Shafted!

[etherknot]

I've noticed that the two naginatas I'm sharing currently have a slight taper in width along the length of them (ie: slightly thinner near the ha end and slightly fatter near the ishizuki end). Is this common on all of them or do you have one that is consistantly the same width?
Also, I got handed one today that was considerably lighter than the one I was using. I didn't like it nearly as much. Any thoughts/preferences on weights of these things?

[R A Sosnowski]

etherknot wrote:

I've noticed that the two naginatas I'm sharing currently have a slight taper in width along the length of them (ie: slightly thinner near the ha end and slightly fatter near the ishizuki end). Is this common on all of them or do you have one that is consistantly the same width?

Yes, the taper is common. However, as the E-bu makers have recently been making them thinner, the taper has become more noticable. It is quite noticable in a shipment of Naginata E-bu I got in May. It is less noticable in ones I got 5 years ago, and in a batch of loaners I have that are 20+ years old.

Also, I got handed one today that was considerably lighter than the one I was using. I didn't like it nearly as much. Any thoughts/preferences on weights of these things?

Not surprising, E-bu vary greatly in density, hence E-bu of the same dimensions can be of different weights. In general, in North America, I notice that the males go for the heavier ones, and the females for the lighter ones. This is because guys tend to use upper body strength, rather than the finesse of coordinating arm motions with hip rotations generated from proper stepping. I have seen Japanese women who are in their early 70's wielding Naginata that make me "afraid."

The regulations call for a Shiai Naginata, Ha-bu plus E-bu, to be a minimum of 650 gms.

I use a maximum length Shiai Naginata of 2.25 m. My problem has been that the general thinness of the E-bu (after all, they are gauged for the hands of Japanese women) allows my large hands to over-grip. Two years ago I picked up two special order E-bu from a woodworker in Ontario, Canada. He produced two fine specimens; however, I am told that it is difficult to do this consistantly. The E-bu is hickory, I believe, with properties similar to Japanese "white oak" except that it is a bit less dense. These E-bu are a bit beefier than the Japanese imports to bring the weight up to spec., given the slightly lighter density, and a better fit for my hands. Send me a PM if you are interested in contact info.

My principal instructor, a Kyoshi in California, who saw these E-bu when I received them, has approved their use after I added the Ha-bu and the leather Ishizuki (which she generouly supplied to me) to make complete Shiai Naginata. They are my primary practice weapons now.

With the overall lightness of the Shiai Naginata being a real problem for me because of the lack of inertial feedback, I have a custom-made, all-wood Kata-style Naginata, which is approximately combat weight, that is, the weight of a real live-blade Naginata, that I use for Suburi practice to build up muscle memory for the needed motion. This is analogous to using a heavy weight Suburito for Kendo and Iaido training.

HTH.

[etherknot]

Wow! Thank you for the most informative and detailed response! :)
Interesting to hear about the "evolution" of the taper. I am still curious to know why it keeps on developing as such. Perhaps because the ha-bu end is now much different than it was a very long time ago when there was an actual blade. Yet, does it make sense to change one side of the naginata? I don't think it would make too much of a difference in terms of centrifugal force.
I have a feeling the fellow you mention in Ontario is actually Kim Taylor of Sei Do Kai. I emailed him about a month ago to see what he would charge to ship one of his kata naginata's across the country to where I am and it was very reasonable.
I also agree with you about the weight. I seem to like the heavier ones as opposed to the lighter ones. But while I have the lighter one to borrow for a week, I have been practicing with it on my own. And yes, it does seem a bit easier to maneuver with (although less satisfactory to not hear a swish while slicing men).
Also pleased to hear that you are happy with hickory. I was thinking of some other alternatives to oak and hickory would probably be it. One of my friends suggest pine but I think it would be much too knotty to use.

I'd still like to hear from the rest of you on this!

[R A Sosnowski]

You're welcome. :)

I have never heard an explanation for the taper, :confused: but I think that it has to do with the physics - a tapered E-bu brings the center of mass closer to the Ishizuki end, which is compatible with how we use it. :)

Aside from hickory, ash is another fine wood to use. That custom-made, all-wood Kata-style Naginata I mentioned has an ash E-bu and a natural rosewood Ha, and they are mated with a long swallow-tail joint. I don't know of anyone advocating anything other than hickory or ash as natural wood for serious contact weapons here in the West.

American white oak is different from Japanese "white oak," which is not an oak at all; the wood grain of white oak is more porous, and so it tends to splinter easier. :(

BTW, pine is not a hardwood; its properties exclude it from serious use as a wood for contact weapons.

Kim Taylor's website has a fine description of various woods; he is indeed the maker of my E-bu. :D

Regards.