Wakizashi Iaito

[Sukerkin]

I've spent quite some time searching the Net, looking for a wakazashi iaito.

I can find any number of live-blade ones but have no luck in my goal.

What is making it extra difficult is that I'd like a UK based source for a Japanese manufacturer. Without that caveat, I know that I could get dulled steel wakizashi from Cheness, for example.

If I have to, then I'll pay the shipping premium for a Japanese manufactured blade but, look as I might, the only reference I can find is that Tozando used to do them.

Does anyone here have any information that might help me?

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I cannot speak to the quality and I imagine it is not great but here is a link ot Century with a shoto. If you are looking for a beater then this might be for you.

http://www.centuryfitness.com/webap...501&categoryId=13528&parent_category_rn=13524

 

[Sukerkin]

Cheers for the help, Brian. As you feared, however, those don't appear to be the sort of thing I'm looking for.

I have a Paul Chen Practical Wakazashi on order as a back-up plan but it's a live blade - I suppose I can always get it dulled .

To elaborate further on what I want an iaito wakizashi for, I'm going to be experimenting outside the bounds of my koryu art and working kata through using the shortsword .

Certain sets, particularly Seiza No Bu, are 'indoor' kata and, as such, everyone knows you shouldn't be wearing your katana. Because the forms are intended to teach longsword techniques, however, we just gloss over that and get on with learning . What I want to do is get a feel for what the forms are like using the blade you actually would be wearing in those circumstances.

Plus, I'm planning on straying even further afield and performing kata wearing both swords. Again, just to see what effect having the wakizashi present in the obi as well as the katana has on how the techniques flow.

I may even play at using both swords at once a la nito - which is one reason why I want a non-sharp.

Before my fellow koryu JSA'ers descend on me with tanto in their eyes, I just want to be clear that this is simple curiosity at work ... I'm not planning on appearing on YouTube any time soon with my 'new Musashi two sword stylee' :lol:.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Then I imagine you can find what you are looking for at tozando. (that is where I would start looking)

 

[Sukerkin]

Aye, they were my first hope but I can't find any reference on their site that they still do them .

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Aye, they were my first hope but I can't find any reference on their site that they still do them .

Sometimes it is brutally hard finding good quality training equipment.

 

[pgsmith]

Aye, they were my first hope but I can't find any reference on their site that they still do them

Just because they aren't advertised doesn't mean they can't get them. Many of Tozando's iaito come from the Minosaka company, and I know that they still make wakizashi iaito. Tozando has someone there that has pretty good English, so if you send them an email I'm sure they could tell you what they can do.
Alternatively, the E-Bay seller Gichudo usually has a couple of wakizashi iaito listed, you might go and have a look at his store ... http://stores.ebay.com/Gichudo

 

[Sukerkin]

That's very welcome advice, Mr Smith.

As the saying goes, I'll take that on-board (hate the phrase but in this case I mean it sincerely).

I'll try e-mailing the chap at Tozando I dealt with when I bought my katana iaito; he was pretty good in both customer serivce terms and in his English skills (my Japanese is pretty basic and more likely to confuse rather than help :O).

Thanks for the nudge :tup:.