Bokken Tsuka

[cocomonk22]

I was just wondering, has anyone ever wrapped their bokken's tsuka?

[mystic_kendoka]

wat do u mean wrapped? u mean with a leather handle or sth?

[R A Sosnowski]

I was just wondering, has anyone ever wrapped their bokken's tsuka?

On a good, hardwood Bokken, there is no reason to wrap the Tsuka with anything.

I do know people who have wrapped the Tsuka of "Bokken" made of laminated rosewood (the laminate is a polymer of sorts) because the Tsuka would get slippery in sweaty hands in the Summer. I have several of these, but have not found in necessary to wrap my Tsuka in spite of heavy sweating in the Summer.

[Yonshakujo]

I've wondered the same. I have 3 bokuto, some are more slippery than others.

I'm certainly not interested in really wrapping, but have tinkered a bit.

One I treated with candle wax, which imparts an interesting finish and is less slippery. For another, I'm looking for non-slip tape of some sort.

Any ideas out there?

Thanks!

[mystic_kendoka]

What you can do is get some tsuka-ito off ebay or so, shouldn't cost you more than 20$ at most, and then wrap your bokuto's handle the same way a sword is. It isn't too difficult, it's quite fun, and the final result looks spectacular.

[R A Sosnowski]

I used the following recipe on several bokuto years ago:

1 part unboiled linseed oil
1 part tung oil
~0.05 part beeswax

Carefully combine ingredients in a double boiler and DO NOT BOIL - getting the beeswax to dissolve is the tricky part. This mixture is flammable.

Coat the bokuto with mixture after it has cooled a bit; let sit for 24 hours, then remove the excess.

Be sure to work in a well ventilated area while doing the mixing and the drying.

The results for me were very non-slip surfaces. In fact, I found one tsuka a bit too sticky for my liking.

I suspect that if I had not let the mixture sit so long that the results would have been more to my liking.

YMMV.

[Bruce Mitchell]

I've wondered the same. I have 3 bokuto, some are more slippery than others.

I'm certainly not interested in really wrapping, but have tinkered a bit.

One I treated with candle wax, which imparts an interesting finish and is less slippery. For another, I'm looking for non-slip tape of some sort.

Any ideas out there?

Thanks!
Take some 100 grit sandpaper to the tsuka and rough it up a bit, that should help prevent slipping.

[Bruce Mitchell]

Hi Ray,
I have seen that recipe before but have been to lazy to bother mixing it up, for regular type upkeep I usually use Howard Feed-N-Wax, which is a mixture of beeswax and orange oil.
http://www.howardproducts.com/feednwax.htm

[pgsmith]

I'm with Bruce. I've always used beeswax and orange oil on my bokken. Well, on the ones that I've bothered to worry about putting anything on. :) Might I suggest perhaps working harder on your tenouchi and shibori as a way to prevent slipping?

[Yonshakujo]

What you can do is get some tsuka-ito off ebay or so, shouldn't cost you more than 20$ at most, and then wrap your bokuto's handle the same way a sword is. It isn't too difficult, it's quite fun, and the final result looks spectacular.
You make it sound so easy..... I have a hard time tieing my obi, I may have to velcro it together. I can't imagine how long it would take to finish off the tie to my satisfaction. I have never seen that in Japan, was curious why someone doesn't sell them. On occasion I have seen non-slip tape on bokken used in various koryu that aren't interested in 'pretty'.


I'm with Bruce. I've always used beeswax and orange oil on my bokken. Well, on the ones that I've bothered to worry about putting anything on. :) Might I suggest perhaps working harder on your tenouchi and shibori as a way to prevent slipping?
Suggest away, as long as you don't send a bill afterwards. :wink:

That's not the issue. Sometimes when my training partner Lurch powers into my bokken with his jo I wish I had a safety strap on the thing to keep it from rocketing away. But I may settle for beeswax, it's probably softer than the candlewax, may well do the trick.

[Bruce Mitchell]

That's not the issue. Sometimes when my training partner Lurch powers into my bokken with his jo I wish I had a safety strap on the thing to keep it from rocketing away. But I may settle for beeswax, it's probably softer than the candlewax, may well do the trick.

ahhh... Then the trick is to oil his jo with something slippery.

[1stdan]

This mixture is flammable.


Oh My and you gave this advice to this group of maniacs. Beware the Flaming Bokuto.

[Bruce Mitchell]

Oh My and you gave this advice to this group of maniacs. Beware the Flaming Bokuto.
Or Flaming Maniacs!