New bokken for beginner

[El Gringo]

Hi

Ive only been doing kendo a month, but i will need to buy a bokken soon. Ive just been looking on bokkenshop.com but am a little perplexed. You cant really tell from the pictures, but would it be better to get just a standard bokken? Also are the deluxe bokkens better balanced than the standard or do they just look better?

Just wondering whether its worth forking out the extra cash.

[nysamurai]

Gringo-san,

At this relatively early stage of your training, I recommned that you spare yourself the expense of a weapon from the bokken shop. I have several of their weapons, all of which I love. Some I train with and some I use for display at home. They have great bokken, but you can do just as well, or better, at any reputable supplier, such as eguchi.net, ebogu, etc. Good luck.

[indigo0086]

Hi

Ive only been doing kendo a month, but i will need to buy a bokken soon. Ive just been looking on bokkenshop.com but am a little perplexed. You cant really tell from the pictures, but would it be better to get just a standard bokken? Also are the deluxe bokkens better balanced than the standard or do they just look better?

Just wondering whether its worth forking out the extra cash.


I wouldn't buy the deluxe bokkens now, I would imagine some of them are just balanced differently and the lenghts are different. The dulxe models mainly revolve around kenjutsu style and schools that were known for using the types of swords. I would just go with a regular oak bokken from ebogu. Not even the kodachi set, but just the 1m long bokken.

[Akechi]

My advice is the same. I bought a 13,50 Euro bokken and is fair enough. The bokkenshop has special bokkens for several different schools of kenjutsu/iaijutsu. They have a differente balance but they aren't made for kendo kata but to train hitting hard bokken against bokken.

[tokon]

holá El Gringo,
spending too much money at the beginning of practicing kendo isn´t necessary.
but i can tell you my experience i´ve made, still being a beginner after almost 2 years of hard training.
when i started kendo a bought a bokken from kendoshop and paid for it € 15,-. i´m still satisfied with it. well it was my frist wodden sword (i´ve sanded all varnish off, and got it oiled with linseed oil), and it looks great. it has a wonderfull grain + shining, and no one can believe that´s the same bokken.
but now i have a white oak bokken from E-Bogu and paid $ 45,- for it. And it was the best decision i´ve made. the grip is bigger, so i can take it easier in my hands, and the balance is great.
a bokken has first to be usefull. spending too much money for it, won´t make me happy. it´s only an object of utility, nothing more nothing less. it´s a different case if you want to collect bokken ;-)

cu

[louisvandalen]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=47347&item=7106186197&rd=1

They seem to come in different colors, dunno about the wood, seems pretty hard (maybe to hard?).

Best Regards,

Louis

[LNGUYEN]

Forget e-bay, chose reputation supplier. I had bad experience with e-bay bokken. bought one before, first one crack, exchange for second one, warping, third one, too light, feel like sh.t. At the end cancel and got from eguchi, never have a problem at all.

[El Gringo]

Thanks for all the replys.

Think im gonna get the plain and simple oak bokken.

Thanks again:)

[louisvandalen]

http://www.bearwoodproducts.com/Laminated%20Bokken.jpg

A little expensive but..... A heavy bokken and a flexible one (by using the right wood for the core and lamination?).

[louisvandalen]

Forget e-bay, chose reputation supplier. I had bad experience with e-bay bokken. bought one before, first one crack, exchange for second one, warping, third one, too light, feel like sh.t. At the end cancel and got from eguchi, never have a problem at all.
Looked at the reputation, he seems to be a bit slow on shipment. No complaints about any bokkens. And he's been selling them quite some time now.

Best regards,

Louis