Home made shinai?!

[kawa]

Last night one of my kendo friend describes different weight and location of ¡°center gravity¡± of his shinai. He preferred shinai with center gravity between 3-4 inches from Tsuba. He was able to purchase those cheap made is China shinai and cut ¨ö-1 inches off Tsukagashira (end of shinai) to get the center gravity closer to Tsuba. I compare his modified shinai to my $75 shinai, to my amazement it felt almost the same! Of cause the quality of bamboo is different, but for $16.95 is not bad for daily Keiko.

Questions: Does anyone out there also do such modification? And if so, where is your preferred center gravity?

[Paburo]

kawa. my shinai has double tsukagawa so it weights around 560-580g. but, since the new weight has been added at the tsuka, the center of gravity was lowered in about an inch.
i don't mind the extra weight too much cause now i can swing the shinai faster.

i heard my sensei cut his shinai on the tip a couple cms to lower the center also. but i'm not sure about this :D : D