Welcome to AikiWeb Aikido Information
AikiWeb: The Source for Aikido Information
AikiWeb's principal purpose is to serve the Internet community as a repository and dissemination point for aikido information.

Sections
home
aikido articles
columns

Discussions
forums
aikiblogs

Databases
dojo search
seminars
image gallery
supplies
links directory

Reviews
book reviews
video reviews
dvd reviews
equip. reviews

News
submit
archive

Miscellaneous
newsletter
rss feeds
polls
about

Follow us on



Home > AikiWeb Aikido Forums
Go Back   AikiWeb Aikido Forums > Weapons

Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history, humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.

If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced features available, you will need to register first. Registration is absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 08-13-2007, 12:25 PM   #1
AESBird
Dojo: Ferndown
Location: Dorset
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 8
United Kingdom
Offline
Ki Symbol Making a bokken- wood types

Hi

I have a Holme Oak which we are going to thin out, and I'd like to use a branch to make a bokken.

Does anyone know if this wood is OK to use (have been told it's much denser & heavier than oak), and also how long the wood needs to be aged for after cutting?

Thanks,

- Angela

There is an art to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
  Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2007, 03:02 PM   #2
Erick Mead
 
Erick Mead's Avatar
Dojo: Big Green Drum (W. Florida Aikikai)
Location: West Florida
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,619
United_States
Offline
Re: Making a bokken- wood types

Quote:
Angela Bird wrote: View Post
I have a Holme Oak which we are going to thin out, and I'd like to use a branch to make a bokken.

Does anyone know if this wood is OK to use (have been told it's much denser & heavier than oak), and also how long the wood needs to be aged for after cutting?
Holm seems to be a evergreen oak similar in properties to our Southern Live Oak here in the States). Both have a hard, wavy grain and pronounced rays. Holm is used for impact tools and handles in the Mediteranean and should be a good choice.

Live Oak can be a bit spotty for weapons unless you are patient. The wood tends to twist and check terribly when drying. The sap wood , while tough, is more prone to denting and has more open pores. Notwithstanding that, it is generally very tough (resists splitting) and fairly impact resistant.

I hand-shaped my own jo out of a stick of sapwood. It has served well with only minor denting. The main problem is that because of the open pores (if you are using the sap wood) there tends to be tearout when shaping them, I recommend scraping vice sanding for final finishing. In retrospect, I should have gotten a piece of heartwood, so find a largish radius piece where the heartwood is substantial enough for the whole weapon. In which case you may need to find a sawmill or be VERRRY patient to rip it out with a chain saw. Heart wood or not, I ain't broke it yet, not from lack of trying.

I also had a woodworker shape a lignum vitae bokken for me (which suffers from the same basic problem of tending to split and check while drying as the live oak). The piece of lignum I selected (still in service ten years later, without any splits) had been dipped in paraffin wax for about 6-8 inches from each cut end and then was left to season for about two years, or so they told me. Oak is not nearly as resinous as the lignum -- so drying it for a year should be adequate. I know from the wood I cut after Hurricane Ivan that the live oak was enough seasoned to burn well within a few (five) months (early September to January) so somewhere between that a full year ought to do it.

Cordially,

Erick Mead
一隻狗可久里馬房但他也不是馬的.
  Reply With Quote
Old 08-22-2007, 11:44 AM   #3
AESBird
Dojo: Ferndown
Location: Dorset
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 8
United Kingdom
Offline
Re: Making a bokken- wood types

Hi

Thank you very much for that information. We do have a saw mill, one that does curves too so that should make life easier.

- Angela

There is an art to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
  Reply With Quote

Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
bokken comparison (long post) linvincible Weapons 11 08-23-2005 02:30 PM
Bokken vs Bokken DustinAcuff Techniques 3 08-14-2005 03:11 PM
Further advices regarding Bokken, anyone? Daniel Brandt Weapons 23 12-05-2004 11:13 PM
Making Bokken, Jo kiseeker General 4 02-22-2001 11:15 PM
types of wood for bokken Shipley Weapons 35 07-27-2000 01:48 PM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:04 AM.



vBulletin Copyright © 2000-2024 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited
----------
Copyright 1997-2024 AikiWeb and its Authors, All Rights Reserved.
----------
For questions and comments about this website:
Send E-mail
plainlaid-picaresque outchasing-protistan explicantia-altarage seaford-stellionate