Making Your Own Bokken Part-4

http://www.ensobuki.com
This is the final part of the 4 part series on Making Your own Wooden Training sword. Rich Myers of Circle of Harmony Aikido and owner of Rei-Mon Buki takes you through the whole process.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Carve
• carving
• ken
• boken
• bokken
• bokuto
• Aikido
• iaido
• kendo
• hickory

[ReiMonCoH]

Yes... When ever I poly a tanto or whatever I always oil it first. Just make sure you give it plenty of time to let the oil dry. 5-7 days anyway

[allenblackcarp]

if i wanted to use polyerithane would i have to hydrate the wood with oil first?

[ReiMonCoH]

@allenblackcarp Yes. oil it and let it set fro 4-5 days. Then you could poly it

[ReiMonCoH]

I use a few differant glues with hickory. For weapons I like the yellow glues. Tightbond or gorrila has a wood glue too.

[kelbek00]

Quick question, if I want to laminate the bokken like they do for some of the brands to make it more warping resistant, what type of glue should I use? and are there any tips for that? Or is it better to make one out of a whole wood?

[ReiMonCoH]

@kelbek00 any good wood glue works fine. i like the gorilla wood glue. HOWEVER, laminated bokken just don’t have the good feel of a solid weapon. i know that there are those that like a stiff weapon with no give, but that’s not my preference. They say that them things that can give, will give. And them things that can’t give, will break

[liLightaura]

how exactly do you determine the difference between the blade and the handle? i ask because when you show it i dont really see a difference between the two.

[ReiMonCoH]

@linkachi256- Id be happy to make you one. Right now im backed up about 2 weeks but let me know your specs and any details you prefer. However, i also sell Grain Correct Impact Grade Hickory Bokken Blanks at the site. check it out under the Hickory Blanks tab. ensobuki.com

[ReiMonCoH]

Yes yes... This burnishing with a rod to compress the fibers is basiclly what I'm doing in the "Tempering the blade" video I did. It is a big help, in the long run, to longer life with a wooden weapon.

[zreiser]

A technique taught by my sensei as taught by his Master in Japan, was with every new bokken, before finish was applied, was to burnish it with a smooth heavy steel rod, using long heavy strokes, focusing primarily on the ha edge (striking side), and fading out around the curve to the flat of the blade. This helps to pre-compress the wood fibers and prevent shock splits and dents.

@ReiMonCoH