Wooden Weapons

So, as some of you may remember, I've been working on some handmade bokken for the kenjutsu class at River Valley Aikido. I started with white oak, and I am fairly pleased with the result. But, for my next batch I plan on trying Jatoba, also known as Brazilian Cherry. I hear it has good dent resistance, a tight grain and is extremely durable.

Here's what I've done so far:

I must say it's a satisfying process, to take a hunk of wood and refine it by hand into a well balanced training tool.



This image shows the large plank of white oak that I picked up in Greenfield, MA. I traced out the outline of four bokken and cut them into bokken blanks (shown below).



After planing for two to three hours the bokken has taken shape, with a prominent taper, well shaped mune, and close to proper balance. Below you can see a side by side comparison between the original bokken and one in progress.



Stay tune for a sanded and refined update soon.