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THE STORY

Wooden weapons for martial training have been made for centuries in Japan, but it is an endangered art and we are exceptionally pleased to be able to bring you these beautifully crafted weapons. The process to make these weapons can take over 70 years. Firstly, the oak trees are grown in special plantations and take around 70 years to mature to a size they can be harvested for use. Once cut the timber is then dried for another year so the wood is ideal for shaping, shaving and smoothing.

The specialised work to make a weapon is done by craftsmen who know and admire the wood they work with. A bokken is lovingly hand shaped out of a rectangle of wood to create the specific example of weapon required, there many styles of bokken, and the craftsmen have to shape each one individually. The same goes for tanto and jo.

It also takes time to create a person capable of making such weapons, as much as it does to create the weapon themselves. The problem these days is they cannot charge sufficiently for their product to earn enough to make this lifestyle financially attractive and the art of making beautiful wooden training weapons is being lost as artisans strive to make a reasonable living. Which means it is difficult to attract new generations of artisans for the years to come. A few years ago the largest manufacturer of these products sadly closed its doors after 125 years in business.

These particular weapons are made from white oak, which come from the heart of the plantation where the sun has not coloured the wood red. There is no structural difference between red and white oak but there is no denying the beauty of the white version. Naturally, due to its central location in the forest there is less white oak wood available.

THE BOKKEN

An Aiki bokken is specially shaped to be used without tsuba, we don't block with the weapon therefore there is no tsuba line on an Aiki bokken, it has a smooth finish from handle to tip.

The bokken is about 800gms in weight, around 102 cm long and approx. 4cm deep at the handle, each has a wonderful natural textured finish of striations running through it from the oak making every weapon unique with its own particular pattern. When you hold one of these bokken in your hands during training you can sense the spirit of the sword!

Because they are made of oak, one of the hardest woods, with care these weapons should give you decades of use. Moreover, you will be aiding an historic Japanese industry and holding in your hands a work of art which came from the heart of a forest and was lovingly crafted for you to use and admire.

Colour of weapons may vary from what you see on screen
Golden background image supplied by callmetak