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Pros: Weight, Handle Material, Overall Quality, Blade Material, Materials, Finish
Cons: Finish
Rough and Tough
This is a really good bokken for training. I use a target made with PVC tubing and sections of rubber matting - it can take some hard strikes, and I do not need to worry about this a broken bokken. I have typically purchased high-quality wood bokken that begin to crack, rather than fail unexpectedly, but it is still disconcerting to hear the cracking caused by a hard strike. This bokken should be able to take much more abuse. I have only used it once so far, and I like the feel. I did modify the feel, though. The simulated katana handle has well-defined edges on the 'cord wrapping' feature. Essentially, this means that all of the small bumps that give it a tsuka look, have sharp edges. I used a fine rasp to file them down a bit, making them smooth. This is the only reason I gave this product 4 stars. I like the look of the handle, and smoother edges on the raised areas would have made this a solid 5-star product. I would give it 4.75 stars if that had been possible with the rating system. I also like the Knife Center quite a lot. They have a really good selection, very good shipping, fantastic prices, and I have been very happy buying from them so far. I will be ordering more from them on a regular basis.