Added: 4 years ago
From: ReiMonCoH
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  • i'm pretty sure it's pronounced "Bo-ken". The "bo" being pronounced like "box"

  • Clear, instructive, irrespective of sound issue "Pah... If you want to Rich you will take the time to listen"... I have learnt Kenjutsu, Iaido for around 10 years. Ex army - I prefer clear and concise...

    "Watch,listen,pick ya wood and go make your own bokken"

    Great Job Rich! thanks :)

  • I'm sorry, I know the audio is bad. I prefer to use Impact Grade Hickory for Bokken. The blanks I produce are grain correct and kiln dried down to about 12% MC.

  • Could you please tell me what kind of wood is the best you say!!! please i don't understand it well!!! :(

  • the last quote made me smile. my friends dont get why building is so important. or just making or assembling any thing really.

    it would be nice to see a bokken with a maroon or red whine color on it.

  • You know Wally, I could get a comment like yours every day.... And that would be JUST FINE. Thank you fog the kind words and I hope that bokkens serves you well for many years to come. I'll assume you're in the Navy. As an old Army guy I would take a minute and just say Thank You for your service.!

  • Your videos are great! I used your methods to make a bokken and was very satisfied with the end result- all thanks to your detailed instructions. In fact, I actually made it in an office space onboard an aircraft carrier with only hand tools- proof that you don't need a workshop and can do it absolutely anywhere! Thanks for sharing your techniques!

  • quality too good.

  • u look exactly like my friend exept hes prob 14 rite now

  • How did you get the curve on the piece of wood?

  • @NutcaseGGC ..I dont bend the curve, i carve the curve. se my video CARVING NOT BENDING

  • @ReiMonCoH

    could you put a link to get there???

  • Well.. Yes. Strat with the best piece or "blank" for your wood working project and it will, no doubt, end up better.

    Most of my Impact Grade Hickory Bokken Blanks are, in fact, Shagbark Hickory and as often as possible are Latewood. Absolutly. That combo of density and flexability is Ideal for this application. I work with a Wholesaler that let's me have the pick of the lot as the 5/4 roughs come out of the kiln.

  • how would and impact grade hickory compare to dymondwood?

  • I made a shoto out of Lignum Vitae wood. Not the most flexible wood around, but it certainly is one of the hardest wood a person can find. Very hard to find though.

  • i also wanted to know. would a 2x4 appalachian (sorry for spelling) hickory be sufficient for making a practice sword out of?

  • I’m glad you asked that, It’s something I’ve wanted to comment on. There simply is NO SUCH THING as Appalachian Hickory. This has been a marketing tool of a well known weapons manufacturer for a long time. Not a Bad Thing, but, when I talk about Impact Grade Hickory suitable for weapons making, I’m talking about 4 distinct species of Hickory (see the site at ensobuki.com for details). And though there are plenty of other species of hickory, there is simply no such thing as “Appalachian Hickory”

  • @ReiMonCoH so i read some things on your site. but i want to know when i go to home depot for example, and i ask for hickory. what specification of hickory should i ask for? i mean i understand the mesurments and all but im talking about the wood itself as i dont want to to be pecan. would i ask for impact grade hickory?

  • @ReiMonCoH

    If you read carefully, they say their wood is carefully selected for grain. I'd say it was probably "latewood" shagbark or pignut hickory. The species probably has little magic, and the "terroir" probably makes all the difference in a dense piece of hickory with very straight grain without knots. Start with a random piece of hickory and YMMV. Choose the best wood for the woodworking project and get results.

  • @aphor.. well...YES. all you said is very true. the terroir ( i guess i never had what is commonly a term used in growing french wine applied to bokken carving before) is certainly important. The Northeast US, with our Very cold winters is ideal for slow growing Hickorys with Latewood, or sections with very tight grain.

  • i had a question. is it cheaper for me to make my own out of hickory or would it be cheaper to buy one? thank you i need good quality but im not exactly the most finacially suited for an 80 dollar wooden sword

  • @xStrife011 there are a whole lotta sites out there that will sell you a bokken for less. I offer blanks at the ensobuki.com site for those interested. but keep in mind, those who buy blanks from me usually know that to buy a custom training weapon can cost $150 to $225 +. I got into carving my own because, frankly, i couldnt afford that much, But i wanted a premier weapon to train with. if you check out your local phone book you may very well have a hardwood dealer in your area.

  • @ReiMonCoH yeah see iv bought 3 bokken and i have one that just wont break and it keeps destroying the others. im not sure about its wood type but i would like to make my own. so would home depot sell hickory or even white oak do you think?

  • What's a 'bow-ken'?

  • @renegadedaemon its a yellow bird. with a yellow bill. it sits out on my window sill

  • "Hello I'm rich" lol lol ;)

  • You bent the wood you self right? If so, did you just soak it and put a weight in the middle.

  • @dogongood No bending required. see my Vid on CARVING NOT BENDING for details

  • Is it possible for you to send me one? I would like to see it and try to learn how to make one. Nice video by the way. 5 - Stars

  • @n1vekx9 Yes, no prob. Blanks can be ordered through the website. ensobuki.com under the Hickory Blanks tabs

  • Appreciate these videos. Thanks much!

