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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 the timber is cut it 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 tanto is lovingly hand shaped out of a rectangle of wood to create the specific example of weapon required, following the same process for making bokken and jo.

It takes time to create a person capable of making such weapons, as much as it does to create the weapon themselves. The problem is these days people cannot charge sufficiently for their product to make enough to make this lifestyle attractive and the art of making beautiful wooden training weapons is being lost as the artisans cannot make a reasonable living and so it is difficult to attract new generations of artisans. 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, there is less white oak wood available due to its central location in the forest.

THE TANTO

This is a perfect companion to the white oak bokken and like the bokken it has a smooth finish from handle to tip. There's something about the feel of these weapons that just make you want to train with them!

The tanto is about 130gms in weight, around 29cm long and approx. 4cm deep at the handle, plus each has a wonderful natural textured finish of striations running through it from the oak, making every weapon unique with its own distinctive features.

Because it is made of oak, one of the hardest woods, these weapons should with care 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