and a cheap DO did the same thing. Same goes for the TARE ALthough the 1.2 BU is a bit stiffer.

Kote was something else Cheap is cheap. THough it hurts a bit the stiffer on hurts a bit less.

I would pay for a good men and Kote but just a decent tare and DO

[nodachi]

Right now I am using a very old set of kote, but the following advice may help for cheap kote as well.

If the kote is just not protecting you enough and you don't have the cash for a good set quite yet, get one of those kote wrist protectors. Cheap, and it did the trick for me.

Good set of kote is better, but cheap wrist protector pad thing helps to make a crappy kote useable.

[JSchmidt]

You dont even have to buy one of those specifc kote-protectors..a tennis (or baseball) style wristband will do the job just fine.

Jakob

[13th warrior]

I got my bogu from Hiragawa sensei, visiting professor from Japan, from 350 USD. It's kinda battered and worn but in its heydays it must have been one of the better sorts - 50 pc bamboo do, heavy but very thin-sewn men (maybe 1,2 BU????), the kote is thick and fits perfectly.
I took the risk to mashine-wash the kote. It didn't harm it and the rancid smell is gone. To re-fit the men, I ordered a men-pad from tozando for extra head protection, and a bogu-deodorant. The deo didn't help much, but I ordered another one from e-guchi which actually sprays a foam-like substance. It's much easier to breath now while wearing the men (although sweaty leather will always smell weird).

The men also has a throat-protecting pad with a nice embroidery, unfortunately it doesn't match the pattern on the do. But for the price, I really can't complain.

[highelf]

:cool: The Best Quality 2mm Bogu Set ever can be!
This is the same Bogu as the 2 mm Custom made bogu sold at $999.99. e-bogu.com brought the price down by puchasing in large quantity. Embroidery pattern are the most popular "True S Kumo with Diagonal Back Dots" or "Oni Kumo with Diagonal Back Dots". (Mune Patterns will depend on availability).

Our top of the line quality machine stitched bogu. All assembled by hand with 2.0 mm quality (Japanese materials)

MEN: Titanium Men, Seikon #8000 fabric, Seikon dyed deer leather

DO: Black 50 Bamboo Look Do, Natural leather for the Mune (chest part), Double folded leathers on the borders of Do, (Can be upgraded to Color 60 Bamboo Do), Embroidery made of Silk thread.

KOTE: Seikon dyed deer skin leather, Double Kera, Seikon #7000 Fabric, with embroidery pattern

TARE: 7 embroidery lines across, Seikon #7000 fabric, Seikon dyed deer leather, with embroidery pattern
Pretty Good, No Problems! Stan.
"Strength and Honor"

[fujii]

Hi there,

I got my bogu from Mori budo in Japan, and have use it for three years (practise 3 times/week). It's a 5-mm machine stiched although I bought a pair of extra kote this year (3 mm), so far I haven't had any problems with my bogu, no major damages to any part. DO is a bambu-do and its keep shining like a new one all the time even after three years of use!

BTW, Do anyone knows if Japanese made bogu hold better than others? I hear lot of complains from friends using korean kote, so just wondering.

[mochi_pig]

Hello,
I just received my bogu last week in the mail. It is the MC-39 set from Mori Budo-gu. I haven't worn it yet so I can't review it. Everything fits even though I don't know how to tie on the men and do. The kote smells funny but one of my sensei has informed me that it is normal.
I got a bogu bag, tenegui, name tags on all items and men and do strings included in the price without asking for it so the service was good and they always replied to e-mails and kept me up-to-date. They packed it very well and it arrived undamaged.

[KamuSan]

Congratulations! That's one of the hygienic bogu, isn't it? I'm curious about how it will hold and if it will get smelly at all. I was thinking of one of their bogu too.

[ben]

Rented bogu for several years. bought first bogu from Musashigo factory in Kumamoto in 1993. Still using it today after using it 3 times a week/ 50 weeks a year. Bogu is 3mm (I didn't even know about tezashi before I bought this bogu). Kote still very hard but have lost hair from inside kote atama because inside lining rotted. Been repalmed and repaired many times (by me). Also bought Matsukan budget 5mm kote - the kind with cha-iro kote atama, blue futon. Still in good nick and being used by someone in UMKC (my club).
Three years ago bought Tozando 2 bu kote. Have had to patch palms a little and one palm is starting to tear but they have lasted really well, considering how much they get used. Even though they are softer than my 3mm, they still protect very well. They also still look really good. Now see reason for tezashi.
My men is a little soft - took it to a boot-maker friend who treated the top with a hardening compound that didn't hurt the fabric and did the job. I've repainted the leather around the mengane (both the red and black bits) for gradings and also repaintd the red inside about a year ago.
Tare is still fine. Patched the obi a couple of times.
DO is still fine - lacquer is hardly scratched on outside and inside there is a little place inside where you can see the bamboo from my omamori rubbing against the lacquer. It's in such good nick that I think when I buy my next armour, I'll just use this do with it.

