Different sai

[mystic_kendoka]

What are the differences in the different types of sai?

Chromed, black, round and octagonal?

I know what the literal differences are, but what advantages does one have over the other?

Does the chrome stay on nicely or does it get scratched easily?

Which do you prefer?

Thanx

[E.elemental]

What are the differences in the different types of sai?

Chromed, black, round and octagonal?

I know what the literal differences are, but what advantages does one have over the other?

Does the chrome stay on nicely or does it get scratched easily?

Which do you prefer?

Thanx

Firstly I must say that I am not an expert and much of the answers are dependent an personal taste and experience.

Chrome - I have never owned a pair but I have heard that the silvery part can crack. It all depends how you use them. For Kata they are more easily visable and are dont exposed to contact. So for Kata chrome should be fine.

Black - Because they are black they are more difficult to see, end personally I think that its better that your opponent dont can see that you actually have a pair of sai.

Round - Feels nicer when holding in special grip. That is when not holding the handle but the sai itself, sorry couldnt explain better.

Octagonal - They are more of an anemy to the bo then a round sai because they are make more damage to the staff.

I prefer the ones you forgot - the stainless heat treated so they are not as shiny as the just stainless. But they are not black either. If you are interested I could send a picture of them?

Different suppliers of Sai.

http://www.weaponsconnection.com - Expensive sai but well worth it, the absolutely best I have ever had. They are made to your personal specifications by Mr Peter Carbone. Without any question my personal favourite.

http://www.kamikazeweb.com/ - Sells sai from Shureido, many considers them to be among the best if not the best worldwide.

http://www.okiadventures.com/html/sai.html - I dont have much info of them, but some here at e-budo says they are good.

I hope that answered your question partially, read all of the topics on sai and saome info will also be found there.

[mystic_kendoka]

Thank you, these were the answers I was looking for!

Don't want to damage anyone's equipment so i'll go for round, and black or stainless steel, as i think durability is of utmost importance

Thanx again!

[E.elemental]

Thank you, these were the answers I was looking for!

Don't want to damage anyone's equipment so i'll go for round, and black or stainless steel, as i think durability is of utmost importance

Thanx again!

I must say something concerning round vs octagonal, there is a thing you can do with two sai. That is to hold on to the bo thus locking it, well thats a pretty lousy explanation but what I am reffering to is that octagonal in this case probarbly will get a better grip then round. I can also tell you that Peter Carbones has the weight much more to the tip of the blade then the grip as shureido. If you like it or not is as with much else a matter of taste, I prefer the heavier ones (Peter Carbones).

A pair of sai can be bent no matter what the material, and of course they can get lost. But with these exceptions they will last at least 15 years and perhaps much more. The ones in stainless are less likely to rust. But take your time before buying a pair, see if someone else posts a reply here, perhaps that person disagree with me. And even better, try to have a look at different so you can feel for yourself what size and kind of sai that will suit YOU the best. I must also say that one of the most difficult things when buying without have tried them before is the sizing, not to short and not to long and must fit your hand, perhaps this wont be a problem at all but I have experienced some problems with just that. Or is it just that I want them to be perfect in size? All suppliers of sai has some sort of system for measuring, however this does not always work to 100 %.

Kind regards :)

[mystic_kendoka]

eumm.. what kind of sizing would be right?

[E.elemental]

eumm.. what kind of sizing would be right?

As I understand there is no MUST in measuring sai, but a sai that is according to the lenght of your arm and suits your hand is easier to use and not as dangerous for the user.

Well, hold the sai not pointed forwards but to your elbow. So you now have the sai alongside your arm (hope this makes sense). Now it should at least reach to your bent elbow so this part of your arm is protected. Me and many others prefer sais that reach about 1" = 2.54 cm from the elbow, in other words it should extend a bit extra. This pretty difficult explanation of something rather simple was because I didnt find any useble pictures of this in my computer. Somewhere on the internet I also saw a very good picture of it but I cant remember where. With the exception of the elbow that must be protected and your arm (for blocking), the most important is for you to feel comfortable with the weapons. And again I must really advise you to try different brands of sai, so you can feel them and learn what grip and material you prefer, and of course see what lenght that will suite you the best. Never rush to buy weapons, especially not the expensive ones. Take your time, its better to spend a lot of money on something you really want.