Custom Bokuto

[Big John]

Hi All - I am trying to find the best place to get a custom made bokuto made from exotic wood (cocobolo or ipe etc). I live in the UK but the weak $ means that I am happy to order from the US. I think that the bokuto is a thing of beauty in its own right. Who can you recommend - which wood? Thanks all.

[Migoto]

I have made them in both Cocobolo and Purple Heart. Cocobolo is very heavy. It is strong and can be sanded to a very fine finish. It has very beautiful grain and color. And will likely last a lifetime, but I have heard that it will darken as it ages and may turn black over a very long time. If you use carnauba wax it will preserve the color or at least slow the darkening process. I would recommend it but it is heavy. It would be good for bokken to bokken contact and suburi. It may not be good for kata practice and demonstrations and testing as control may be difficult. And I would not like to get hit on the head or wrist with a bokken made of Cocobolo.

Purple Heart is a bit lighter and has more open grain. It will stay in your hand better when you start to sweat. And if you heat the bokken in an oven or with a heat gun you can get a great dark purple color. It’s great for control and with the deep purple color looks great for kata testing.

I use the Cocobolo for suburi and most things, and use the Purple Heart for Kata.

I would like to recommend making your own bokken.

[Hattori Hanzo]

kinda beyond my price at the moment but this place has ike

http://www.bujindesign.com/

[Paul Kerr]

Try Artha Gallery or Bokkenshop.

Bokken shop have an enormous selection of styles and also will do custom work. A friend of mine has an ebony bokken from Artha Gallery which is one of the best custom bokken I've ever had the pleasure of swinging.

Hope this helps.

[steliosk]

Try Artha Gallery or Bokkenshop.

Bokken shop have an enormous selection of styles and also will do custom work. A friend of mine has an ebony bokken from Artha Gallery which is one of the best custom bokken I've ever had the pleasure of swinging.

Hope this helps.

Do you mean one of those Artha Gallery bokken with the dragon carved on the tsuka? Do you know how the transaction went with that, seeing how Artha Gallery is in the Philippines?

[Paul Kerr]

It, thankfully, didn't have a carved dragon on the handle! It was one of the smooth versions. Since it belongs to a friend, I have no idea how the transaction went I'm afraid though I didn't hear anything to suggest a problem.

[Big John]

Thanks for the advice. As I am new to Kendo I could do with some advice re shape and weight. I want a traditional looking/shaped bokuto but in a nice wood and made by a skilled craftsman. Thanks.

[tango]

big john,
if you're looking for one for practice, don't worry too much about it right now..
they're all pretty standard, although some are maybe heavier than others.. some might be fatter (read: wider) than others.. but the shape and length are standard.
it doesn't really matter.

for kendo, there are more important things for which to save your money than a bokken.

..like... umm.. gosh, i dunno... like BOGU...

so take your 20-Euro and get a regular bokken and don't worry about it. forget about the stupid bokken... you're just starting out and you just need a bokken that will get the job done (i.e., kata and maybe suburi).. that's it.

just my opinion. i really don't mean to sound harsh or anything.. if you want a nice bokken, go for it.. but if you really want to start off kendo right, i don't think you really need to worry about a nice bokken. get a good shinai instead...or save the money for bogu..
the thing is, you can't do KENDO with a bokken.. only kata. kata is fine, but... hopefully you see what i'm talking about..

sorry to ramble..

[Big John]

Fair call and you're probably right but the money is not really an issue. I might wait a month or 2.