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G. Jetter
15th July 2002, 02:38
Gentlemen (and laides),

Some quick questions regarding the care of wooden training tools. Like anyone I am concerned with preserving my bokkuto, bo, hanbo, etc. and extending their training 'life'.

There is always a wealth of information related to the care of the iaito and shinken but very little in the way of care for the wooden tools. I have had it suggested that the use of linseed oil, tung oil, and so forth can protect the tools and prevent them from drying out. Additionally, can the choji (clove oil) used for the nihonto be used on the bokkuto as well? And, to anyone who may be familiar with them, are there any 'traditional' methods employed in Japan for the care of wooden tools?

I thank everyone in advance for their time and attention to my questions.

Best wishes,

George Jetter
Louisville, KY

Jeff Hamacher
15th July 2002, 03:17
i've never done anything in particular to care for my wooden weapons, aside from wiping them down after class and storing them outside of their case. many people recommend keeping them on a nice rack to help preserve their shape; i just lay mine flat on a strip of floor against the wall. you could check the SeiDoKai website (http://sdksupplies.netfirms.com/) for information about how they make weapons. that might give you a few hints. Kim Taylor, the site's maintainer, may also be willing to answer questions by e-mail. HTH.

Joseph Svinth
15th July 2002, 09:03
Kim has an article called "Making Your Own Wooden Weapons" at http://ejmas.com/tin/tinart_taylor_1100.htm . For some reason, Kim didn't use the title I suggested, which was "Getting a Woody." :(

Assuming your stick was properly dried and all that, then:

QUOTE

The most important advice is to keep your stick out of the sunlight and away from heat sources, and to reapply a tung oil or boiled linseed oil finish every few months. (Hard surface finishes such as varnish make the handle sticky while mineral oil requires frequent applications and feels slimy.)

It is also important to pay attention to relative humidity, as sudden changes may cause the wood to warp, crack, or check (small cracks in mid-board). Note that air-conditioning creates a very dry environment, so a weapon flown from an indoor training area in Arizona to an outdoor training area in Hawaii is at slight risk. Ideally you would not take your Arizona weapon out of its bag for a month or two upon arrival, but if that's impossible then it might be better to take a less-favoured stick.

All wooden weapons are ideally stored flat rather than stood in the corner, but there is no reason that a properly dried stick cannot be stood in the corner for a few weeks without noticeable warp. Weapons made of green wood are another matter altogether.

Finally, consider transporting your weapon in a bag. Not only does this protect its finish from nicks caused by car trunks and windows, but it also provides some protection from sudden changes in humidity and more importantly, heat. Whether this bag is cloth, leather, nylon, or vinyl is mostly a matter of esthetics.

END QUOTE

Dahlia
15th July 2002, 14:34
I used to carry my bokuto put outside on my shinai bag. The damn thing was so beautiful until it once started raining... Look at it now - the one side is still new while the other has lost all of the politure or whatever it was on it... Quite a strange looks but it still works for kata.

gendzwil
15th July 2002, 15:42
Many people find a good quality lemon oil such as Circa 1854 to be good for maintaining wooden weapons. It doesn't leave the wood sticky or oily and does a good job of preservation.

Ian Remi
15th July 2002, 16:27
Mr. Jetter, I recently made a similar inquiry in this thread (http://www.kendo-world.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=129) over @ kendo-world. Thought I'd link it in here, couldn't hurt.

I've been using vegetable oil (such as canola) on bokuto and shinai, seems ok so far. I'll be trying out the linseed oil route sometime soon I imagine...

Cheers,

gendzwil
15th July 2002, 17:36
Originally posted by Ian Remi
I've been using vegetable oil (such as canola) on bokuto and shinai, seems ok so far. I'll be trying out the linseed oil route sometime soon I imagine...
Shinai and bokuto are different critters maintenance-wise. Canola oil is fine for shinai but I wouldn't use it on bokken. Lemon oil works well on bokuto but doesn't seem to do the trick for shinai. if you use linseed oil, make sure to use the boiled variety as unboiled will leave your weapons sticky.

Ian Remi
15th July 2002, 18:11
Originally posted by gendzwil
I wouldn't use it [canola oil] on bokken.Are there any adverse effects in applying canola oil to bokken?

gendzwil
15th July 2002, 18:37
I've never tried it, just seems it would leave residue. The lemon oil penetrates wood really well and leaves a dry finish, also makes the wood look quite nice. You don't really need to oil bokken very much, unlike shinai which require constant attention.

Tony Peters
15th July 2002, 23:58
Some vegie oils are good there is a guy I know who uses walnut oil and seems to like it. Grapeseed oil also gives a good finish. I personally use mineral oil on my tools about once a quarter.

G. Jetter
16th July 2002, 16:44
Thanks to each one of you for your input. :)

Best,

George Jetter
Louisville, KY

Ric Flinn
16th July 2002, 16:48
I've always used a diluted tung oil and I'm happy with the results. After sanding (if needed) I'll rub some tung oil on it and let it sit overnight or so, then I'll go over it with some fine steel wool to remove any stickyness.

Ieyasu
25th July 2002, 15:14
Just a quick note: boiled linseed oil can be found at most hardware stores, like Home Depot, Lowes, etc. It's pretty cheap, about three bucks a bottle.

Sebastian R
29th July 2002, 06:55
Use walnuts. Get some cheesecloth and some crushed walnuts then "polish" the wooden weapon. Then hand rub the oil into the surface. The friction will cause the wood to absorb the oil.

I just heard about this the other day.