Good source for jos?
 

I'm trying to find a source for decent quality jos, at a reasonable price. (Previous forum posts on this subject are quite dated.)

In the past I've used Dowels on Demand, but lately he has gotten more flaky than usual (slow response time, shipping errors, mistakes in ordering, etc.). So I'm looking for some place new. I've tried reaching out to a few martial art suppliers (SDK, Crane Mountain), but haven't heard back yet.

I'm open to hearing about people's experience; quality, price, customer service, etc.

I've also reached out to several lumber suppliers. This, in my opinion, is the most economical solution. In general, it seems that when a dowel is billed as a "martial arts weapon", the price tends to be around $75-100 (in some cases much more). Whereas a dowel of comparable material from a lumber supplier can run between $10-30. As much as I appreciate craftsmanship, this is a hard pill to swallow.

Anyway, thanks for reading. I look forward to responses.

Re: Good source for jos?
 

If you can find dowels of hickory, black locust jotoba - I'd go for that! I know a maker of really great hickory or jotoba jo, which cost $60, IIRC. Don't know how much business he wants, so if you are interested, PM me.

But if you can find such dowels, that'd be great. Black locust is actually a good possibility, as it's being increasingly marketed. Never seen hickory or jotoba dowels.

Re: Good source for jos?
 

There may be some relevant information here.

Re: Good source for jos?
 

This company sells Hickory dowels. Could order a 5 foot length and cut it to the standard length. They will also set up a "non standard" length for an additional cost. https://www.bairdbrothers.com/mobile...R78-P4286.aspx