This is a fairly nice product, though as with anything else, you get what you pay for. I do not use mine for contact (at least not heavy contact), but it is a solid piece of equipment. Like any other contact weapon, eventually it will break, sometimes sooner than expected, but that will happen with any wood, no matter what kind. If you are looking for something that will last a very long time, you can look into a hickory bokken from a variety of other sources, but it will certainly be more expensive. Long story short, this will eventually break, but at $20 a pop I hardly think it is that big of a deal to replace it every few months. In comparison to the red oak version, I found this one slightly heavier and more solid-feeling.  Permalink

I bought a red oak and a white oak. After sparring against each other for about an hour the white oak had a plethora of dents on its edge and the red oak had none. it was still in new condition! So I figured that the white oak was just getting compressed and eventually it would be just as hard as the red, but no, it broke in half two weeks later! My sparring partner had another white and it was lighter, harder and thinner than mine. His stands up to the red very well. So who knows what u will get.  Permalink

I've studied various martial arts. And I've come across both low and high quality practice equipment. But this piece of equipment has high marks in quality and craftsmanship. I'd recommended this bokken to any student or instructor. Its durable against a real daito or other of its kind.  Permalink

I have been using this sword for a long time now, I haven't even thought about buying a metal blade yet. I use this sword for everything, sparring with my friends, teachers and family, and working on my form and kata. I even use this against people with real blades. It hasn't broken yet. It now has quite a few dents and scratches but its still pretty firm, it's a bit to big for my style (about an inch or two) but I still love this sword. This is a great buy!  Permalink

It is a very well made Bokken. This is my in-between for my hand-to-hand and my katana. I practice with my katana mostly, but I still practice with it when I try something new. It was very well made and highly durable. My only suggestion, don't practice a bo vs. your bokken. The bo will crack it. I was very surprised though, I thought it was definitely going to snap, but it only has a crack. And it isn't even that bad, just a medium sized crack. I'm defiantly getting more, in case something happens to one, I have a spare. Or maybe even dual-wield combat.  Permalink

You can't go wrong with this bokken: Good weight, good looks. Seems like it will hold up well.  Permalink

This is a good, bokken but it is a little light.  Permalink

This is an excellent bokken, with quality material and craftsmanship. The tsuba is rather difficult to install and remove, but that's not much of a problem. My bokken has survived sparring with a metal pole wielded like a Bo staff, being used to mercilessly beat a phonebook (overhead strike), being struck against trees, ect. It will easily break a 1/2'' board held on one end. From all this abuse, it only has some small dents and grass stains to show for it. The water-resistant finish is still intact, which allows for easy cleaning. The bokken accurately replicates the length, weight, shape, and curvature of a real katana. However, the point of balance is too high, which tires the arms after a few minutes of use. The only other problem is that it does not specify if the white oak is American or Japanese (Kashi), the latter being the superior wood. My assumption is that it is kashi. All in all, a great product, the price is right, and I enjoy using it.

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I bought this bokken to practice at home and it is great. I am going to sand it and soak it in oil so it won't give me any splinters, but if you don't intend to strike another bokken, this is not necessary. The quality so far is unbelievable for the price, you just can't beat this bokken. I highly recommend this item.  Permalink

Works as advertised, decent quality, very reasonable price. Excellent shipping cost!!  Permalink

Before I ordered two, I read the reviews and had high expectations. Less than an hour out of the box, one broke in a simple, slow sparring exercise. For solo practice it is wonderful, but for even slow sparring, it isn't up to par.  Permalink

Nice and heavy....strong, yet beautiful. This is a pleasure to wield.  Permalink

Very nice bokken, everybody that sees it is impressed. It is very hard, takes a good beating, and the extra weight is nice too because it forces you to be careful and deliberate, thus developing control. The handle is also thicker than normal ones. Overall its an excellent bokken…  Permalink

I love this. Before I was ready for a real sword, I used this weapon and it served me well. I have moved on, but that sword was with me from the beginning of my training, and I used it right up to the day I got my first metal sword (they were very close in weight). I still have it, unbroken and use it to spar with my friends, classmates, and teachers nightly.  Permalink

I bought this bokken to learn how to fight with swords, this is perfect! The weight and length are the same and this is DURABLE!!! I'm definitely going to buy some more of this stuff! If you want to learn how to fight with a sword, but you do not want to get hurt by a real blade, then this is the thing for you.  Permalink

I use this bokken for practice in shinkendo. My sensei asked to see it to demonstrate a move and made a puzzled face of delight. He commented on how it was heavier than most white oak bokken and that it was balanced perfectly. He was most impressed with the tsuka, saying that it was perfect width and that most online-order bokken are too narrow. He said overall that it was a high quality bokken. A phenomenal buy for only 20 bucks with shipping.  Permalink

I purchased this white bokken along with another red oak bokken, I like the weight because is not too light so it's good for training, the material is very resistant to damage, the color and design are awesome. The size and weight are different from each other, so I like the fact that they look like beautiful crafted pieces, it seems that you could not get two bokkens identical to each other. I gave four stars instead of five because the point of balance is a little high.  Permalink

This is a very good bokken. This bokken's weight is very close to a real Katana. The wood seems to be in terrific shape but I would recommend conditioning it in Tung oil before its first practice to fully strengthen it. My only negative comment is that my bokken's grain is at a diagonal angle at the curve of the blade. Superior quality bokken will have the wood grain always run parallel to the blade. This diagonal angle might cause a split in the sword at some point in the future but I will reiterate that the bokken is very close to a real katana and for only $15 and $2.95 shipping... it is a stupendous value. If you want a superior bokken don't expect it from this item. I truly believe that you either 1) need to visit the shop and keenly examine the bokken you are purchasing, 2) get a money back guarantee from an on-line dealer allowing you to return the bokken if you are unsatisfied in any way, or 3) buy from a reputable and recommended craftsman who will typically offer a guarantee and provide you with only high quality merchandise.  Permalink

I have been training in Traditional Shotokan style Karate for some eight years now. Despite the fact that the term 'Karate-Do' means 'Way of the Empty Hand' I am still fascinated by Japanese swordmanship and have long been an admirer of kendo practicioners. I decided to purchase this for christmas and I am very pleased with it so far. A friend of mine is also purchasing one and we shall soon test their strength. I have no experience in using katanas so I wouldnt know how realistic this is but it if fairly light and well balanced. Overall a great buy for anyone interested in Japanese Martial Arts.



Enjoy!  Permalink

It's a wonderful tool for practice.  Permalink