Is it worth it to invest in this much?

[Telko]

Talk about buying in bulk, scroll down this page and you'll see what I mean: http://www.ninecircles.co.uk/Wooden_..._Keichiku.aspx

So do you guys think it would be worth while to invest in a bunch of shinai, because I was thinking how it'd be nice to have extra shinai and not have to worry about buying some for a while, but what do you guys think the pros and cons of this would be?

[verissimus]

It makes sense to buy in bulk for your dojo. For oneself, not so sure. Personally, it would be a headache to store all of them at home, and then I'd have to deal with possibility of decreased lifespan if the bamboo dries.

[Cailin Coilleac]

Verissimus makes a very good point: every shinai you have in storage will require maintenance or at least a proper storage spot. Else they're just going to dry out and become unusable. Our dojo does buy in bulk from Nine Circles, but that's because we know they'll get immediate use. Either our newbies will use them in class, or our members will buy them from the dojo.

Personally, I never have more than two shinai at my place.

[MikeW]

Depends on what you mean by bulk. If you are talking about the 4 pack and you practice a lot its not a big deal. If you're talking a 25 pack its likely overboard. As mentioned previously it also may depend on your storage. My shinai I have inside my home which is fairly temperature controlled and not too dry. If you oil your shinal to prevent drying out with storage a 10 pack may be reasonable. I typically have anywhere from 2 -6 shinai around the house (plus old franken parts) and have not noticed a problem with life span of any given shinai.

[b8amack]

What Mike said.

[NigelSponge]

Don't forget, you might want to try a different brand of shinai etc. but if you buy in bulk you're kind of stuck with that particular shinai for quite some time.

[neanderthal]

Don't forget, you might want to try a different brand of shinai etc. but if you buy in bulk you're kind of stuck with that particular shinai for quite some time.

i agree with this point very much.

ive alsorts of shinai from carbon graphite to oval handle to different weighted ones and ones with different grips. unless youve found a really good shinai for you id buy them piece by piece to try them out and notice the slight difference each have. it may work out a little more expensive. but wait until you find your favourite shinai and youll be glad!!!

[rfoxmich]

If you need that many shinai for yourself you also need to understand why you are breaking so many. MSU we do bulk purchases often from Nine-circles...because the U.S. branch is in East Lansing so we can even pick and choose.

[Badtz-Maru]

I buy four at a time from Nine Circles (Gunryu). Lasts me about 6 to 8 months, but that's because I've been practicing 4-5 times weekly. Under normal circumstances, I practice 3 times and the four pack will last me up to a year. This is, of course, with rotating parts as they break.

Buying any more than that in a dry climate is not a good idea unless you store them properly and it's not even worth that trouble with all the great vendors at tournaments as well as online. It's not like back when I started Kendo in the 80s when it was very difficult to get any equipment.

[Not_Yoda]

Once you know what you like, you buy a few extras. I buy in 5's for consistent node spacing. Also, I switched to all madake bamboo shinais and use light mineral oil (light, not regular mineral oil) weekly. They cost more, but last a LOT longer in my experience, so it's worth the upfront cost to not have to mess with them. I have a single Sankei Bushin I've been using for well over a year with almost no splinters (only a couple as thin as human hair). It almost looks like the staves have compacted together to be stronger? They pretreat their shinais somehow that make them last a lot longer, but they're not cheap...