How to Make a Japanese Bokken

Step 11 Dedication

I dedicate this to Master Eric Johnson, who has taught me the beginning steps of the bokken. He is the founder of the Tien Tae Jitsu martial arts system (www.tientaejitsu.com)

Comments

[mae]

hiya, im just starting with kendo, so as i dont see any information about shinais, could you tell me if its possible to make one bokken lighter than normal?? (problably with another kind of wood of something?) i just want it for training at home (i borrow one for class) so i dont mind if it doesnt look real enough (just b safe). Thanks for your advices, you did a great job. x x

[Bodygard1117]

you can rout out some of the hardwood from the middle of the blade before you put it together and fill it with pine or even balsa. Ive seen it done on pool sticks and they take a pretty hefty beating.

[TTF]

For light weight wood, I suggest using pine. It will get dented up, but still be useful. You could also cut away the center wood on this design. It would be a bit tricky, but possible. A good medium weight wood is alder - strong, but lighter. Best of luck!

[TTF]

Yes, you can make a lighter one from a wood such as pine. It will get dented a bit, but should work well for practice. Also, pine is very easy to work with if you are new to woodworking. Best of luck / ganbate kudasai

[WurdBendur]

Do you think drilling holes into or through the blade and handle would reduce the weight enough and not make it too weak?

[DELETED_ironchopstix]

(removed by author or community request)

[WurdBendur]

That's what I figured.

[ryanator]

nice pic (wissle)

[WurdBendur]

lol

[finfan7]

first of all; light enough for what? and secondly, that depends on wood type, grain direction, whether it is made from two pieces like the one in this instructable or one piece like a normal one, and also on its intended use.

[WurdBendur]

I was referring to the post above about making it lighter for kendo. I don't know how light it would need to be or what kind of construction would make it work. I was just trying to suggest that putting some holes in it could make it lighter while noting that it would weaken the blade.

[finfan7]

I see your intent now. It is an interesting idea but kind of counterproductive. If it is for single training then heavier is better because you get more exercise and it would be closer to the weight of a real sword. If it is for sparring then the last thing you want is a bokken more likely to break . (splinter+eye=very very bad) And although lighter can be a good thing, if it is too light relative to that of your partner then you will be able to move faster but it will be harder to block anything you cannot sidestep.

just to sum up this whole sequence:
you can (faster, looks kooler)
you shouldn't (breaks, breach in tradition, and not enough excercise)

[Clodester]

Just a note, a bokken are made intensionally heavy, or at least heavier than a true katana in order to train the individual to be over qualified so to speak. The idea being that if you are skilled with a weighty piece of wood, you'll be more than proficient with a light strip of carbon steel.

Lighter alternative would be bamboo which is often used for practice swords

[Camisado]

To quote you:

just to sum up this whole sequence:
you can (faster, looks kooler)
you shouldn't (breaks, breach in tradition, and not enough excercise)

I agree on most of it, but I don't think drilling holes to a Bokken makes it look " kooler ", to me it looks more like " garbage " :P

[finfan7]

You are allowed your opinion. I made no claim that everyone would think it is cooler, only that I thought it might look cooler. I wouldn't do it because I am a stickler for tradition in the martial arts. If you don't think it looks cooler don't do it. There is no need to make a comment with the specific intent of insulting me. We on instructables encourage constructive criticism among Makers and proffesionals, not baseless insipid conjecture from children who don't like others' opinions.

[Camisado]

Heyheyhey, I'm not insulting you in any way, I'm just voicing my opinion. If you like your Bokuto drilled, then you can do it for all I care, I'm not insulting your opinion, I'm just voicing mine.

[finfan7]

Your word choice displays a disdain for my opinion, which would be why I took offense. But it's okay.

[Camisado]

Good. I'm glad we both understand.

[zhangspievolgen]

 Is it possible to make one from a one-piece wood block?

[taji kato]

man that is awesome!!! i tired making me one.. but it tuned out not what i expected.. is there a way i cazn buy it from you?

[CrazyKnife1]

first off for everyone here, DIY bokkens rock, but the best bokken in existance is (in my opinion) the cold steel bokken. I got one to test its strength and it just wouldent break, metal, brick, plywood, none could harm it. If you prefer renesance style i have made a longsword, and though it doesn't have an instructable there is a slideshow look up wooden sword then find mine by name. I need coments and would gladly take "constuctive criticism"

[lukeroot]

Cold Steel's bokken is a sort of plastic isn't it? It's much more rewarding to have, and use, wooden bokkens. Learning the different types of wood, and how different handmade bokkens feel is a great experience. Don't short yourself out of it by only ever investing in the Cold Steel version.

[Riann13]

you has made skillz ^.

I congratulate you

[Musashi Miyamoto]

where did u get the bekken u modeled ur own on??

[TTF]

It is just a standard one out of the century martial arts catalog.

[jason289]

Nice thx and i have got to make one.

[Musashi Miyamoto]

sorry i meant Bokken

[Stick4444]

Where did you get your tsuba?

[flyingdom]

Ive held a bokken before, AND ITS SWEET. BTW eliboom, I saw your sword...

[eliboom]

DOM!! CHANGE YOUR NAME thats my name i made it up like 5 years ago its my history_{, dont make me whip out my sword on you...}

[eliboom]

its nice i got a wooden sword kinda like this like 4 months ago but instead of a bokken it was a one handed renesance type sword its really nice, the finish looks like the bokken cause of its glaze

[Knock on Wood]

Very nice stained finished product.... Where can i see more elaborate ones?

[blazing Ang3l]

as you get to the tip it kinda curves funny, but other then that it's pretty cool the two shades of wood look brillient