For Sale: Hand-carved katana bokken

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[Christopher Letzelter]

FS: Hand-carved katana bokken

For sale, a katana bokken hand-carved from mahogany, featuring scenes from Japanese Zen paintings. The omote depicts Hotei watching fighting cocks, from a painting by Miyamoto Musashi; the ura portrays a blind monk feeling his way across a bridge, a metaphor of the journey towards enlightenment. Brass menuki symbolizing the sun, stylized in a Zen circle (a metaphor for the void and the attainment of enlightenment) are set into each side of the tsuka. The entire piece has been carved by hand (not sanded) to be smooth, and finished with several coats of subtle colored stains and oiled.
This piece is intended for display, not for contact! It had three cracks along the grain that have been filled and I cannot find them now. It's a solid bokken, useable for kata, but not for sparring.
Dimensions -
tsuka: 10-3/8"
nagasa: 27-1/2"
oal: 37-7/8"
sori: 5/8"
pob: 5"
Don't have an exact weight, I believe it's one pound give or take a couple ounces.
I am asking $125 for this fine piece, shipping within the CONUS included. Please respond on this thread or e-mail me at cletzelter@mac.com
Thank you - pictures to follow.

[Christopher Letzelter]

I'm reducing the price to $110 USD, shipping included within the CONUS. Please PM me or e-mail me at cletzelter@mac.com.
Christopher Letzelter

[Christopher Letzelter]

Price Reduction!
I'm reducing the price to $85 including shipping in the CONUS. I'll also seriously consider good offers, as I'd like to sell this off. Please e-mail me at cletzelter@mac.com with any offers.
Thanks,
Chris

[Christopher Letzelter]

Reduced Price Again -
I'm reducing the price again, down to $70 USD shipping within CONUS included. Please PM me if interested, or email me cletzelter@mac.com
Thank you for looking,
Chris

[p00kiethebear]

it's pretty

[Christopher Letzelter]

Nathan,
thank you. It's the second one I've made, the first was a tanto with Musashi's "Shrike on a Dead Branch" on one side and a monk in clifftop meditation on the other. I may revisit the Shrike in a full katana, and I've got other ideas I'm kicking around. After the next one I'll be doing something for full-contact using purpleheart or ebony.
If you want to see my work, please visit
http://homepage.mac.com/cletzelter
Take care,
Chris

[Christopher Letzelter]

I'm reducing the price for one final time, to $55 including shipping in CONUS. I'll entertain offers that are made. Otherwise, it'll decorate my wall.
Thanks for looking,
Chris

[Christopher Letzelter]

Bokken is sold.
Thanks to everyone who viewed.
Chris

[Zorkisemily]

This is a lovely piece and i'm glad its on my wall now:P From the north to el paso tx, lovely business dealing/ professionalism displayed.

Thanks,

E.C.