Kote Repairs

[olaf]

Hi Fellas:

Just curious - how often do you repair your kote? I don't mean completely re-palming the kote, but just patching up small holes, etc. I have a decent 3mm bogu set that's about a year and a half old (from kendoshop), and I seem to get holes in my kote (left and right, everywhere) every month or so. Maybe my shinai grip posture is to blame, but still...

And...how do you repair kote? Do you send it to a budo shop? Do you patch it up yourself?


Please advise!

[AlexM]

Olaf,

We practice at a University dojo and they pay to have rental kote repaired whenever they become too beat up to use (not one by one but in a batch).

We have it done at a place that does mostly hockey equipment repair (as in leather gloves and goalie pads). I'm assuming that a country that produced Peter Forsberg has this kind of store. This will probably run at lot cheaper than sending the pair back to the store to be repaired (e-bogu for instance charges an insane amount of money for this).
I have no idea how much repairing the kote costs the University but I can tell you that I had a pair completly overhauled (palms replaced, stuffing redone, etc.) for about 35$ CDN (that's maybe 20$ US). Keep in mind that I didn't have the palms replaced with deer leather (I can afford no such luxury). You can probably get a discount for bringing in more than two kote (D'uh).

Hope that helps.

[Neil Gendzwill]

I've got a pair of Koei's top-line 3 mm and I've just got the first hole appearing now after 5 years or so. I guess it pays to lay out extra cash at the start.

[rottunpunk]

just to divert the subject-but im curious....
i did my first session in bogu last week, and it wuz wicked btw

but henyways, i was using a club set, and was wondering if its meant to hurt so much when one gets it on 'te-or is it just me being a big girly

its just that, ive had shoet goes in armour before this date and i dont remember it hurting...just wondered

:p

[David J]

Depends on...

1) How good the kote ever were to begin with
2) How old and therefore how knackered the kote now are
3) How hard your opponent is hitting

If 1) they were fairly cheap 2) they're now very tired 3) s/he hits like a bastard, with no tenouchi, then yes, its gonna hurt, possibly lots.:eek: Club armour meets novice is worst case - decent kote vs decent partner - you'll feel it, but only at the time, no nasty bruises after. You can get kote protectors (discussed elsewhere in the forum) if you're really suffering

<rei>

Dave

[rottunpunk]

thanks dave

i dont think im suffering that badly, and i guess it helps with my focus-cuz it stings

i dont know how old they are, but they do smell lots
and it really hurts when certain peeps hit it but it hurts when the more senior peeps hit it as well, i guess they're just knackered in which case i cant wait till i get my own set (preferabley purple-with dragons on-that would be nice)

i have a problem with helmets being 2 big as well due to my small head-man im sounding like a moany cow...i shall stop now...

:p

[KhawMengLee]

i have a problem with helmets being 2 big as well due to my small head-man im sounding like a moany cow...i shall stop now...


Nope, safety first. If its too large get a men protector in there. There are many types from ones that are thin like a mouse pad to ones about 3/4 inch thick. My second MEN is about 1 size too large and I made it as such so I can get the thickest padding in there. I don't feel a damn thing...heh...except from a wayward yokomen.

Incidentally you can insert a mousepad in there and it will do the same thing. Try putting a folded tenegui first then the mousepad under there (keep adding until comfy and snug) and the men should fit nice.

You can also use a beer stubby holder as a kote guard.


i cant wait till i get my own set (preferabley purple-with dragons on-that would be nice)

I would like bogu set like that too but take a good look at your sensei's or sempai's weathered old kote and just imagine your brand new custom design kote will look exactly like that inside of 6 months.

I have seen some pretty beautiful bogu:
http://www.kendo-sanbu.com/

Like in the site above...I am drooling at the stuff this guy makes but is it practical. Are you willing to let some grommit bash away at a bogu worth the cash value of a car?

heh...still...I'd like one of those.

MENG

[Neil Gendzwill]

Originally posted by KhawMengLee

I have seen some pretty beautiful bogu:
http://www.kendo-sanbu.com/


That stuff isn't even particularily expensive, the most expensive set I found is 500,000 yen. Easy to spend 2,000,000 yen if you get same-doh in a top-line set. Although most manus are offering deep discounts these days, if you're paying list price you're paying too much.

[KhawMengLee]

yeh, just look at moribudo's top of the line catalogue...jeez...you could buy a good car with that money...