A hand-guard tsuba ( 鍔) is then fitted on the tsuka-gawa before it ends and the bamboo slats show. This is held in place by a rubber ring tsuba-dome ( 鍔止め). PostPosted: Fri 13 May, 2016 6:52 pm Post subject: Sokojikara Katana Review Report this message Reply with quote Edit this post We believe in helping you find the product that is right for you. TrueKatana carries wide variety of products, If you are interested in bamboo katana, So you can compare and shop!

In kendo, it is most common to use a single shinai, sometimes called itto style. Some kendoka choose to use two shinai. This kendo style is usually called ni-tō ( 二刀), a style that has its roots in the two-sword schools of swordsmanship such as Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū. A ni-to combatant uses a long shinai called the daitō ( 大刀), which is usually held in the right hand, and a shorter shinai, called the shōtō ( 小刀), which is usually held in the left hand. The holding position can be switched, however, with the daito in the left hand and the shoto in the right. The daitō is shorter and lighter than a shinai used in the itto style of kendo. Specifications for shinai used in kendo competitions that follow the International Kendo Federation (FIK) rules are below.

Functional Hand Forged Bamboo Stick Swords

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Sizes and style of shinai vary. For example, an adult may be able to use a shinai that is too heavy for a younger person, so shinai with different sizes and characteristics are made. Shinai are available in many styles and balances. A shinai should not be confused with a bokutō, which has a much more similar shape and length to a Japanese sword and is made from a single piece of wood. However, both shinai and bokken are used in kendo. We also know that personalization is in the details, so we offer many different bamboo katana derivative series like scabbard(saya) has antique golden scabbard, camo leather scabbard, snake scabbard, cyan scabbard etc. Handle(tsuka) has syan cord handle, green cord handle, antique brass cord handle, blue cord handle. Blade has t10 tool steel, silver damascus steel, 9260 spring steel, purple blade, double edge sharp, gold printed blade and more ... As always, our swords not only look like high quality swords, they also have quality of design, fit and finish that is not readily visible, like our 10" nakago with two mekugi to insure that the blade stays secure in the tsuka. The slats of a shinai are usually made from dried bamboo. Some may also be treated by smoking them, or soaking them in resin. Shinai slats are also made of carbon fibre, reinforced resin, or other approved alternative materials.

Some schools cover the entire bamboo in the sleeve and add a tsuba, like Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū does. In Shinkage-ryū, the sleeve is lacquered Kamakura Red, and rather than covering the entire length, is tied off at the non-split end. This particular kind of fukuro-shinai is also called a hikihada ( 蟇肌), or toad-skin shinai. The name comes from how the leather looks after lacquering; the sleeves are actually made of cow or horse-hide. Shinai are weighed complete with leather fittings, but without tsuba or tsuba-dome. The full length is measured. Maximum diameter of the tsuba is 9cm. Sokojikara developed the Bambusa with the serious swordsman in mind. Master smiths painstakingly hand forge every Bambusa blade, and seasoned sword artisans carefully handcraft each tsuka and saya. From vigorously hammering the formless, molten steel to gingerly tapping in the tiny wooden mekugi, every step in the Bambusa's construction receives the utmost care and precise attention to detail. Some of the world's - and history's - most revered, time-tested techniques are employed, and every material is top-of-the-line. A quintessential example is the Bambusa's potent T10 tanto blade. One of the most sought-after high carbon steels in modern swordcraft, T10 alone would yield a blade with a nasty bite. But the Bambusa takes it a step further, enhancing the blade with a time honored differential hardening technique called “clay tempering.” Unique to traditional Japanese swordcraft, clay tempering was developed centuries ago by Edo-period smiths and is integral to the katana's longstanding, well-earned reputation as the sharpest sword on earth. A T10 blade may have a “nasty bite,” but a clay tempered T10 blade like the Bambusa’s is nothing short of devastating. And the “devastation” persists, battle after battle, cut after cut… A shinai ( 竹刀) is a Japanese sword typically made of bamboo used for practice and competition in kendo. Shinai are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently from kendo shinai, and represented with different characters. The light, soft wood used in a shinai distinguishes it from other wooden swords such as a bokken, which is generally made of heavier, sturdier wood. Originally made of Manchurian Rail steel, the Bamboo Katana is now made with a superior folded Swedish Powdered steel for added beauty and toughness. The Bamboo is a larger sword with moderate niku ("meat to the blade") creating an excellent sword for more difficult traditional targets.

