For wooden swords wood from trees such as the bamboo-leaved oak, the Japanese evergreen oak, and the distylium racemosum have been used. For top quality swords, the Japanese plum tree, ebony, and sunuke have been used. Sunuke refers to the core wood taken from distylium racemosum (isunoki) that has grown Read More
Japanese Red Oak; Akagashi is generally found in the mountain ranges in the west part of Japan and has gotten its name from the fact that the wood has a distinct red hue to it compared to other oak woods. The Japanese red oak can mostly be found growing naturally Read More
“Japanese oak” is a collection of evergreen tall trees, from which long oval green leaves with an elegant luster and uneven edges grow. The Japanese oak is native to many countries in Asia, including Japan, China, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam, having more than 150 varieties. In Japan, the trees can Read More
Of the many woods used when making bokuto and other wooden weapons the Biwa (Loquat) tree is perhaps the most beloved by craftsmen and practitioenrs for its distinct and unique qualities. In this article we take a close look at the tree itself and its conenction to budo. The first Read More
‘Madake’ is also called Giant Timber Bamboo or Japanese Timber Bamboo, is a bamboo species in the genus Phyllostachys. This species is native to Japan and is often used for many different types Japanese traditional craftsmanship. This is the traditional bamboo used for making Shinai in Japan. Due to the Bamboo plant Read More
The Asian Ebony grows in South Eastern parts of Asia and can mostly be found in Indonesia. The beautiful characteristic grain of the wood, the smooth body and beautiful natural color brought forth without using any artificial coloring, could be said to be a piece of art in itself. The Asian Ebony Read More
Camellia is also know as ‘Tsubaki’ in Japanese. Camellia is probably mainly known for producing beautiful flowers during winter to early spring, but Kendo practitioners recognize the Camellia as a source of great wood for Bokken. The wood from the Camellia is know for it’s luxurious color and it’s fine grains Read More