  • Thanks for taking the trouble of making these videos! Great advice regarding grain and wood choice. You are spot on. I'm an experienced woodworker who is going to make swords like this for a friend for the first time. May I respectfully suggest the spokeshave as your carving tool of choice? Much nicer than a block plane for shaping. Thanks again!!

  • @wcwirla - Your very welcome and thank you for the kind words. I agree w you about the use of a good spoke shave. In fact I have a great Veritas concave spoke shave and also their Chair Devil scraper set. I didnt show their use on the vids only because I was trying to keep it basic. $100 and $150 specialty tools kinda step outta that basic thing, but if you got um.use um..! Just Too many folks make Way too big a deal over making their own weapon. All you need is a $20 Block Plane.

  • @ReiMonCoH - I totally agree with you. Those Veritas spokeshaves are sweet and worth every penny, but I love the concept of a $20 block plane, a $5 rasp and a pair of leather gloves. It's man versus wood. It doesn't get more basic than that. Great stuff!!

  • @wcwirla -- Ha Ha,,,MAN Vs. WOOD! And Both Win. Thats why it go's So well with Aikido practice. Evrey body Wins....!

  • man just show how to make the sword, you talk to much, video fail

  • @lordcapucino - Since they dont meet with your approval, your probably correct.. these were all probably a waste of time and i should take them down.. Or perhaps i should of consulted you first so i could have done them correctly. Please dont hesitate to make it a point to correct me just as often as you see fit. I wouldnt want to continue going through my entire life doing things wrong. is there ANY WAY i can make all this up to you?? Please??

  • @ReiMonCoH LMFAO dude, you're my hero for that one.

  • GOOD INFO

  • awesome ive got a piece of hickory from a failed bow making attempt that would be ideal for this.

  • Great series here mate, I am thinking of making one too actually, might order a nice blank from ya. :)

  • imaked a bo staff and a sword sheet..now i want to make this

  • I'm very new at woodworking and im making a bokken using this video and the help of my teacher. is cedar okay for a practice wood?

  • Cedar certainly carves nice,,thats why they use it for pencils..but i wouldnt hit anything w it. For a striking weapon not really the best choise of wood. Certainly OK for Kata work. Often times if I have practiced bokken several times during the week in Aikido class my elbows get sore and i will practice with a much lighter weapon

  • Comment removed

  • You're talking out of your ass dude... Please stop.

  • Now Ive deleted his comment...Im sorry i did that. He had something to say, He was wrong, but i sould have left it. My intention w the Vids and the Site was to bring together like minded individuals..Certainly on HIS vids he has plenty to say..perhaps MORE then is worth while. But thats not for me to say

  • It says his comment was deleted by author. Meaning he deleted it, not you.

    I wouldn't worry about it. Your vids are very informative and worth watching. His comment was ego driven.

  • Thats inspiring... i bet... a self made bokken... anyday. Merci beaucoup.

  • bad audio... but thanks anyway :)

  • hey ReiMonCoH could you show us how to make a katana sheath/scabbard?

  • Well, no. To be Honest Ive never made one

  • i made a big Bokken i ues wood forme a tree i made it by eye i ues it ko a rock

  • Hi I was just wondering do you still sell bokken quality lumbers? I sent you an email. thanks

  • in this one did he say now to bend the wood?

  • No..I dont bend wood. with a grain correct blank there is no need to bend the curve, just cut it

  • Great video, but the sound gets rather annoying. It keeps clicking.. Or is that just my audio?

  • its not your audio it is clicking

  • OSU!

  • Excuse me :o I am a 12 year old and I am planning to do this for a project do you think I can get it finished in a week?

  • Yes... but i will tell you that your first one can be a bit frustrating, so dont be in a hurry...a week might seem like a long time for a project like this, but after planeing for an hour you'll see that a little bit at a time ism the key to a good result

  • Haha okay thanks :o The teacher just told me today I have a month now :) I hope mine will become good looking

  • your rich i am poor

  • HA HA...i am certainly not Rich...ok, i am Rich, but certainly not wealthy. And since making a bokken only requires a $20 block plane, rich isnt really a requirement.

  • Hey guys. Can anyone tell me... Do I need a licence to own a bokken in Victoria, Australia?

  • Do you need a license to own a stick ? If not, you should be ok.

  • hey buddy I am from West Australia what type of wood would best suite a bokken over in my neck of the woods, so to speak

  • wow.. im sorry but im just not familiar with species of trees in Australia. Certainly a good maple is always good. If you would like Hickory, I ship internationally.

  • im from sa i wud say red gum or sumthin stronger

  • this video inspired me and i just made one today its not great but its not bad, thanks

  • Dont feel bad if it's not great...it's a STICK, they ALL Are. Make it, then Break it. REMEMBER, the best bokken you'll ever make is probably the NEXT One... and besides, YOU Made it. It's Your's. Not because you paid hundreds for it, but because you have seen the value of carving your OWN.

