making a shinai

[cameron]

do any of you people know how to make a shinai?
i have a lot of experience training with and making (mostly making) swords for martial arts groups in new zealand. i myself have never owned or even seen a shinai, and i'd like to know how to make one and have a detailed description of all the parts.
thanx in advance!!

(please, no-one reply with a smart ass comment that someone "can't just whip up a shinai", ok?)

[Neil Gendzwill]

http://at80.jp/shinai/shinai_kotei00.html

[KhawMengLee]

nice link Neil!

[qpuppy]

no offence Cameron...

It's great you do wanna try to make your own shinais... and other martial art groups.... but shinais are not as easy to make as you think. You can only make shinais out of bamboo.. and there about hundreds of different type of bamboos in the world.. but only a few types can be used. and treating the shinais (Boiling, cutting, drying etc etc) is a long process.
But anyway... great and interesting to hear someone to wanna learn to make a shinai. I too also would like to learn to make shinais.... I am a supplier in Australia for kendo equipment... but yet also very fascinated with shinai making. I hope to learn the skill some time in my life.
Just wondering... if you are able to make some shinai, I wonder if you could tell me.. and I would like to get one from you. Very interested in collecting one. :P

Good Luck

[KhawMengLee]

Yeah, I'm sure you are gonna hear how impposible it is to make a shinai but hey, if making shinai was easy, Hasegawa would be out of business:D

All else fails, maybe you could try an apprenticeship under one of the few remaining shinai craftsmen...preserve the art.

GOOD LUCK! GOOD ON YER MATE!!;)

MENG

[qpuppy]

OH YEAH BABY.... I would LLLOOOVVVEEE to take an apprenticeshipi making shinais and bogu... but yet... dont know how to speak Japanese.. and dont know who and where to go to... also.. not $$$ to go there.... :(

Well.. I can always dream.... hahahah.... :p