New shinai

[Sentunim]

I just got my first shinai, now im at home. What do i do with it? As in care, and where should i store it?

[hyouriittai]

I'm not sure what type of shinai you've, or where you'd got it from, but over here, there are only a few places where I can pick up shinai, and they're usually the untreated (and overpriced) kind. I have to buy mine at either this Japanese market in downtown Portland, or this giftshop at the mall that sells untreated chokuto(sp?) shinai for probably $30-35. (Also, when I asked for a shinai, the guy cocked his eyebrow at me, and was finally like: "Oh, you mean THIS. It says on the tag.. 'kendo stick." Well excuse me for my ignorance, right?)

Anyways. What I first do when I get mine is disassemble it (takes alot of practice to get it back together -- or atleast it did for me, so unless you're confident, you might want to consult with your sensei first.) The after this, I carefully sand down (not too much) the sharpe edges on each stave, so that when the staves slide against one another easily, and don't get caught. I was told that this avoids splintering that occurs after continuous use. After this, I treat it with oil (usually 1 part lemon oil, 3 mineral.)

I made this containe rout of thic PVC pipe with one end sealed using a PVC cap and some sort of plastic adhesive, and the other end equipped with a cap you can twist off. I forgot how much of the oil concoction I put into the tube, but it was just enough to submerge nearly all of the staves when you turn the tube on its side. I'd leave it on its side while I went out or to school or something, and then turn it over when I got home, letting it sit over night.

When I got them out (which involved a task much like the arcade "claw" games that are nearly impossible to win), I wrap em up in an old sheet. Once they're fairly dry, I put the thing back together.

Eh, don't take what I said for gospel, because I'm sure someone will pop into this thread, and point out that I did something I shouldn't have, or didn't do something I should have.

[Sentunim]

Do i have to soak the stalves or can i just coat them say with a brush or something. Also, i read somewhere else on this forum about 70% baby oil and 30% vegetable oil or olive oil. I'm going to use that mix, as someone else vouched for it apparently unless they were being sarcastic.

[Sentunim]

BTW it is just a round handled bamboo shinai (size 39 i guess) and do i need to put the staves back in a particular order?

[Sentunim]

oh my abve the jin node, there is a crack in the surface of the bamboo (i know it had to come like this because i havent used it yet) should i tell my dojo?(thats where i bought it)

[Halcyon]

BTW it is just a round handled bamboo shinai (size 39 i guess) and do i need to put the staves back in a particular order?

yes, it's better if you do. when you take the leather handle (tsukagawa) off, take a magic marker and label each of the staves 1 through 4. then you'll know in which order to put things back.

by the way, if you happen to crack one of the staves beyond repair, don't throw out the whole shinai. just throw out the cracked stave. get a nice collection going of 3-stave shinai, and eventually, you'll be able to salvage a stave that generally fits the bamboo knuckles of another shinai. ... then you can create a 'franken-shinai.'

search the forums for advice on that when you get to that point.

[Sentunim]

yes, it's better if you do. when you take the leather handle (tsukagawa) off, take a magic marker and label each of the staves 1 through 4. then you'll know in which order to put things back.

by the way, if you happen to crack one of the staves beyond repair, don't throw out the whole shinai. just throw out the cracked stave. get a nice collection going of 3-stave shinai, and eventually, you'll be able to salvage a stave that generally fits the bamboo knuckles of another shinai. ... then you can create a 'franken-shinai.'

search the forums for advice on that when you get to that point.

Well my main concern is the crack on the shinai that came with it. Should i fix it, get a new one or what?

[hyouriittai]

Do i have to soak the stalves or can i just coat them say with a brush or something. Also, i read somewhere else on this forum about 70% baby oil and 30% vegetable oil or olive oil. I'm going to use that mix, as someone else vouched for it apparently unless they were being sarcastic.

I think you can just coat it with a brush, because that's apparently what most people do. I didn't know, though, and I just did what was instructed by my sensei. I think most oils are fine, as long as they are absorbed well by the bamboo. I was suggested vegetable and olive oil, too, as lemon oil can get to be expensive.

[Sentunim]

Thank You.

[Yzakj]

How big is that crack on your shinai? Any crack or splinter can be dangerous, not only for you but the people you are practicing with. Just be sure to always check your shinai for hazards, as these can injure people.
Also, if you take apart your shinai, are the staves sort of rounded off at the sides, or are they at a sharp angle. If they are at a sharp angle they will rub against eachother and cause friction, as well as causing dangerous splinters. You should round it off by sanding it, and then oiling it with whatever oil is prescribed to you. Be sure to wipe it off when you're done too.

[Yzakj]

Also here is an online Kendo equipment manual, it is quite good, my sensei gave it to me in printed form. But here is the online address.

http://www6.big.or.jp/~budogu/book.html

Click the area near the bottom right, under the pictures of the manual, that says "The English version is here".

[Sentunim]

The crack is H shaped and about 2 cm long on both verticle sides, about 1 cm long on the horizontal line. Its just on the top, like a shell ripping off.

[Andoy]

Most shinai (even the nice ones) need to be disassembled, sanded down, and oiled before use

1: disassemble shinai staves (keep track of the order of the staves)
2: sand edges. this reduces friction thus slowing down wear and major splintering.
3: oil it. I wouldn't recommend using vegetable oil because it's heavy and if you over do it, then your shinai will get soggy and heavy. i would recommend using light sewing machine oil. even if you go crazy, it's more forgiving than vegetable.
4: let staves absorb oil
5: reassemble
6: enjoy. (be sure to rotate you shinai every couple of practices)

[souljah]

Also here is an online Kendo equipment manual, it is quite good, my sensei gave it to me in printed form. But here is the online address.

http://www6.big.or.jp/~budogu/book.html

Click the area near the bottom right, under the pictures of the manual, that says "The English version is here".

Cool, just what I was looking for.

Thanks

[Eldritch Knight]

The crack is H shaped and about 2 cm long on both verticle sides, about 1 cm long on the horizontal line. Its just on the top, like a shell ripping off.

That crack shouldn't be a problem. Run your fingers over it a couple times - if it feels rough, then its fine, but if it splinters or feels pointed, then you need a new shinai. If the crack is very minor, then you can probably file around it (use the blunt edge on a pair of scissors) to smooth it out. Keep watching it, though: its better to replace a shinai than to make amends for the damage that a sharp piece of broken wood can do.