8mm?

[neko kenshi]

Ummm, I was looking at an 8mm set of bogu from www.bogubag.com (http://www.bogubag.com), set s-3. will this set work for a beginnner? here's a pic: http://www.bogubag.com/Bogu/Machine_8mm/S03_L.jpg


here's where the info is, set s-3
http://www.bogubag.com/Bogu/Machine_8mm/machine_8mm.html

Thank you for your information!!!

[taganahan]

it won't protect you that much. better buy a 4mm for a start.

~taganahan

[Kent Enfield]

That's a set for small children, like 6 years old. At your age, pretty much ignore anything on that first page of bogu.

[Masahiro]

Try bogubag.com's newest machine stiched combination. "GX30", I think it would be very nice to have a set like that for a 15 year old new kenshi! Good luck,

[neko kenshi]

Oh, thanks for telling me! What about the G-17?

a picteure: http://www.bogubag.com/Bogu/Machine_5mm/G17_L.jpg

from: http://www.bogubag.com/Bogu/Machine_5mm/machine_5mm.html

I'm on a very cheap budget, I don't have any income, lol. So I just need one that will last me a few years. Will a 5mm work for me? One more thing, Is it possible with bogubag to mix and match from sets? My parents have graciously offered to help with buying the men, so I thought I'd try to get a slightly better men. Thanks for your advice!

[Masahiro]

I am 99% certain that bogubag.com offers their clients the freedom to mix match parts from different sets. G-17 will probably last you a good 728 hours of practice time. (that's 728 hours in the bogu) So consider the following questions and then do some more research. Don't rush with an investment like this. How many hours will you practice a week in bogu? and how long do you plan to do kendo? When's the next time you will have money to buy another set of bogu? Who will you be practicing with? Students(over 18) tend to hit harder than younger students. (hint hint) That's just a few things you really need to sit down and think about. Again, I recommend the GX30.

[nodachi]

Bogubag definitely lets you mix and match. You'll just have to talk to them to see how it affects pricing.

And a 5mm set will last awhile until you gradually save up to upgrade pieces bit by bit. At least that is what I hear, a 5 mm is good enough for a starter set for most people.

[DanDan]

if you have a low budget, it might be a better idea to buy korean made bogu. it's a lot less expensive.

[grasshopper_r2]

Check out E-bay there are people selling bogu all the time. Sometimes you can find a really nice set cheap. I try to pick up sets for the Dojo when I can. Just be sure to check out the sizes first. If not, you haven't lost anything. Cheap bogu isn't the RITZ (per say) but it will get you started. Just take care of the cheap set and it will last you a while. You can always buy a better set later. I've been doing Kendo 17 years+ in cheap bogu, it will encourage you to not get hit, that's for sure! This year I bought a nice set (2mm e-bogu), and I think my wife was more excited for me than I was for myself. Anyway, get what you can there is always time for better bogu later and who knows, your could grow,gain weight, or decide you don't like Kendo in the future. If you get the cheap set you won't be out a lot of $$ and you can sell it on e-bay for what you paid for it..you will be amazed what people will pay for ratty bogu on e-bay. GOOD LUCK now get your bogu and start hackin!!!

[[Kensei 剣の聖者]]

the bogu bag material looks rele cheap....

[Neil Gendzwill]

The GZ-17 set from bogubag is on sale, it's a very good value and will do just fine as your first set.

[nodachi]

']the bogu bag material looks rele cheap....

I got a cheap 5mm set from bogubag because I'm poor :)

It's holding up well after a year or so. You need to remember that you get what you pay for, no matter where you buy if from. I would recommend bogubag to others because they've been pretty good to me. And as I said, even my cheap set is doing well.

