Wooden Swords

[Xue Sheng]

I was just thinking, which some say can be a dangerous thing, if I start teaching Tai Chi again and teach a sword form I have not have any practice swords (the wooden ones) I gave them all away (some to my past students, some to my most recent Sifu's students when I left) and all my swords are real and some of those are in China.

I found this website, and the swords are nice, but it seems a bit pricey for wooden swords.
http://www.little-raven.com/RS/MA/index.html

Does anyone know a website with a quality wooden sword or am I going to have to go to Chinatown again? Not that a trip to Chinatown would upset me.

 

[tshadowchaser]

those are some bautiful woodn words but i agree pricey.
I know i have sen spme inother places at much lower prices
sorry can't remember which sites but have you sone a quick search on the internet using wood swords or chiness weapons?

 

[7starmantis]

We use Century as our main supplier...they have wooden practice swords for maybe $18 or $19 dollars. Even cheaper if you get a wholsale account. Century MA Supply

 

[Jade Tigress]

Great prices here.

12.99 and 17.99 for wooden tai chi swords. That's retail. They also have wholesale accounts.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Nothing wrong with using century of any other supplier that has inexpensive swords. However, looking at the above link the swords on that site are far superior to century's or the other link provided. The wood used and workmanship will last a lot longer. I have several century swords and they are inexpensive but also will not last for a long time either. However, if all you are doing is forms then they are great!

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com

 

[Flying Crane]

They look nice but are pricey. I'm not sure I see the justification in making a wooden training weapon pretty and thereby expensive. A real weapon, sure, but not a training weapon.

I can get some in Chinatown for $10-$20 or so. I could probably hook you up if you don't find a good alternative.

 

[Xue Sheng]

They look nice but are pricey. I'm not sure I see the justification in making a wooden training weapon pretty and thereby expensive. A real weapon, sure, but not a training weapon.

I can get some in Chinatown for $10-$20 or so. I could probably hook you up if you don't find a good alternative.

Thanks, I will let you know.

I wish I had thought of this when I was in Beijing I probably could have got them for a dollar (American) and I will not be back there for a couple of years.

 

[Xue Sheng]

those are some bautiful woodn words but i agree pricey.
I know i have sen spme inother places at much lower prices
sorry can't remember which sites but have you sone a quick search on the internet using wood swords or chiness weapons?

Thanks

We use Century as our main supplier...they have wooden practice swords for maybe $18 or $19 dollars. Even cheaper if you get a wholsale account. Century MA Supply

Thanks I will check

Great prices here.

12.99 and 17.99 for wooden tai chi swords. That's retail. They also have wholesale accounts.

Thanks

Nothing wrong with using century of any other supplier that has inexpensive swords. However, looking at the above link the swords on that site are far superior to century's or the other link provided. The wood used and workmanship will last a lot longer. I have several century swords and they are inexpensive but also will not last for a long time either. However, if all you are doing is forms then they are great!

Brian R. VanCise
www.instinctiveresponsetraining.com

Thanks.



I use to train with wooden swords and those floppy wushu steel swords when I first started but I got those from my first Sifu.

I generally train with real swords these days, but if I am teaching again I think it is best to use wooden. However way back when I got the real da dow it only cost me $80 and it cuts copper pipe rather well too. Much to my surprise and monetary gain the plumber, damn those low basement ceilings. So although they are nice the $80 dollar wooden sword I am just not ready to buy.

 

[Grenadier]

While I am not a CMA practitioner, I do have some knowledge in the area of Iaido and Kenjutsu that might be able to help you.

Do you intend to do any kind of wooden sword on wooden sword contact drills?

If so, then the cheap ones are probably not going to be suitable.

Most, if not all, cheap wooden swords are manufactured from either North American or a type of East Asian red oak. In all of these cases, the wood is actually quite porous, and if you strip away the cheap varnish, you can actually see where they filled some of the holes with wood filler.

These will break quite easily, and are unsuitable for any kind of contact drills, since they tend to break and splinter.

If you want a wooden sword that will last, then you need to use a better kind of wood, and ordinary white oak won't do either.

For those on a budget:

Hickory (best bang / buck)
Kashi Oak (aka "Japanese White Oak')


For those with a bit more $$$:

Purpleheart
Jatoba (aka "Brazilian Cherry")
Ipe


It seems that the link you provided above, shows that they make their "blades" from hickory, so that would seem to be a safe choice. Just be aware, that hickory wood tends to be a bit shaggy, and you might need to use some extra fine grit sandpaper to maintain the finish.

 

[Xue Sheng]

While I am not a CMA practitioner, I do have some knowledge in the area of Iaido and Kenjutsu that might be able to help you.

Do you intend to do any kind of wooden sword on wooden sword contact drills?

If so, then the cheap ones are probably not going to be suitable.

Most, if not all, cheap wooden swords are manufactured from either North American or a type of East Asian red oak. In all of these cases, the wood is actually quite porous, and if you strip away the cheap varnish, you can actually see where they filled some of the holes with wood filler.

These will break quite easily, and are unsuitable for any kind of contact drills, since they tend to break and splinter.

If you want a wooden sword that will last, then you need to use a better kind of wood, and ordinary white oak won't do either.

For those on a budget:

Hickory (best bang / buck)
Kashi Oak (aka "Japanese White Oak')


For those with a bit more $$$:

Purpleheart
Jatoba (aka "Brazilian Cherry")
Ipe


It seems that the link you provided above, shows that they make their "blades" from hickory, so that would seem to be a safe choice. Just be aware, that hickory wood tends to be a bit shaggy, and you might need to use some extra fine grit sandpaper to maintain the finish.

No contact drills, it would be mainly Tai Chi sword forms.

Thanks

 

[Grenadier]

No contact drills, it would be mainly Tai Chi sword forms.

Thanks

OK, then if all you're doing is non-contact drills, then any of the entry-level weapons available from the usual sources (Karate Depot, Asian World of Martial Arts, Century, et al) will do just fine.

If you want something that comes closer to resembling a metal sword in terms of weight, then you may want to go with one of the more exotic hardwoods that are denser, such as Jatoba, Purpleheart, Ipe, etc.

Otherwise, cheap red oak will suffice.

 

[Xue Sheng]

OK, then if all you're doing is non-contact drills, then any of the entry-level weapons available from the usual sources (Karate Depot, Asian World of Martial Arts, Century, et al) will do just fine.

If you want something that comes closer to resembling a metal sword in terms of weight, then you may want to go with one of the more exotic hardwoods that are denser, such as Jatoba, Purpleheart, Ipe, etc.

Otherwise, cheap red oak will suffice.

Thank You