Frozen bamboo

[Nishi]

Okay,
heres a question for people training in Northern Europe and (Northern) North America.....

How does your shinai (and "DO") stand up to the extreme cold of winter and then the heat of summer?
Do bamboo products warp or crack in this climate?.....Is there a much shorter life expected?

Please feel free to add any advise or other related information.This year i will be moving to a harsher climate, and I can barely afford shinai as it is, and England is humid.

Arigoto

[sminki]

Not from one of these real cold countries, but my shinais do crack more often in winter. I do however think it's more attributable towards dryness rather than the cold weather itself. I think you should keep your equipment in room temperature envirionment as much as possible and make sure that the room is not too dry due to the heating.

[kendo_chick]

I live in Nova Scotia, and though it's not much colder then say New York and the like, I haven't had any problems with my shinai. As long as you keep it well oiled, then the bamboo will withstand a lot of abuse, even from something we can't control, such as the weather.

[Ostrak]

What about leaving the shinai in your car during the day? I'm just starting Kendo and I head out in the morning about 12 hours before practice begins. Will leaving my shinai (well-oiled) in the car during the day have detrimental effects or should I bring it inside with me?

[Nishi]

Has anybody in very cold enviroments ever cracked a bamboo do? Or how many shinai do you go thru in harsh winters and hot summers(per/year)?

[mkomoto]

More than the cold, it is the lack of moisture in the cold temperture days that renders bamboo shinai brittle and suseptable to splintering. Oiling the shinai is the best solution and will keep the shinai pliable and 'springy.' But ensure you allow sufficient 'drip down' time and that oil is not extruding from the fibers before you begin to use it on your partners. (As may change with temperature and flexion.) Makers use is a light, plant based oil during manufactuer of the shinai. Probably the most common type available 'round the world, is vegatable cooking oil. It can be wipped on, but this will not treat the interior surfaces. Therefore, soaking the (bare) bamboo pieces in a tube filled with oil is the best method. Bamboo-oil spray is also available in Japan, and is useful for small "tune-up" oiling of the shinai. I use this in usually humid Japan, in the dry months of winter. Also, storing your shinai in a humid area of the home will do much to keep shinai in good shape. I keep mine in, or just adjacent to, the bathing room. In any case, shinai should be kept out of direct sunlight, and should not be left in parked cars or other warm places.

Bamboo doh cannot be soaked in oil of course, and as the leather components are diminshed by saturation with water or oil, these must be avoided. However, a small moist towel laid inside during storage, or a glass of water placed adjacent to the interior surfaces of the doh, if kept in a cabinet, will reduce the dehydrating effect of cold climates. Taking care to avoid compressing the doh during storage of transportation will ensure its long life as well. Many use a stick cut from an old slat of a shinai, cut to fit the widest part of the back of the doh opening, as a brace against collapse during storage and transportation.

M Komoto
Chiba, Japan

[saki_wooah]

I'm from Quebec (extreme cold in winter and hot humid summer) and my shinai don't crack at all. I oil them once a month so they're not too dry. I use mostly sesame oil because it smells better than vegetable oil I keep them in my living room (about 10 to 15 C), but it's connected to our kitchen so maybe it's more humid... I think the best thing to do is to oil your shinai often!

[Nishi]

Hey Saki,
Would you say then that there is no need to be afraid of expensive "bamboo do" in your climate, or expensive bamboo shinai. Or, would you advise carbon shinai and "Yamato fibre do"?
I would hate to buy a luvly "60 piece bamboo do" and have it warp on me after 5 or 6 years because of the extreme temps, you know what i mean!

Yamae..............TSUKI

[Neil Gendzwill]

I'm from Saskatchewan where it can get -40C in winter and +40C in summer. I've had the same bamboo doh now for about 17 years and it's held up fine. It expands and contracts with the weather a bit.

We break a lot of shinai here but it's because of the dry climate. The Quebecois claiming a dry climate have no idea. You guys are positively soggy. Montreal winters are damp and moderately cold (but feel much colder because of the damp). Our winters are dry dry dry and really effing cold.

That said, I'd advise to let your equipment warm up before using it. If only because putting on a cold kendogi is no fun.

[amatsuda]

Maintaining moisture in the shinai is not only critical for longevity, but also for safety as well. If shinai dry out, they will become brittle and crack or splinter easily....

Oiling is good, but tends to make the shinai heavy...I have been told that oil can only assimilate into the bamboo at the joints..Anything sprayed or brushed onto the bamboo will only soak in so much...

so to soak oil deep into the bamboo, a cotton ball soaked in oil should be placed at the three top joints..

I prefer keeping the shinai moist by putting them in the bathroom once or twice a week while I take a shower...Also, when shinai are kept in my home office; especially in the hot summer months, I run a cool mist humidifier to keep them from drying out...

amatsuda
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/sjkendo