Introduction: How to Make a Bamboo Practice Sword ( Shinai ) That Looks Like a Bokken

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About: Hey there. I'm a huge fan of video games, particularly sanbox titles like Grand Theft Auto IV. I also like games that are emotional in nature and can make me experience a wide array of emotions, games like He…

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!

Step 2: Cut!!!

Cut the bamboo. I prefer a Katana-Styled edge ( Well, at least it's meant to be a Katana edge, 'till I realised it looks more like a Ninjato's edge ), but it's up to you. The length of the sword is also up to you. ( I prefer one of those medium-length swords ( Like a not-too-long katana or a wakizashi )

Step 3: Making the Handle

For the handle of the sword, I first wrap it around with Duct tape, and wrap that with cloth. i doubled it because I want a nice, thick handle, and i don't have enough cloth to keep wrapping in around 'till it becomes quite thick. If you have enough cloth, then just screw the tapes. Putting lotsa cloth works better. I can get the cloth to stick using superglue or even better, rice-paste glue. If you want the handle to look good, apply the glue neatly.

Step 4: Sanding

After you're done with your sword, sand it using Sandpaper so it becomes smooth. it will also clean splinters.

Step 5: Done!!

Have fun training with your new sword! And remember, although this is a Bamboo Sword, it is by no means harmless. It can still severely injure or even kill people if handled with stupidity. It is a very good training tool though, it rarely ever dents ( I'm not sure if this thing can even dent ), and it's incredibly sturdy. I used this when sparring with my friends because they look pretty good ( for me anyways ) and is just about as durable as a Bokken and very easy to make. I managed to make good money selling these to local school bullies, because " it's usable for fighting and it's sturdy, and if it breaks, you can just whip it up for us in less than an hour. Nice job, dingus! ", as the bullies said.