Mix and Match

[iwatekenshi]

I was wondering if mixing and matching two broken shinai last just as long as a new one. Seems to work well and certainly saves money. Some people here in Japan don't like doing it. I'm sure those of you who live outside of Japan do it often since availability is limited and you can't go to your local kendo shop for a quick buy. But what are your thoughts on this matter?

[dr_evil]

iwatekenshi :D ,

I used to mix and match the bamboos on my shinais and it worked a OK. I think it's economical and quite useful if you don't have a kendo shop nearby. I believe the downside is that the balance of the shinai will be somehow affected because you won't have the same strips of bamboos.

[Kuri]

I'm unfortunately one of the unlucky ones who's not made of money. Mixing and matching is the only viable option. I've had 2 shinai (on seperate occasions) self destruct the first time I used them (why is it always the expensive ones :( )

The problem with mixing is trying to get slats about the same width and lining up the nodes of the bamboo to make it half decent.

Otherwise, I find them to be great stakes in the garden :D

[olaf]

Hi fellas - to avoid creating bamboo atrocities when I mix-and-match to build shinai, whenever I buy shinai (at a store, never online!) I always try to buy them in pairs.

Of course, you can never find two identical shinai, but if you dig through the shinai piles at a budo shop, since they group same "types" of shinai together, it's not too hard to find two or three that are almost identical. If they have a scale present you can even weigh them to make sure.

That way you can go through several "incarnations" of the pretty much the same shinai before you start making irregularly balanced bamboo sticks.

[stakenaka]

Have to agree with Olaf. The problem with creating "Franken-shinai" is that the thickness of the staves are different. This occasionally becomes a problem in the tsuka. The tsukagawa will stretch out to the largest diameter slat and you can feel the slats move in your hands during use.

Scott

[Antonin]

I agree completly with Olaf. It is OK to build composite shinai when you ALWAYS get them from the same soource, ie you dojo or the same company, as thay will be built to roughly the sam tolerance. When trying to build something from various sources, the result can be quite scary. Also, no matter what happens, NEVER forget to put the small bit of metal at the bottom of the sinai. If necessary, cut a new notch in the slatesto acomodate it, but it is an essential bit of the shinai: it keeps one bit from flying out of the shinai and skewer your oponents's brain...
Antonin

[olaf]

Antonin: re: the small piece of metal at the bottom of the shinai

If you mix and match bamboo slats from different shinai, even with shinai that are relatively similar in build, the metal piece might not always fit well. You may have to re-carve a new slot for the metal piece to rest in, or maybe even trim the metal itself. They actually sell cutters/saws specifically for doing that.

And if your shinai is assembled correctly/well, why would one particular slat fly out and skewer people? Unless you swing pretty darn hard... :)

[Antonin]

Well, i don't think it WILL fly, but it MAY. the inportant point in what you said is that indeed, if the assembly is correct, there should be no problem. But for example if one of the bit breaks, there is a risk a large chunk of bamboo will fly out if themetal bit (I can never remember the name of that bit...) is not there. Safety first !
this being said, I have never seen it happening, and I only convey what my old sensei taught me !
A.

[iwatekenshi]

I don't know about that small bit of metal. I see everyone throw that out here in Japan once they mix and match. Got me on that one. I guess it all comes down to preference. I do fine without it.

[eddiez]

I wish I could do what Olaf does and browse through a shinai bin and pick out pairs. That would be ideal. Unfortunately, the few martial arts stores that are local around here sell rather cheesy shinais, which aren't too bad when starting out. But for better ones, I have no choice but to go online and take my chances. Therefore, I don't mix and match. I use, abuse, then chuck (after a few rotations of course). Besides, I kinda like getting fresh ones and trying out different ones. Not that it helps my Kendo any, but it ads some nice variation.

[ben]

I always mix and match, so long as the slats are all milled in the same way originally, ie, I'm not going to put a skinny little Taiwanese bamboo slat in with three meaty madake ones. But since most of my shinais are skinny little Taiwanese ones it's usually not a problem.

b

[akihiro]

When I have to mail order shinai, I usually buy them in pairs and ask the shop owner if they could send me a matching pair. Most of the time they are very understanding.

[Kendoka]

Originally posted by iwatekenshi
I don't know about that small bit of metal. I see everyone throw that out here in Japan once they mix and match. Got me on that one. I guess it all comes down to preference. I do fine without it.

Wow - talk to your sensei about that !

Safety is important as is the integrity of your shinai. That bit of metal helps to locate the staves and to keep the shinai complete.

I am told on good authority, that a person was once killed in shiai, by the tip of a stave being exposed (out of the sakigawa) it went through the men gane, peircing the eye and skull of one of the players.

Richard

[stakenaka]

If you lose that metal piece (it happens) you can use athletic tape to secure the tsuka. Once around on the bottom and top, or making a spiral pattern with the tape usually does the trick. Athetic tape works out well since you are able to remove it easily, and it leaves behind little residue.