Bukikan: Traditional Bokken
Bukikan is a wooden weapon shop in Texas. They are known for their workmanship and exotic wood pieces. I received a Traditional Bokken and wanted to do a full review of it for everyone wondering about the quality of Bukikan products.
First Impression
I was taken away by the finish on this bokken. For those of you not familiar with the Traditional line at Bukikan, the process involves only using traditional tools, not a single peice of sand paper or modern machine has touched these bokken. I was eager to use it in kumitachi to test out the high impact grade Appalachian Hickory. The bokken held up fine to heavy kumitachi, so under normal conditions the bokken should never break. As with anything, I am sure if your goal is to break it, you will succeed.
The Tsuka
The tsuka was very impressive. It had a rounded higo style kashira which felt great in the hand. If you are used to lacquered or finished bokkens, this may feel odd to you because you can actually feel the grain. In my opinion, unfinished wood provides a much better grip. The more you use the bokken, the more dirt and oil from you hands get into the grain. This starts to make the grain dark where you use it and light in the areas you do not, the overall look is a very nice patina. If you look closely at the large image of the kashira, you can see what I mean about the grain. Again, this is achieved by using traditional methods without the use of modern machines or sand paper. The length of the tsuka is exactly 11.5 inches.
The tsuba was made of thick leather in mokko style. Compared to other leather tsuba I have used, this was by far the sturdiest.
The Blade
A 33.4 inch blade is standard for our style (Yamauchi-Ha MJER Iaijutsu). The Bokken I received measures exactly 33.5 (nagasa) from the Tsuba to the Kissaki. This is great as it is the only Komei Jyuku style bokken on the market that I know of. The balance point is approximately 8 inches from the Tsuba. For a being such a large sword, it is very well balanced. There is no taper from the tsuba to the yokote, which is another characteristic of a Komei Jyuku sword. Specifications on taper can be made if you contact Bukikan and you are not locked into “no taper” if your style uses tapered blades. The sori on this bokken is 0.5 inch.
The yokote and kissaki look very good. This is the only bokken I own which actually has a yokote. The kissaki is approximately 1.5 inches from the yokote, and gives a nice gradual taper to the tip.
Also branded (just like you do to cattle) right above the tsuba area on the bokken is Sekiguchi Sensei’s Mon, the Bukikan logo, and the words Bukikan in kanji. This is a very nice addition and the burnt look suites the bokken. If the brand does not fit your sword style or you use a different mon, feel free to contact Bukikan and let them know. They can either work out some sort of carved kanji or remove it all together so that it will not be in conflict with your style / ryu-ha.
The Saya
The saya is not just a standard plastic saya you get with most bokken; it is thick and sturdy. The thickness is approximately 2 mm and it does not bend easily. The kurikata (sageo holder) is placed 3.5 inches from the koiguchi (opening of the saya). This is a near perfect placement for Japanese style swords. Many Korean made plastic saya have the kurikata placed anywhere from 4.75 to 6 inches from the koiguchi which is rather low for a Japanese style sword. The Kojiri is plugged with a small piece of wood and two pins. These did not come painted but could easily be painted if you wanted them to be. I felt that the wood adds some weight to the bottom of the saya, which in turn forces me to to manage my saya better so it does not start to go vertical on me. If you are good with sayabiki and remembering to pull your saya a little forward on after you nukitsuke (drawing the sword) this will be a non issue. If you are new to Iaijutsu than this will help you learn how to properly manage your saya. In short, the saya is more proportionate to a shinken saya than a plastic saya (although it of course weighs much less).
Conclusion
I want to thank Matt Slape of Bukikan for letting me review and use this bokken. Remember, everything can be customized at Bukikan, so you can give him your measurements and they can make the weapon to your specs. In short, this is the greatest bokken I have used to date. It is well balanced, looks great, and made with only traditional tools that would have been used during the days of the Samurai.