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RBrooks
21st September 2001, 15:27
Hi folks:

I'm seeking a tessen to give as a gift, and would like your advice on sources. I see that Bugei and Mugendo both sell them: any experience on quality from them or other sources?

Best--

Roger Brooks

Don Cunningham
21st September 2001, 16:53
Personally, I think you should give a book on tessen as a gift. May I recommend mine? ;)

Okay, seriously, I can speak from some experience here. There are two types of tessen, folding and solid.

Folding Tessen:

Cutting Edge is where I bought my folding tessen, but it came from a supplier in Japan. Mugendo Bugu offers the same folding tessen models from the same suppliers and at approximately the same price. Peter is a really nice guy, too. Mention my name and I'm sure he'll take good care of you.

I would recommend that you do not buy the small, inexpensively priced folding tessen. I have bought three of them, but I sold two because they are just so useless. They are very light and only have a thin metal outside rib. The inside ribs are bamboo. It costs about $100 to $120 for one of these, depending on the exchange rate. My recommendation is to go the extra ($250 to $350) for the larger folding models. I have one of the lower-priced versions with the white paper and red circle which is great. It is much better made and the lacquered metal ribs are sturdier than any others I've seen.

Solid Tessen:

Bugei offers a solid metal cast tessen which was produced by Fred Lohman Company. It's made of surgical steel and has a great finish. I have one of the original antique solid tessen in exactly the same style. When placed side by side, you can barely tell the difference. The replica is a shade smaller (I was told this has to do with the lost-wax casting process) and a bit heavier (the replica is made of steel while the original is iron). It's a great tessen for practice, but it might not serve well for a gift unless intended for just this reason. James Williams of Bugei is also working on new and exciting offers from some of his other suppliers, so you might want to contact him directly about other tessen models he might not have included yet in their catalog.

Mugendo Bugu also offers two models of solid tessen. These are heavy kaisen made primarily for kendo wrist exercises. They are just rough cast iron and certainly not very high quality. I wouldn't even recommend them for practice. However, if it is all you can afford, then buy the smaller, lighter one.

Another idea is to buy a solid wooden tessen. I bought one made by Kim Taylor at the University of Guelph. He also makes some of the finest custom wooden weapons out of hardwoods and exotic woods. You may want to consider this. The tessen he made for me to practice with is so beautiful and well-grained that I have yet to try it. I don't want to risk getting it all nicked and scratched.

Anyway, I hope this helps in your search. Should you also be interested in my book, you can find more information at Secret Weapons of Jujutsu (http://www.ebudostore.com/books.htm)

RBrooks
21st September 2001, 17:20
Thanks for the informative post, Don. I appreciate the report on the Bugei tessen and on the possibility of a wooden weapon from Kim Taylor.

Best--

Roger

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zanshinart
20th May 2011, 00:21
Just to add, I've dealt w/ both Peter at Mugendu and Kim at SeiDoKei over the years and they are both stand-up guys, good to work with.