The shinai comprises four slats known as take ( 竹), which are held together by three leather fittings: a hilt (tsuka), or handle wrapping ( tsuka-gawa ( 柄皮)); a fitting at the tip ( saki-gawa ( 先皮)) and a leather strip ( naka-yui ( 中結)) that binds the four slats. The parts are all secured with a string ( tsuru ( 弦)). A shinai must be properly taken care of or it can pose a danger to both the user and the people around it. Shinai should be inspected for splinters and breaks before and after use, and maintained in a manner considered most appropriate by one's style, dōjō, or sensei. The earliest use of a bamboo weapon to train with instead of a sword is credited to Kamiizumi Nobutsuna (1508-1572?) of the Shinkage-ryū. The modern shinai, with four slats of bamboo, is generally credited to Nakanishi Chuzo Tsugutate (died 1801) of Nakanishi-ha Ittō-ryū. [1] [2] The shinai was developed in an effort to reduce the number of practitioners being seriously injured during practice, making a practice weapon that was less dangerous than bokutō ( 木刀), the hard wooden swords they were previously using. This is also the motivation behind the development of bōgu ( 防具), the armour that protects the kendoka. Many people believe that oiling and sanding a shinai prior to its first use, and then periodically during use, can greatly extend its life. However, some disagreement exists on what is considered proper shinai care.In kendo competitions that follow the FIK rules, there are regulated weights and lengths for the use of shinai. [4] Table A. FIK Specifications for competition use of one Shinai (Itto). Bamboo is a popular theme for Japanese sword mounts as it represents both strength and flexibility, qualities highly prized by the Samurai. The nakayui is tied about one-third of the length of the exposed bamboo from the tip . This holds the slats together and also marks the proper kendo striking portion of the shinai, or datotsu-bu ( 打突部). The handle is wrapped in real ray skin. The tsuba, fuchi and koshira are all cast steel. The menuki and shoto-dome are brass. The blade has a real and beautiful hamon, but it is not as polished and pronounced as on other swords.I have not removed the tsuka to look at the tang, but the sword is double pegged, and judging by how far down the second mekugi is, I'd say it's substantial. The habaki fits VERY tight in the days. The koiguchi is of water buffalo horn, and the kurigata is of the same wood the saya is made from. I'm not sure what the wood is, I would guess maple...? The sageo is a polyester material and of a proper length to secure the sword in your obi for iaido practice. When not in use, shinai used in kendo practice should be either laid on the floor or leaned vertically against a wall. Some instructors require the base ( kashira) of the handle ( tsuka) on the floor and the tip ( kissaki) leaning against the wall. In kendo, the shinai is treated in the same way as a edged or bladed weapon, like an actual metal sword, and competitors are trained to think of it as a dangerous instrument if misused.

Find sources: "Shinai"– news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( July 2011) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message) To properly inspect a shinai, one first examines the area around the datotsu-bu, inspecting all sides of the shinai for splinters. This is very important, as bamboo splinters can easily cause injury. The saki-gawa should be intact and the tsuru should be tight so that the saki-gawa does not slip off the end of the shinai during use. In addition, the nakayui should be tight enough as not to rotate easily. Inserted between the ends of the slats, under the saki-gawa, is a plastic plug saki-gomu ( 先ゴム), and under the tsuka-gawa there is a small square of metal chigiri ( ちぎり), that holds the slats in place. Sokojikara's raw, earthy "Bambusa" Katana is inspired by the noble bamboo plant. “Bamboo?” you ask. “What does a mundane, weed - little more than panda fodder - have in common with a rare, custom-quality handcrafted sword like the Bambusa?” The answer: unmatched strength, incredible affordability and value, ideal weight and near-endless versatility, to name a few. There’s more to the common bamboo plant than meets the eye. Among both natural and manmade materials, bamboo is one of the strongest on earth, as proven in countless scientific trials. This unassuming “weed” withstands compression better than concrete and boasts greater tensile strength than steel, all at a fraction of the weight and cost. Similarly, theres’s more to the Bambusa Katana than meets the eye, though - unlike its namesake plant, the bamboo - this traditional Japanese samurai sword is beautiful, eye-catching and no doubt impressive from the very first glance. Many of Bambusa’s greatest treasures lie beneath its striking visual facade, and some - like clay tempering - are even altogether intangible. Just as engineers continue to unearth new uses for bamboo, there are always new treasures to discover in the Bambusa Katana. This distinctive traditional Japanese samurai sword is an infinite swordcraft goldmine, never ceasing to yield rich sword-wielding experiences from the moment you first grasp the tsuka. We also offer a tanto with fully matching furniture should you want to form a matching set (daisho). And as is true of all of our swords, each sword is carefully hand inspected for defects in workmanship and functionality before being offered up for sale.The word " shinai" is derived from the verb shinau ( 撓う), meaning "to bend, to flex", and was originally short for shinai-take (flexible bamboo). Shinai is written with the kanji 竹刀, meaning "bamboo sword", and is an irregular kanji reading.