Looking for a Good Maker of Wooden Okinawan Weapons

[Fat Cobra]

For high quality wooden Okinawan weapons, who do you all recommend.

This is for Bo, Jo, Tanbo, Chizikunbo, Tonfa, Nunchaku, Eku.

Crane Mountain was great but they are going out of business.

Torii Weapons are good, but what else is out there?

-Domo Arigato

[Chunmonchek]

Historically, we've sourced our kobudo weapons from Shureido, California, but have not purchased much lately due to the rising cost of their weapons.

Lately, I've purchased Eku from Shushin, and will be placing another order soon. I like that they offer varying sizes and wood selections. I don't believe that they make a tapered bo.

So far, my experience has been good with them.

https://www.shushinkobudo.com/

[Fat Cobra]

Historically, we've sourced our kobudo weapons from Shureido, California, but have not purchased much lately due to the rising cost of their weapons.

Lately, I've purchased Eku from Shushin, and will be placing another order soon. I like that they offer varying sizes and wood selections. I don't believe that they make a tapered bo.

So far, my experience has been good with them.

https://www.shushinkobudo.com/

Thank you. Shushin Kobudo looks like a great manufacturer. I will try them.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Besides shureido which usually has good quality equipment made in Okinawa, one option can be to go to a professional wood craftsman. It shouldn’t be too difficult to buy a choice piece of the desired type of wood and get the craftsman to make something following details and dimensions provided by a few good photos. If a skilled craftsman can make a chair or other more complicated furniture or objects, a bo, a pair of tonfa or eku ought to be easy. Kobudo wooden weapons aren’t exactly complicated or sophisticated things. Especially to anyone with experience building things out of wood.

[Chunmonchek]

Besides shureido which usually has good quality equipment made in Okinawa, one option can be to go to a professional wood craftsman. It shouldn’t be too difficult to buy a choice piece of the desired type of wood and get the craftsman to make something following details and dimensions provided by a few good photos. If a skilled craftsman can make a chair or other more complicated furniture or objects, a bo, a pair of tonfa or eku ought to be easy. Kobudo wooden weapons aren’t exactly complicated or sophisticated things. Especially to anyone with experience building things out of wood.

I would agree for short weapons. For long weapons, most woodworkers don't have the long-bed lathe required to turn bo.

That said, years ago I had Glen Grabow make me 2 eku. Not having a long-bed lathe, Mr. Grabow shaped the shaft by hand. They came out VERY nice, with much better heft, feel and balance than my Shuredo.

[Spartacus Maximus]

The difference between any brand name item made in numbers and a single item which is handcrafted to meet certain personal specifications is always notable.

Shureido or any supplier offer products that are made in numbers with general specifications. None of what they offer is aimed at a single individual customer, and none is the work of just one person. By going to a craftsman who will do all the work as asked, one gets a unique one-of-a-kind custom-made item. Sometimes that is the only way to get what one is looking for.

[JR 137]

The difference between any brand name item made in numbers and a single item which is handcrafted to meet certain personal specifications is always notable.

Shureido or any supplier offer products that are made in numbers with general specifications. None of what they offer is aimed at a single individual customer, and none is the work of just one person. By going to a craftsman who will do all the work as asked, one gets a unique one-of-a-kind custom-made item. Sometimes that is the only way to get what one is looking for.

While Shureido seems to follow very tight tolerances for a “mass producer” (I guess that’s relative to a person making single custom stuff), you’re absolutely correct.

That being said, the custom woodworker isn’t guaranteed to make a better weapon than someone like Shureido. The best they can do is make exactly what you (the customer) specify. If your specs aren’t accurate due to either a mistake in measuring or due to not knowing the intricacies of the weapon, the weapon is going to be inferior. The perfect scenario is a woodworker who has experience using and making the weapons. Good luck finding that though.

[Chunmonchek]

Shureido still makes quality weapons...but the bo that we purchased 3 decades (or more) ago had better wood. Their Sai have always been well made, and years ago we were able to order sai made to our rough specifications. Visiting Shureido in Okinawa is always a treat...

Regarding the Shushin Eku, I suggest ordering the 5' 6' model with the shaft to your specs. That way the butt end or blade end can be shortened to your preferred balance preferences.

[Fat Cobra]

Thanks to all. Good recommendations.

[Spartacus Maximus]

Mistakes can be made but as the customer it is a good idea to do as much research as possible to get the most accurate specifications and details for the desired weapon.

This can be done by consulting a variety of knowledgeable sources to find the best fit. A skilled professional woodworker will then be able to follow that and make something of very good quality even if they aren’t familiar with kobudo weapons.