Customer Reviews

1 Black and 1 Natural Wooden Bokens set of 2 Training Swords

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was impressed with the quality of these Bokens. The natural wooden boken is very heavy and solid, it has the weight and feel of a metal sword. The black boken is very lightweight but still quite strong. I wouldn't recommend hitting anything very hard with the black one though, as it does seem like it could break pretty easy. The black sword is good for practicing swings as it's very light, the natural wooden sword is great for actual combat practice. The tips of the swords are quite pointy so that's something to take note of.

These training swords measure around the same length as a normal sword. Very nice for practice!

This product is as advertised. Both Bokens are usable and
suit my purpose for practice, and the price was right. I would do business again with this vender and delivery was quick.

The items arrived pretty quickly and I was excited to get them so soon. However, being used to fine worksmanship, I was pretty disappointed with these. Both bokkens have lateral curves to them that become distracting when you are at a guard stance. The manufacturer (Made in Taiwan) didn't sand the wood (oak) well before they painted/varnished it so it looks and feel pretty unfinished and the grains stand out. If you're a martial arts purist, don't get this. Pay more and get a better one or make your own. This is basically a curved stick... not that there's anything wrong with that for basic practice.

Both items arrived wrapped in shrink wrap, and securely boxed. The guards were tricky to get on but recommend slipping the retaining ring to hold them in place while the clear wrap is still protecting the Bo kens. If you want to get fancy, a small drill to make holes in the retaining ring and the shaft followed with small screws should keep them secured enough to practice any moves you might wish to attempt. They are training Bo kens in the sense that they are excellent weight and balance for your Kata's. If you are looking to do full contact I don't see these as the item your looking for (unless of course you are heavily padded and don't mind dinging the heck out of the swords.), they are more the slow Chi building and control exercises type, combined with a flurry of quick movements while you learn not to hit yourself with the weapon.

The black one looked fine. The natural colored one had cracks on both ends. Some as wide as 1/4 inch. Both bokens were wrapped in hard plastic. I can tell from the way they are packaged that the damage did not come from shipping. So they probably decided that a split end boken (on both ends!) was okay to sell. Amazon really made return easy. Just click on return, and print out the return shipping label. Since this item can not be replaced, I had to return the set and order another one. I will post review when second set arrives.

The handguard on these is rubber and doesn't fit perfectly, so if the hand guard is what you're excited about, don't be it's pretty much useless and is prone to falling off. As other reviewers said, these are different weights not just different colors. They are bot comfortable to use, I broke the natural colored one after about two weeks of tough swordplay, but I taped it and it was in fighting shape again. These aren't indestructible, but they're also nice and cheap. I recommend them.

Even considering shipping costs, this is an amazing deal. Essentially two bokkens for the price of one. The shipping was ridiculously--even impossibly--fast. These things came 4 days after I placed my order!

Regarding the swords themselves:

My black sword has a beige handle-wrap. My natural word sword is a lighter shade than the one pictured, with a hard-ish black handle wrap. I may post pics later.

The black bokken is, as others have already said, a bit lighter than the natural wood one. I was surprised to see characters engraved/cut in to the side of the black bokken's blade (characters aren't showing up in this review, but it reads míng yù which in chinese, anyway, means honor), but I don't mind. The handle wraps are pretty nice--my black one's wrap is of a comfier material than the natural wood's, and feels a bit more sturdy. The finish on the natural wood bokken isn't over-applied or anything weird. They're your typical length, typically-curved (not crazy curved or totally straight, just like they should be).

I've been using the natural wood bokken to practice throws in one of my forms, and I must say, I'm very happy with how it's standing up to the abuse. The tip of the blade is being quite a trooper, sustaining plenty of blows without getting dinged up by the hard tennis court I practice on. Part of the handle-wrap started slipping around pretty quickly, despite the aid of super glue, but I don't think this would be the case if I weren't spinning this thing around so much, and it's not a problem. I expected as much, knowing how I would use it. I haven't used it for contact/combat practice, but I think it would help just fine against some serious blocking and striking.

tl;dr?
This is a FANTASTIC deal. These swords are perfect for practicing strikes and forms. If you're looking for a good, cheap set of bokkens, get them.

Price is right and the basic sword is very well made and finished.
That is what I was hoping for and what I got. Very good value.

The only quibble I have is that the picture shows a "guard", which is a flimsy plastic piece that is a press fit on the handle. Just leave it off or put on your own custom decorative handle cover and guard (e.g. leather stripping) if you are so inclined.

These bokken are sweet. I haven't figured out why one is heavier than the other yet. However, they are perfect for your personal progression in practicing swordsmanship at home. If your ceiling is high enough of course. The ONLY con, and this is a cosmetic issue, is that the tsuba on the brown sword does not fit. Yes, you can improvise and reverse the other one for it, but then it is too low on the handle and doesnt give you enough hand space when wielding the sword. Other than that, I love them, particularly the heavy one. Good for muscle development and stamina. I hope you enjoy them too.

Shipping was FAST and both came in perfect condition. My wife and I will be practicing Aikido with them and this set is Perfect. The black one has a thinner grip and is lighter, awesome for her smaller hands. The natural wood Bokken is heavier, and I will be using it. I plan on ordering from Sword demon (Kenshin's reverse blade sword!)