b

[LNGUYEN]

Now is my turn,

Before I thought about saving money to buy a high quality set of bogu when the time is come to wear bogu. Unfortunately, due to buying a house, the dream is gone. I just got bogu set from bogu bag, GZ-17, $350.00 included eveything even shipping. Before I thought cheap is cheap but after Stroud Sensei assured me that this set is quite good, I placed an order. Just received it yesterday and to my suprise, it is real good. I got a nice Men, fit me right. Kote is full leather head and Clarino Palm, quite good. Do is plastic but looked good too. Tare is beautiful with Deer skin trim. I am happy with this set. I will start to wear it tomorrow and will tell you again does it provied good protection or not. But right now, I think it is the best bang for the buck for beginner. I don't think even a shitty Taiwanese set with vinyl everything can beat this set with this price.

[Hai_hai]

What kind of review was that? You never wore your bogu and yet you are assuming it is better than Taiwanese bogu. On top of that, you are assuming Taiwanese bogu is sh*tty even though you haven't worn it so how would you know?


Grand Master B
President
Taiwan Bogu Manufacturer's Association

[slidercrank]

Stroud Sensei assured me that this set is quite good


I have to agree. Just by looking at the picture of the set I never would have believed it was only $350. Let us know how well the bogu absorbs shock and how well it holds up over time.

[LNGUYEN]

After two classes wearing my new bogu (gz-17), I have to say it provides good protection. About the Men, I don't feel much after being hit ( I still have the stars, lights after being hit from a 6'5" guy nailing down on the top of my head. I am 5'5", hey that is what you get when facing a giant). The Kote is just little sting after being hit. Do is feeling nothing except I got one hit right at my ribs, under my armpit at the no protection place, ouch. About the durability, time will tell.


If you see on some website selling bogu for $290, not include shipping, canvas bag, zekken, himo, tenougi, and you see vinyl everywhere. Eventhough, it is better than your carton box bogu, Hai_Hai, then I think my bogu is much better with some deer leather trim on my tare, full leather kote. You do the math and tell me which one is better.

[Kent Enfield]

I just got bogu set from bogu bag, GZ-17, $350.00 included eveything even shipping. Before I thought cheap is cheap but after Stroud Sensei assured me that this set is quite good, I placed an order. Just received it yesterday and to my suprise, it is real good.We purchased two of these sets for our college club. They arrived during the summer and finally got used for the first time last night. The people who wore them liked them quite a lot. We'll probably end getting one or two more, and they look like they're going to be the set of choice for the students-on-a-tight-budget who make up most of our club. They can always upgrade a piece at a time later if they want to.

[nollaig]

First time in my very own bogu!!

my neck is killing me! the "wings" of the men are so stiff that it feels like someone has been pressing down on my head all night.
This is my first set of bogu so the only thing I can compare it to is the set I had on loan from my Federation. So to be truthfull there is no comparison.

Yanai Sensei organised the bogu for me. A very good friend of his in Japan owns a company the manufactures Bogu using high class material and having it machined stitched in China.

company name "Budo Suzuki" I think
at least that is what is on the delivery paperwork!!!!
Cost €875
but I think it given to me at near cost price
3mm I think
and its as stiff as a plank and very comfortable
Except for the men
which is little hard on the neck

Question
is there any way to "loosen up" the men apart form just plain using it?

[aru-ma]

Yay! I got my new bogu, picked it up last sunday, still stiff, especially the mendare (the wing), I found out that it's very difficult to do kirikaeshi, or anything really, with a stiff mendare. I got my bogu from koei, a KN3mm, would've costed me around $2200(AU) but got it for $1100 :D the only bad thing about it is my white gi is turning blue, and so am I :P

[slidercrank]

company name "Budo Suzuki" I think

They have an ad on the November issue of Kendo Nippon, page 59. Their web address is http://www.budo-suzuki.com/

[nollaig]

They have an ad on the November issue of Kendo Nippon, page 59. Their web address is http://www.budo-suzuki.com/


Thanks for that.
Their gear is very good and having compared my bogu to the rest of the clubs.........

I am the winner! Mine is the best!!

Pity everyone in the place gave a complete beating last night

I was stood in the middle and took it for about 15 minutes and why cause I have new bogu
so there are advantages and DISadvantages

[Wark 1978]

Thanks for that.
Their gear is very good and having compared my bogu to the rest of the clubs.........

I am the winner! Mine is the best!!

