Keith Gotschall

Well there you go. If the weapons didn't hold up to practice.... are they nice and well made? I would have to say that though made from attractive wood, they would not be my choice. There are a lot of factors that go into good wooden weapons. Weight, finish, durablity have all been brought up, and these weapons failed those few tests. There is also a possible danger of the weapons splitting or fracturing, causing dangers fibers to be exposed. Or even a catastrophic failure and breaking in half. This is more likely to happen in hard brittle woods.... unfortunately they include the woods used by this company. The thought of doing the 13 jo kata, sliding your hand along and picking up a 3 inch long needle like sliver of cocobolo makes me shiver.
Another reason that you need to be careful with the exotic woods is that some people have severe reactions to the oils in the woods. maybe that is why they are lacquered! I thankfully am not allergic to it... at least not yet, but it can be quite severe, producing dermititis like symptoms. If you are sanding off the lacquer you will be exposed to the sanding dust, which again can be alarmingly irritating.
I have to admit to serious misgivings about these weapons. As decorative display, sure, they are made of attractive woods. For some applications they will be fine. Just be careful and aware of what you've got there.

my two cents. Keith