How to make a Bamboo Practice Sword ( Shinai ) That looks like a Bokken

As my first Instructable, I'm gonna show you how to make a Shinai that looks like a Katana. Mine turned out pretty well, and I hope yours will to. This Idea came to me when I saw valkiraun's bokken Instructable. Please enjoy, and don't bite!

Step 1 Materials

These are the materials needed for this project:

- Cloth
- Bamboo
- Duct Tape
- Sandpaper
- Saw ( On another Pic )

Let's get building!

Comments

[esmith5]

I really like this instructable, thanks. I'm gonna make one out of the bamboo that I found in the woods. Do you have any idea how I can make a hip sheath for this? That would make this much more useful for me.

[k_man93]

 did you quote the simpsons?

[~DaDawg~]

dang kid, you really got the buisness end of all these guys on here that supposedly know so much about bokken and shinai, yet they cant even understand the title of a tutorial for a " Bamboo Practice Sword ( Shinai ) That looks like a Bokken" i dont know how much clearer that title can get. Anyway, i got your back kid, and i understood it the first time i read it.

[Camisado]

Finally, a dude that can comprehend English. Lol thanks, I have a lot of other weapons posted up on my profile, such as my steel Tonfa pair and my homemade machete. Check them out and leave a comment if you can! =)

[corey_caffeine]

Shinai are made from four slats of bamboo arranged in a square "tube" with each slat forming one side, these are then tied and fitted with a suede grip, and a tsuka. This is most definitely not a shinai.

[wizard744]

u know theres not a peice of bamboo in tenneesse AGGH can you make a vid of you chunking a aluminum pipe thatd be cool 2 see me and my friends are in a laire group and i have a few questions 4 you so if you could get in touch with me thatd be great !

[spydyr]

You are wrong. At the TVA dam, specifically the Weir Dam, in Sullivan county there are several acres of 30 foot tall bamboo. Nice 2 in- 3 inch in diameter bamboo.

[Camisado]

Umm... Ok? If you have questions you wish to ask me, then please do so.

[azurelupine]

Luckily, there is a forest or 'stand' of bamboo about three blocks from my house, its about four or five acres deep, and the landowner lets me cut as much as I need! Yippee!

[huyhuyhuytae]

you can get bamboos in some garden store or dollar store

[Camisado]

I know.

=P

[crampedyogapositions]

what rank are you? i am a shodan in kendo and i think that this is the stupidest thing that i have ever seen...you know that they make curved shinai that are specifically shpaed like boken and they still have the 4 parts, please tell me what the point of this is?

[Camisado]

Cheap-arse Bokuto-like Shinai that you can make in a few minutes when you're bored.

[themaskedwolf]

Dont over sand as u will destroy the strongest part of the bamboo which is the outer shell of the bambo. sand down the Ring growths so that they are smooth with the rest of the bamboo.

[Camisado]

Thanks for the advice!

[chocowubbles]

I dont know what kind of bamboo you use, but the bamboo I have in my backyard breaks easily, not too good for swordfights. I guess my bamboo just sucks

[themaskedwolf]

Chocowubbles alot of people mistake Cane for bamboo they look simular and Cane is usually very flexible and is usually used for short time fishing poles in N. America. Bamboo is rarer and When u find it u will know it

[Camisado]

The bamboo I have is VERY tough. I can heavily dent an aluminum pipe using this practice sword.

[On the Warpath]

(removed by author or community request)

[Camisado]

Dude, I clearly said in the title, "a shinai that looks like a bokken". This is a bamboo sword meant to look like a bokken, not a real shinai. Real shinais are more tube-like in appearance and made out of split bamboos. READ THE TITLE FOR GOD'S FLIPPIN SAKES!

[DELETED_ironchopstix]

(removed by author or community request)

[Camisado]

For gods sakes, I know what a Shinai is. I clearly stated that this is a shinai that "looks like a bokken", not a traditional kendo shinai.

[DELETED_ironchopstix]

(removed by author or community request)

[Camisado]

I know, but this one just happened to be around the length of a katana. It's obviously a little long to be a Wakizashi way too long to be a Tanto.

[thoraxe]

hmmm.... what you should have done was !. Take a larger diameter piece of bamboo. 2. Split off 2 pieces that will be the length from spine to edge. 3. shape the two pieces to they come together at a point when put together, and a flat or rounded shape at the top. they should form a upside down teardrop shape.

[Camisado]

I know what a Shinai looks like. This is just an easier way to do it in which you can hurt your enemies more :P

[grimfig]

I don't understand how you kept the cloth to stay on the bamboo. Could you explain?

[Camisado]

As far as I can remember, it was either superglue, rice paste glue, or a non-visible knot.

[grimfig]

Ok.

[littletom34]

1. Shinai are made from split bamboo. This makes them a bit safer to use without wearing padding. What you made is more like a bamboo boken. Boken are intended to be used in armored sparring. Hitting someone with one of these could do some major harm.

2. Putting a pointed end on it is dangerous in the "you'll shoot your eye out, kid" category. Shinai have padded tips.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinai

[Camisado]

Sorry for the late reply, and YES, I'm with you. what I am making is more of a bamboo bokken. but I can't say 'Bamboo bokken' Because Bokken means Wood Sword. and bamboo bokken means Bamboo wood sword, and it's just.... weird.

[jeffconnelly]

FINE! i'll comment! lol!

[Camisado]

I get my bamboo from a bamboo tree..... there's a lot of trees growing near my house.

[Camisado]

Yes, what I mentioned is that there is a lot of bamboo TREES in my house. i didn't imply that bamboo is something or another thing

[tjboling]

uh actually, Bamboo is a grass.

[jeffconnelly]

That's pretty cool. where do you get your bamboo? the only stuff I have is for staking plants up with!

[Camisado]

Please comment! Constructive criticism is fine, but don't bite!