[[Kensei 剣の聖者]]

yer but dont u think saving up for longer and not getting bogu is a more efficient investment because good bogu will last longer and be of higher quality

[DanDan]

just get korean bogu...u can get a 3mm set for $360 from e-kendo or w/e. (i would reccomend 3mm instead of 4mm or 5mm cuz it has leather inserted in the men so it'll protect better. that's y it is $100 more than a 4mm set. it's quite worth it.) and they offer nice do colors too. it'll be a lot more protective than an 8mm set...

[eon]

I agree with everyone suggesting to buy a korean made bogu for starters.
Almost all the kenshi in my dojo have korean bogus and all are very happy with them.
You'll soon outgrow your bogu anyway if you're a teenager so imho it's better to get a cheaper bogu that has decent protection and medicore durability (since you won't be using it for more than 3 years anyway) than a low protection one that you can't fit into after a year or two. That way you'll get most protection for the time you can spend in your first bogu.

Look in places like www.e-kendo.com (http://www.e-kendo.com) and www.kendoshop.com (http://www.kendoshop.com)

[Ryukyu]

While I'm not disagreeing with everybody who says to buy Korean bogu, you can't compare one manufacturer's 5mm with another manufacturer's 3mm set.

One 5mm set can be better than another's 3mm set. The difference is often the quality of materials used to make bogu. This is part of the reason that it's difficult to decide.

Another thing to consider is customer service. I can tell you from personal experience that if there is any problem with your order, that Robert Stroud at Bogubag will make it right.

[neko kenshi]

Is there a disadvantage to korean bogu at all? Is it just as good as japanese? Why is it so much better to have lower stiching other than just how long it will last? Because if I'm only using it for like 3 years or so, can't I just get a 5mm korean with a somewhat better men? Thank you, everyone, for being so helpful!

[neko kenshi]

One more thing, If I do decide to spend that much money, would it be better to get a 5mm from bogubag, or a 3mm from kendoshop? Sorry to post again.

[neko kenshi]

Make that 4mm from knedoshop, that's more equivalent price, Thanks again.

[Masahiro]

from here on, you should search this forum for the "millions and billions" of threads about bogu stich discussions. Not everything will drop from the sky! Good luck,

[neko kenshi]

Oh right! Sorry, that was rude of me. Sorry for wasting all your time before searching. Thank you for pointing me in the rihgt direction. And thankyou for the advice you've given me already!

[kanyil]

It's actually quite normal to have these sorts of questions about bogu, many ask the same questions when looking for a second bogu as not many people on this board will have had the chance to try on more than a few bogus in their kendo career.

Why not start with LNguyen's thread "Short review of your bogus" (http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showpost.php?p=17922&postcount=1) for some general information?

I personally found kendoshop to be good value for money, and their customer service is quite good and responsive. You can always upgrade to a better, more expensive set later.

[ISSAC RU]

I think u should look at the material of the bogu instead of
the mm stitch..
like 3-5mm e-kendo , e-mudo , kendoshop
(korean bogu shops)
they all use cow leather as their material for men and kote.
i personally tried cow leather materil kote b4..
it is very bad after u use for half year when the sweat soke into the
leather..
but when it happens to deer leather..it stays in the same quality.
If you buy bogus set from ebogu..they all use deer leather as
their matrial.
and korean stitching quality is not as good as the Japanese ( ebogu ,
eguchi , bogubag). from my personal use..

[drizzt]

you must have gotten some bad quality cow leather, we use it for saddles and bridle tack that gets soaked on sweat and water, and lasts years.

[drizzt]

although bogu isnt exactly the same thing........it sounds like you got hold of a synthetic injected leather, it does do that BAD

[ISSAC RU]

I am just saying deer leather is better than cow leather.

[streetcleaner]

and korean stitching quality is not as good as the Japanese (ebogu, eguchi , bogubag). from my personal use..

hi bro! ;) as far as i know e-bogu is totally korean supplier. and nearly all low and mid end eguchi and koei (bogubag) bogu is korean too. japanese labor costs is very high. so its not about country (the koreans has the same hands as japanese), its about quality and brand.

