Bob's Bokkens

[Ren Blade]

Has anyone bought a bokken from this guy?

http://www.bobsbokkens.com/

I'm curious to the quality of his products from anyone who had experience with him and his weapons.

[Raiza]

Despite the plethora of new members who seem content to start a new thread instead of bothering to SEARCH the archives, I'm presuming you've used the SEARCH option in KW forums first before creating this thread or any other thread. And holy cow, there's a Boston kendo thread right here. I used the trusty SEARCH option, by typing in Boston and kendo. It works really well! I'd highly recommend it!

Things I noticed from the Bob's Bokken website you've provided...
1) He's displaying the bokken backwards.
2) Hickory's pretty light. If it was so darn heavy why is it so light and agile for me when I (try to) use my niten kenjutsu set, something that demands a light but tough wood? I don't understand. I'm confused.

This place is legitimate, North American and the prices are pretty good too. They've got some nice bokken. The shiro kashi (white oak) bokken is ideal for kendo no kata because it doesn't chip like the red oak ones do. They even have a lovely shiro kashi bokken in a plastic saya for iaido beginners. You can use that one for kendo no kata too if you don't use the saya.

Check out e-bogu.com, eguchi.net, and a host of other reputable companies for other kendo goodies for sale. There's a wealth of information here at KW, so please SEARCH around to look for the info you want. Can't find it? Then ask us. Taking the time and patience to look around first makes it much more worthwhile when we take the time and patience to answer your posts.

[Musha]

Aren’t people just so friendly in this forum .

Any way I do not see much wrong with Bobs bokkens but being traditional I do not really like that site too much.
There is the Japanese way of thinking of martial arts, as a cultural activity that helps you better your self in life or carry on from another family member.

Or some western ways of thinking, collecting 100s of the most deadliest weapons that have nice names that you can tell people about. Bobs bokkens seems like one of these things .

'IMPORTANT NOTICE:

The buyer/user assumes all risk of injury or death associated with the use of these products in any contact sport; must be at least 18 years old to purchase weapons.' 'Buy one of BobsBokkens and be a real man! '

'I had a Bokken when I was 16 and Nunchakus, girls of 7 years old in Japan have bokkens, even my mother even has one .'

Any way I my self like E-bougu and http://bokkenshop.com/ that sent me some Niten ichi ryu bokken in about one week from Kyoto Japan. Remember a bokken can last you a very long time so get a good one .

[Halcyon]

Things I noticed from the Bob's Bokken website you've provided...
1) He's displaying the bokken backwards.

actually, that's a perfectly legit way to display a bokken/katana.

there are two ways you can display a katana in a rack, or katana kake:
1) omote (front: the handle to the left): this method of display does not allow the swordsman to grasp the saya with his left hand and quickly draw the blade, so it was usually used by people of high social rank.

2) ura (back: the handle to the right): this allows combative readiness for the above reason and hence was preferred by warriors.

as gorden warner and donn draeger note in their book "japanese swordsmanship": "A discerning visitor might instantly understand the combative atmosphere of a warrior's residence, or the lack of it, as indicated by his host's mehtod of sword display."

[Ren Blade]

Thanks everybody for the advice and help. Much appreciated.

[Dan Shea]

actually, that's a perfectly legit way to display a bokken/katana.

there are two ways you can display a katana in a rack, or katana kake:
1) omote (front: the handle to the left): this method of display does not allow the swordsman to grasp the saya with his left hand and quickly draw the blade, so it was usually used by people of high social rank.

2) ura (back: the handle to the right): this allows combative readiness for the above reason and hence was preferred by warriors.

Halcyon, I'd even go a step further as to suggest something I once read as well about the proper display of the sword.

Sword collectors who do not have an intimate bond to the sword they are displaying present the sword omote. A student of the way displays the sword ura to represent his spiritual bond with the sword and to show that the owner and the sword are bound together as students of the way.

It is considered not only bad form, but bad karma to display a sword improperly (i.e. - students should display ura, collectors omote)

If you really want to delve deeper into this a student of the way should consider getting his sword blessed by a shinto priest when he first takes possession of it. Swords are often commissioned to commemorate the birth of a son/daughter or the purchase of a new home.

Anyway, thanks for the info Halcyon and I second the SDK site as a good place to purchase quality bokuto.

[Hai_hai]

...2) Hickory's pretty light. If it was so darn heavy why is it so light and agile for me when I (try to) use my niten kenjutsu set, something that demands a light but tough wood? I don't understand. I'm confused...

Hickory is actually a very dense wood which is why it is used in wood stoves. Light woods are used to start a fire and heavy woods are used to keep a fire going. How strong hickory is? I don't know.

[hybrid]

Has anyone bought a bokken from this guy?

http://www.bobsbokkens.com/

I'm curious to the quality of his products from anyone who had experience with him and his weapons.

Bob makes really awesome stuff... i bought three (3) bokken from him. His products are very unique and stand up very well to the rigors of my dojo training partners....they cost a bit more..but are similar quality if not better than the Bujin stuff.
I will buy from him again !

[steliosk]

Bob makes really awesome stuff... i bought three (3) bokken from him. His products are very unique and stand up very well to the rigors of my dojo training partners....they cost a bit more..but are similar quality if not better than the Bujin stuff.
I will buy from him again !

Do his bokken come with a shoulder for a tsuba? A leather tsuba would look nice on that cocobolo bokken...