Pity everyone in the place gave a complete beating last night

I was stood in the middle and took it for about 15 minutes and why cause I have new bogu
so there are advantages and DISadvantages
nollaig,
i am seriously considering getting a kit from Budo Suzuki. i live in japan and actually went to their shop in tokyo. i'm looking at the 1.3bu kit priced at Y79,000 which is around my budget.

the tare and doh looked fine and so do the men and kote. i know you've not had your kit very long but if you could tell me how the men and kote have felt during practice.

i've looked at a few bogu and when i went to see theirs, i was impressed with the men and kote. the padding on the kote felt thicker than others i've seen and pretty stiff too as well as comfortable. the men was stiff as well.

any comments will be appreciated.

good luck against the aussies today!

cheers

[Anjin-san]

My (first ever bogu) 2mm machine stitched arrived from nine circles today (a week late, but it's a nice set). Only real problem was that men was near impossible to put on comfortably, but a quick google search turned this up:

http://www.halifaxkendo.org/men.html

which explains how you should go about assembling and breaking in your men.

After tonights practice I'll say how well it does, but I will say now that everything is rock solid and much lighter than the club armor I've been using.

[nonamehandle]

Dou: My dou (fake bamboo) actually has colour to it: A very dark blue that is so dark as to be almost black (D-27 if you're curious.. although they list it as "green" :ermm: :puzzled: ). If you don't look at it directly it looks black.

AlexM,

in korean, green is sometimes blue and blue is sometimes green. often times, the words (either "green" or "blue") are used to describe either colors. e.g. signal lights are "blue", but the color actually is green, and the grass is "blue" although the color actually is green. i can't think of a reverse case except i guess for your do is "green" when the color actually is blue.

and incase someone asks, of course koreans can distinguish between blue and green

[ben spain]

Just thought I would bring this excellent thread to the fore. Commander - take a look at this!

[kanyil]

Review of the Mine 6mm machine stitched Men:
http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showpost.php?p=54469&postcount=70

Review of the Masaharu 1-bu handstitched:
http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4382&highlight=chibabogu

Review of the Kendoshop A120 1.2bu handstitched:
http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showpost.php?p=73744&postcount=11

[LNGUYEN]

Good idea, if we keep linking those new review, we can have a good concentrate resources for everyone.

[kanyil]

Review of the Koei S-17



http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4344&highlight=bogu+review



Review of the Amplus bogu (Model Unspecified)



http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4436&highlight=bogu+review



Review of the Sehyun Special 2mm



http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3825&highlight=bogu+review

[LNGUYEN]

Review of Mine Men and Kote

http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6313

[Commander]

My first set is from e-kendo, theres a thread kicking about somewhere called "MY NEW BOGU" well its more detailed than this post, basically its cheapest and great quality, just the same as ninecircles i think, most new people at my dojo use e-kendo.

Only bad thing is the kote aren't snug, quite loose. But other than that, no complaints, fast shipping, great customer service and great bogu 3mm and 2.5mm kote

Commander

[Gregory]

I love mine, they are extremely lightweight, its almost like Im not wearing it

[piggy]

everything i own is e-bogu.

2mm machine stitched everything. except for the tare i think.
from the experience i've had with it, great set. the only problem i've had with it is that a certain someone so graciously demonstrated that the tare does not protect me all the time...

other than that, no problems, no complaints, no worries.

[drizzt]

i like the set i have from e-kendo. Sensai made the comment that it was an excellent set for the money...

[Naginatagirl]

I've had 20+ practices (2hours each) with my 3mm e-bogu stuff. A.k.a I know nothing about long term bogu. This is my beginner opinion:

The kote smelt of camp and bbq when I first got them and filled the entire house. ^^ mmmm. They still smell that way, but not so strongly. I experienced complete bruising of the forearm from just over the knuckles to where my kote ended and now have a permanent bump over my trapezoid bone from the constant bruising. But then again I bruise/bleed easy so that may not be any indication of how much it protects.... Other than that they haven't shown the smallest shadow of a hint that I've practiced with them - they're doing their job and holding together.

The men fit well and the inside has stayed soft. The only problems I've ever had with it were because of how I tied it. Overall I think it's okay.

Tare was stiff at first and (since I'm a girl and wear it higher) made breathing awkward until I learned to tie it for my body. No complaints there after.

The do still feels awkward, but then again it wasn't made for girls so.... Oh well, can't have everything, and it does do its job.

I have a problem with my sune (used in naginata) though. One of them is still incredibly stiff after two years of use and many attempts at softening it up. I'll have to buy a replacement soon. It's just ridiculous how stiff it is. >(

No one I know who ordered the 4mm has had any problems. In this short a span, it has made no difference.