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Thread: looking for examples of weapons racks

  1. #1
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    Default looking for examples of weapons racks

    I was recently asked by a fellow member of the dojo if I could make some new weapons racks for the school. Seeing how I enjoy working with wood I gladly agreed. But my problem is that I have no idea what these new weapons rack should look like and no one has given me any direction. So, with all that said, I would be very appreciative if the members here could post links to website with some nice weapons racks, or post / email me pictures of ones that you have in your dojo. Ideally I am looking for some sort of configuration that with except both jo and bokken, while looking fairly traditional.
    Tim Mailloux

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    Default Are they hanging or free-standing?

    Bujin Design has some nice wall-mounted ones w/a tori-i motif, standing ones are harder to find nice photos of...

    Be well,
    Jigme
    Jigme Chobang Daniels
    aoikoyamakan at gmail dot com

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    Hope these help:

    http://www.members.cox.net/jgpowers52/WeaponsRacks.html

    http://bugei.com/subcategory_15.htm

    http://www.e-bogu.com/Iai_s/65.htm

    http://sdksupplies.netfirms.com/cat_cruise.htm

    Century

    I believe that most weapons racks in traditional Japanese dojos that held enough for a large number of students were wall-mounted instead of free-standing. Don't quote me on this though 'cause that's just from personal recollection.

    Sincerely,
    Jim Yang

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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Tim Mailloux
    I was recently asked by a fellow member of the dojo if I could make some new weapons racks for the school. ...Ideally I am looking for some sort of configuration that with except both jo and bokken, while looking fairly traditional.
    For some reason I never took pictures of it, but at my old dojo our weapons rack consisted of two uprights of about 1X1 inch. If I recall they went from floor to ceiling, and they were of plainly finished (oiled or varnished, but not glossy) oak. They were spaced about 2 feet apart, and had dowels of about 3/4 - 1/2 inch diameter protruding from the front surface of each at about 4-inch spacing beginning 3 feet off the floor and going up to 6-feet. That gave a total of nine horizontal spaces for bokken and jo. (It would also hold bo, yari, naginata, etc. with equal efficacy.) The dowels were slightly angled to prevent jo from rolling out of position.

    They were inexpensive, easy to make, and had a Zen-like simplicity and austerity that I thought well fit the atmosphere of our dojo.
    Last edited by Brian Owens; 15th January 2006 at 11:06.
    Yours in Budo,
    ---Brian---

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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by kenkyusha
    Bujin Design has some nice wall-mounted ones...
    http://www.bujindesign.com/weapons_racks.html

    Those are nice. I like the look of the oval pegs compared to simple round dowels like we had at Silver Lake Dojo. In the front of Volume 1 of Otake's The Deity and the Sword there is a picture of the TSKSR hombu that shows a similarly designed rack on the wall to the left of their shomen. (Just the vertical pieces though; not the torii-looking horizontals.)

    $195 for the 8-place wall model is a bit steep, though. Unless I were in a hurry or lacked tools, space, and skills for fabrication, I'd invest some "sweat equity" and make my own.

    Speaking of The Deity and the Sword, in Volume 3 there is a picture of Otake Sensei armed with a bokken facing a partner who has a yari (page 114). In the background is a rack similar to the one I described above, but wider (about 5-1/2 feet?) and with three uprights. They use it for their pole arms.

    On an adjacent wall is a sword rack almost identical to this one:
    Last edited by Brian Owens; 15th January 2006 at 11:42.
    Yours in Budo,
    ---Brian---

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    Sorry; ran out of editing time.

    The 8-place wall-mount katanakake I showed above is from By The Sword, Inc. in Florida.
    http://www.by-the-sword.com/acatalog..._Displays.html

    The dimensions are 15-1/2" W X 3-1/2" D X 39-7/8" H.

    The list price is $40.00 (plus 6% tax in Florida).

    At that price, it would be worth buying even if just to use as a template for making one out of other woods.
    Yours in Budo,
    ---Brian---

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    [QUOTE=Brian Owens]http://www.bujindesign.com/weapons_racks.html

    Those are nice. I like the look of the oval pegs compared to simple round dowels like we had at Silver Lake Dojo. In the front of Volume 1 of Otake's The Deity and the Sword there is a picture of the TSKSR hombu that shows a similarly designed rack on the wall to the left of their shomen. (Just the vertical pieces though; not the torii-looking horizontals.)





    I made one similar to the picture, the only difference was that I used 2 1x4 on the flat instead of the dowel, this made it easier to hang on the wall. If you like, message me and I can tell you more about it, I am also a wood worker. On the two side pieces I drilled 2" holes and cut the rest out on the band saw. this is how I made the "hooks" , the angle I uxed was not as sharp as the pictured item but it looks good. I used oak.

    Mike O'Leary
    Old Dragon

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    Well I finally came up with a design for one of the weapons racks I am making for the dojo. This is a special one that I am making just for sensei. It's not quite done yet, I just need to ease the edges, do a finish sanding / scraping, & finish it with Tung oil. This one is made out of an exotic species called lacewood. When I was out shopping for wood this stuff just caught my eye and I knew I had to make something with it. The stuff looks great, but is a bear to work with. It is with out a doubt one of the heaviest / dense woods I have ever worked with. I had to send out the saw blades for my tabele and chop saw to get re-sharpened mid project. I also had to buy a couple of new bits for the router table.
    Tim Mailloux

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    Thumbs up

    Outstanding, sir!
    Joe Cheavens

    Time flies like the wind.
    Fruit flies like bananas.

    Mushi mo atsui hodo
    Mushiatsui

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    For something a bit more faux-natural, check out the scenes in Kill Bill where Hattori Hanzo takes Uma to the room where his swords rest.

    Twisty uprights and pegs....wabi, sabi, shabi...

    The rest of the movie....not so much

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    How would that lacewood go for making a bokken, if its so dense and solid? Sounds good!

    cheers,

    Jason Wotherspoon
    Ipswich Aikido Club - Iwama style

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    Quote Originally Posted by JasonW
    How would that lacewood go for making a bokken, if its so dense and solid? Sounds good!

    cheers,

    Jason Wotherspoon
    Ipswich Aikido Club - Iwama style
    IMO the stuff is way to heavy for bokken! and just becuase a wood is heavy & dense doesn't mean it is good for weapons. Resiliency is far more important.

    By the way, prolonged exposer to lacewood is known to cuase skin rashes (just ask my wife). Lacewood needs to have some sort of finish to prevent this.
    Tim Mailloux

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    Sweet..Sensei Speed would be proud. lol.

    If its really heavy, will mounting prove difficult?


    ANy chance for a shiraaya for the tanto?


    Paul
    --------------------------
    Paul C. Norton



    They were conquerers, and for that you want only brute force---nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arrising from the weakness of others." Joseph Conrad Heart of Darkness

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