[DanDan]

^so...it's like u how could go out and buy white socks w/ the adidas symbol on it and it'd b more expensive than if u just bought a pair of regular white socks?

[Masahiro]

No, it's more like. Which would you rather buy? a BMW coupe (3 series)? or a Ford focus?

[neko kenshi]

hi bro! ;) as far as i know e-bogu is totally korean supplier. and nearly all low and mid end eguchi and koei (bogubag) bogu is korean too. japanese labor costs is very high. so its not about country (the koreans has the same hands as japanese), its about quality and brand.
I don't know about the others, but bogubag is japanese. Thanks guys! So most of you are saying that korean bogu will work, it just won't last quite as long. Right? Thanks alot! What if i bought a really cheap tare, a pretty cheap do, semi decent kote, and a decent men? lol. Do you think that would be cheaper than buying a 4mm bogu? Thnaks again!

[taganahan]

just buy what you can afford with your money. if you can get a more decent bogu compared to a 5mm then that's good. all bogu will last long with proper care. but then again, there's the unavoidable factor of wear and tare...sp?...which means that the bogu's life period is shortened. everything works out though cause for example if you bought a $500 bogu, which will assumably last for about 3-5 years, it will cause you around 45 cents a day for 3 years. less than a coffee/coke a day. if you still have trouble deciding, then i bid you good day.

~taganahan

[streetcleaner]

I don't know about the others, but bogubag is japanese.

bogubag is american! not japanese or even korean. a-me-ri-can!

p.s. bogubag is reseller of _koei_ (japanese compane) stuff. koei sells his own stuff - mostly japanese (the S series bogu and hand made bogu, afaik) and the stuff from other reputable company, which koei carefully select. so you can buy really good koei machine made set s22 (which is _mostly_ japanese) or you can buy less expensive koei set (which is _less_ japanese) but has koei brand behind it. koei looks for quality and stands behind his stuff. it is reputable company. hope you understand what i mean?

[Masahiro]

I don't know why I am doing this. Maybe it's because you are one of the most polite 15 year olds I know of. Anyways, my advice are as follow, you don't necessarily have to follow them. They are just for your reference. Buy a yamatoh or synthetic doh (the shape should hold for a long while), a pair of kote with deer leather palms, cheap tare, and a men with adequate men buton material/stich that will provide very good protection against hard men strikes. It's a pain in the ass to install a men pad inside your men by yourself later on. The tare you choose should be light and flexible. the kote needs dear palms because it will cost you the price of one cheap kote (not a pair, just one) to have your kote palm replaced. What will you do when you send your only pair of kote in for repair every 18 monthes? You would have to buy a back up pair then. And what's the total cost/price for you not wanting to buy a good pair of kote to start with? More than the price that you should have paid for a good pair to start with! Lastly, be sure to provide them with the utmost accurate measurement of your body(of course, bare in mind that your body will grow continuously in the years to come, whether that be horizontally or vertically! hahaha) As for the doh opening measuremet, put your gi and hakama on and give them (bogu maker) the length of your back (roughly where your belly button is, if not a little higher) plus 2 horizontal fists measurement. You can look up more details about doh width on chibabogu.com's website. Good luck neko!

P.s Call Mr. Stroud, give him your budget and ask him by phone what kinda mix combo he can offer you. Also check out e-kendo. They have the best price for now.

[neko kenshi]

Thank you very much, that was very helpful! Thanks everyone again. Sorry to have bothered you before doing adequate research.

[Ryukyu]

Thank you very much, that was very helpful! Thanks everyone again. Sorry to have bothered you before doing adequate research.

Well, seeing that there are 3 pages to this thread, it would seem that a lot of pepole don't mind responding to this question anyway.

Good luck!!

[kanyil]

I noticed Mitsuboshi has brought out a new line of 8mm bogus, which was advertised in the latest edition of Kendo Nippon. I believe this 8mm version will be marketed through Chibabogu shortly. Interesting to see how this will turn out.