Bamboo is a popular theme for Japanese sword mounts as it represents both strength and flexibility, qualities highly prized by the Samurai. The delicately textured genuine ray skin same and soft braided ito that cloak the tsuka afford a comfortable, no-slip grip, further enhancing the Bambusa’s superb feel. This holds the slats together and also marks the proper kendo striking portion of the shinai, or datotsu-bu ( 打突部).

Due to its lighter weight compared to a bokken or a metal katana, a shinai can be wielded in a fashion that allows quicker strikes than would be practicable with a heavier sword.The number one concern with these things is always poor workmanship and rattling, but everything feels well built. Specifications for shinai used in kendo competitions that follow the International Kendo Federation (FIK) rules are below.

I bought this as a gift, so I can't comment on the overall quality, but I did take it out of the package, and it feels solid. The name comes from how the leather looks after lacquering; the sleeves are actually made of cow or horse-hide.The holding position can be switched, however, with the daito in the left hand and the shoto in the right. Some schools cover the entire bamboo in the sleeve and add a tsuba, like Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryū does. A shinai should not be confused with a bokutō, which has a much more similar shape and length to a Japanese sword and is made from a single piece of wood. In Shinkage-ryū, the sleeve is lacquered Kamakura Red, and rather than covering the entire length, is tied off at the non-split end.

Shinai are also used in other martial arts, but may be styled differently from kendo shinai, and represented with different characters. The Bambusa has proven itself time and again, and it holds its own against any of today's most expensive katana, outperforming many. The Bambusa is heirloom-quality and built to be treasured by generations of your descendants - your legacy preserved in hand forged steel. For example, an adult may be able to use a shinai that is too heavy for a younger person, so shinai with different sizes and characteristics are made. Impressed overall with the sharpness, though I did need to spend a few minutes bringing it up to "beyond razor" sharpness.

Since all my hardware/wrap came SUPER tight I’ve decided to leave the handle on until I have a real reason to remove it. Unique to traditional Japanese swordcraft, clay tempering was developed centuries ago by Edo-period smiths and is integral to the katana's longstanding, well-earned reputation as the sharpest sword on earth. Careful polishing reveals the hamon and hada showing off the different crystalline structures of the steel.