A few years ago I had an Ipe hakakubo (octagonal bo staff) made by Kyoshi Roger Pratt, whose website was under construction at the time at fightingweaponry.com, and I was thinking about getting another but he seems to have disappeared! The staff is fantastic, and so are the cocabola tekko he made for my fiancee and her coworkers, so I was hoping he was still making weapons. Has anyone bought anything from him, or even been in contact with him, since 2008? Is he alright?

I wish I was more help to you. Not familiar with him or his website.

Generally I frequent this one http://www.weaponsconnection.com/ had a friend get some sai's from there and he loves them.

Master Carbone is, from what I've heard, a very dedicated and diligent weapon maker and instructor. My Isshinryu instructor is taking kobudo under him right now. Carbone has a lot of links back to Okinawa, which you can see on his page, and has made weapons for more than a few people there.

I have looked into Weapons Connection and Master Carbone in the past, but I really prefer octagonal staffs and Ipe is an excellent wood for them, and Kyoshi Pratt's work is fantastic and affordable while Master Carbone's work is fantastic and expensive. Thanks for the suggestion, though.

Roger Pratt also made an octagonal bo-stick for me. He also taught my son and I. He had his dojo in Jackson Michigan and was leading a quiet life. He always said if you want to get lost, come to Jackson, cause nobody cares who you are. Sadly he passed away last year. In his retired life, he DJ'd events, and played drums. We answered a craigslist ad and met a new artist. We formed a Ironcowgirl Missy and in 6 months we promoted and created a wonderful CD cultivating in a trip to play at The Legendary Buffalo Chip for the Sturgis SD motorcycle rally with an audience of 600,000 people, even playing with the Doobie Brothers. Here is a video with Sensei Pratt drumming.