  • How much do you sell one of these pieces of wood (can you tell me multiple types available) for?

    And how much for an already cut bokken?

  • have you ever thought of using laminated wood for the bokken..trust me, i have one and it shatters everything in its way...

  • About Laminated Bokken. I have had then in the past. I have nothing against them, but i dont them. I have found that things that can give WILL give. things that cant give, WILL break. Two things that i dont want happening on the mat. 1)i dont want to feel the shock EVERYtime weapons clash. 2)i dont want to break (shatter)everybudy elses bokken. not cool. A grain correct weapon lasts longer and feel better. it has give. In Aikido evrybudy lives, and all weapons survive. im happier that way.

  • in our school we train realistically. not everyone lives in real life....granted, the days of sword duels in the streets are over but might as well train realistically or not at all. wouldn't you agree? even in hand to hand, in a real life situation ONE will win and make it home, the other wont. i wish everybody DID live and all weapons survived, but that is just not realistic.

  • did u buy curved wood

  • While i absolutely do see your point, in 25 years of Aikido classes nobody has died yet. My point wasnt really about violence, it was really more a point about a particular courtesy in the class room. shattering everything in it's way is not required to learn this weapon. a proper bokken can cost hundreds of dollars, and nobodys going to want to train w you if you continually break and Shatter their training equipment. In REAL life I go home every day and kiss my wife. I hope to do this everyday

  • crap, i'me very interested, but the sound quality is terrible. keeps bubbling.

  • honoki works well to

  • Honoki? looks like somebudys been surfing the web..it's not that other woods cant be used for a bokken, but id probly use somthing other then a wood ONLY available in Japan. Besides, if the Japanese use woods like honoki because they dont have Impact grade Hickory. Seriously, hickory is so superior to anything indiginous to Japan (including shiro kashi) that if grew in there back yard,the way it grows in mine,they would use it. Really it's just our good luck in the US that it grows here..

  • thats true, but honoki is supposed to have the longest life and the lightest feel from my understanding anyway, unless im understanding wrong

  • well..I sell the wood. drop me an email.

  • Great videos ReiMon! seriously good, nice to see someone passionate about what they do and sharing what they know, thanks :) anyone know anywhere i can get this wood in the UK?

  • I will ship to the UK. drop me an email and ill send direction

  • Great videos ReiMon! seriously good, nice to see someone passionate about what they do and sharing what they know, thanks :) anyone know anywhere i can get this wood in the UK?

  • thank you

  • I have to say finally getting to see how to make a bokken is great as a Kendo martial artist I thank you for your hard work. And I wish you all the best and we might do buisness someday.

    D

  • the bokken i have came with a tsuba and habaki (guard and collar) made out of very dense rubber, i got it from a friend who was in a martial arts class. were could i find these parts if i made my own bokken

  • is pine wood good to?

  • In a word,,NO...If hickory is the BEST, i'd have to say Pine is the WORST, with EVERY OTHER KIND OF WOOD, ya know, somewhere in between.....

  • what are all the good type of wood that i could use foe the bokken

  • What kind of wood is good for Bokken....? hum, well, i guess id have to reccommend a hard wood, just about any hard wood will do. but i'm thinking HICKORY might work out the best.

  • Thank you, Sensei, for the whole series!

    I have a dry thick branch of walnut with the right curve and no knots... will that do? Is walnut hard?

  • Yes, walnut is good,(i still reccomend Hickory as the premier material for Wooden weapons) and Walnut is one of the Best looking woods when finished!

  • He needs to get a better video cam. I can barely understand him.

  • Does a type of wood that is good for a bo, jo, hanbo etc mean it would make a good bokken?

  • Well..I do make my JO with Hickory as well, So I would say that what makes a good Bokken Does make a good Jo. The Jo is a weapon that is used a bit differantly then Bokken, as I'm sure you know, so the requirements for the wood may differ. Certainly I can Easily Recommend Hickory for a jo as easily as I do for a Bokken.

  • hey i was wondering how you got that curve in that piece of wood that u showed??

    I was about to buy a piece of wood and a block plane but i thought i should find out first =P so please can someone tell me how to get that curve, it will be greatly appreciated

    Thanks

    Addy

  • I cut the curve on the bandsaw. the grain should run perpendicular to the curve so it makes it easy to make any degree of curve you want

  • Thank you so much for this series. Where does one purchase the wood block? Is there a woodworker store?

  • Dude..do you actually DO Aikido?

  • Yes i do..in New Hampshire

  • While i relize the term Bokutou is used, the only mis-pronounciation i'm using is spelling it Bok-ken when, really, Bo-ken is enough. BUT, since i dont speak Japanese fluently (and somtimes not even English all that well) if you say tomato i'll agree tamoto...

  • It's all good!

  • you are mis-pronouncing "bok-ken"

    you really should say bokutou

  • i have made a few w white ash. carves nice but was a bit soft for hitting againt another bokken..im told other kinds of ash are better. For now im just cutting

    hickory...old reliable

  • would you rate ash as a good wood

  • how much is a blank?

  • cool..i've always wanted to make my own

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