Prototype Bokken: Walnut

[shred_lord]

My first attempt at a bokken. Finish ain't great (tooling marks) but I've got enough walnut to make another and do a proper job with the geometry, then worry about the finish. However, the rather harsh flash on my camera really accentuates the defects and may not be showing it in it's best light.........


....
...

Geddit! :D

Ok, that was lame, I admit.

Oh, the tsuba is made from polymorph (http://www.maplin.co.uk/Free_UK_Delivery/Polymorph_35511/Polymorph_35511.htm) and it works out stable enough that a dome/ring is unnecessary.

The white bokken is fron 9 circles

http://x4.putfile.com/6/16515284865.jpg

http://x4.putfile.com/6/1651529389.jpg

http://x4.putfile.com/6/16515322316.jpg

http://x4.putfile.com/6/16515351183.jpg

Tooling marks. I may yet remove these even though it's a prototype.
http://x4.putfile.com/6/16515361146.jpg

http://x4.putfile.com/6/16515374271.jpg

Oh yeah, and an object lesson on why to careful with tools!

http://x4.putfile.com/6/16515381525.jpg

:rolleyes: DOH :rolleyes:

[tattooedasshole]

Nice one shred. How long did it take?

[shred_lord]

Cheers,

About 3/4 of a day or so. Probably take the next at a slower rate and take more care.

[crabbi]

Cheers,

About 3/4 of a day or so. Probably take the next at a slower rate and take more care.Hi shred_lord-San

Wow ! Excellent job there ! That is a beautiful looking bokken... how does it feel - balance-wise?

Congratulations...

Cheers

[shred_lord]

Cheers mate,

The balance is maybe half an inch futher from the tsuba than on my nine circles job (tape measure is in the garage so I can't be more accurate at the moment). It feels great in the hand, much nicer than white oak, though it is slightly lighter (but not much)

[Neil Gendzwill]

Looks nice, especially for a first effort. Never heard of anyone using walnut before, it will be interesting to see how it holds up. Kim Taylor has a useful evaluation of wood selection (http://www.uoguelph.ca/~kataylor/bokuto.htm#WOOD%20SELECTION) for bokken but doesn't comment on walnut.

[Old Warrior]

I had one made for me in cocobolo by Bob of Bob's Bokken's (really). It is exquisite and sits on my office credenza. Even my sabumnim thought it was excellent, but a bit heavy. I would rather pay the extra amount for the work of a skilled craftsman and get to admire the art of an expert.

[Neil Gendzwill]

I have a daisho of Amazon Bloodwood that Bruce Campbell made for me some years ago, they are my working weapons and gorgeous to boot. You can now buy his stuff through swordstore.com

[KhawMengLee]

Yo nice work Shredder!

Since you are in the UK you should call on Hizen Dojo and ask for a guy callad Fai/Frank Fung. One of the Hizen members does carpentry and touched up Fai's bokuto. He basically redid the grips and balance...its was real comfy. He also made a new bokuto as well and that was perfect...

You could get together and start making bokken for the world market;)

[shred_lord]

You could get together and start making bokken for the world market;)

Er... what can I say... wow!

Thanks for the praise guys. I'm off to buy a couple more tools on satuday to make the next one with (need more than a spokeshave, plane and stanley knife).


I would rather pay the extra amount for the work of a skilled craftsman and get to admire the art of an expert.

True, but there is undeniable pleasure in using something you've made youself.

[ukenagashi]

nice bokken. what kind of tools did you use? excellent selection of wood, i made 2 bokken from oak, it warps quite easily so its best not to use it, walnut doesnt warp so theres no worry of waiting for it to happen. hickory is a excellent wood to use, especially if its grade 7

[shred_lord]

Spokeshave
Bench Plane
Stanley Knife
Chisels
File
Sandpaper
Two part wood filler - only for making the mold for the tsuba

[ukenagashi]

did u use the chisel to create the mune part and carve the shape of the handle?

[SkippyDaStudent]

Looks great for a first try. Keep up the good work!

[shred_lord]

did u use the chisel to create the mune part and carve the shape of the handle?

No, just the notch at the tsuba.

[ukenagashi]

so you used the plane for the handle then? i'm not being funny about it i just wanted to know how you made that part just seeing if it was a different method

[shred_lord]

No problem.

I used both a plane and a spokeshave all major shaping depending on the grain and whether I want to cut towards or away from myself.

If I remember, I do a photo dairy of the next ones construction.

[ukenagashi]

good idea, what kind of wood are you planing on using next?

[ChaShu]

Nice job on the bokken shred-san! Is that the natural finish or have you stained it? Polish or varnish?