Keeping Shinai is good condition

[CUDALAX21]

Are there any techniques or tips you all can give me about keeping my shinai in good condition?

[yangs]

Oil it everytime after practice. Pour oil (any kind, dunno which one is the best so...) on the gap between your shinai pieces. And just use a tissue papper to spread it out. Then just leave it.

[Migoto]

Before every practice rotate the leather parts 90 degrees clockwise around your bamboo. So the wear on the bamboo is even on all four sides. Soak bamboo in baby oil for minimum three days before using. Keep oil from getting on leather parts. Use wire brush on leather handle to keep leather from getting matted and slick. Using the wire brush will keep leather soft and help it absorb moisture. Sand down sharp edges on bamboo to prevent splinters and breakage. Think safety first and check your shinai every break in practice.

[CUDALAX21]

Awesome guys thank you very much :) this is why i love forums :)

[orryn]

another good tip is to take it apart and oil from inside...there is no laquer there so the oil penetrates deeper. You should also sand the edges of each individual staff then rub a candle on the edges..the wax seals it and keeps the edges from splintering.

[Bleda]

Cuda are you Allen or Danny? Or maybe Amanda, c'mon fess up i know you go to my dojo.

[forbidden]

Hi all
If your shinai breaks, is it normal to use the leather from your old shinai, on your new one?

or

Do most people actually like the fresh leather on the new one they buy ?

[Mitsurugi_xx]

Hi all
If your shinai breaks, is it normal to use the leather from your old shinai, on your new one?

or

Do most people actually like the fresh leather on the new one they buy ?
ya man, it's fine to use old leather on your new shinai.. just gotta make sure it fits, don't want to use big leather on thin shinai. it'll just twist in every direction. I order bamboo only so i can save money.. why buy something that you already got right? but if you like that new leather feel.. then go for it =)

[CUDALAX21]

Cuda are you Allen or Danny? Or maybe Amanda, c'mon fess up i know you go to my dojo.Nah dude i'm not any of those lol. which dojo do you go to?

[Bleda]

Yaiquimi sensei isn't your sensei?

[Emchen]

Are there any techniques or tips you all can give me about keeping my shinai in good condition?
I'm from the very top of Europe, so we've got lot's of experience in oiling our shinais (the weather is too arid for bamboo here).

The best oil is the kind that dries, like linen-seed oil. Baby oil and paraffin oil are very thick, are absorbed more slowly into the shinai and do not dry. You can more easily add weight to your shinai by using them, but I'd recommend linen-seed oil.

Do not use food oil, like olive oil, margarine etc. We often have people coming in who tell us that they've smeared those all over their shinais. Food oil goes bad after a while. Your shinai will smell weird and the effect might not be what you hoped for.

Open your shinai regularly and check the staves for cracks and splinters. They usually start on the inside (at least mine do). You can get a shinai knife from the bougu dealer most conveniently located to your wereabouts. It's good for removing splinters but any sharp knife will do. You might also want to even the edges out with sand paper.

When you are too busy to oil your shinai (the drying process takes time, you don't want to smear anyone's bougu do you), you might also want to try just making it wet. Wrap it in a wet towel for the night (without the leather parts) and reassemble it in the morning.

If you break a stave, you can also try replacing the broken stave with another. When you train long enough you'll find that there is a huge pile of lonely staves in the corner of your room. This is what we do, since we live far away from Japan and it's not that cheap to just buy a new sword everytime you break one stave.

[Kendo ISB]

Sand your shinai if its got cracks. Oil it to keep it clean and good. moisturize the leather so it does't snap during practice.

[Stimpson J. Cat]

moisturize the leather so it does't snap during practice.
This is the first I have heard of this. What should you do to moisturize the leather?

[kilic]

Can i find an illustrated guide about shinai maintenance on internet? Sometimes it's easy when u see the pictures. :)

[Cheese_Man]

This site has lots of helpful references and how toos heres the section for the shinai : http://www.kendo-usa.org/reference/firststrike.htm