I've started learning kobudo recently and sensei told us we are soon going to be using sai/nunchaku and if we can buy them, it would be great. I received some explanations about what to look for, but wasn't yet able to find sai that have all the things sensei told me would be good. Like a handle wrapped with a string instead of potentially slippery leather imitation. And the two shorter tips not overly wide. I am looking for an octagonal shaped sai, somewhere between 46-49 cm of lenght, preferably chrome, but the material isn't all that important, just my preference. There are shops that sell sai in my country but sensei said they had some flaw generally. He loves his Shureido sai, but they are not easily available now, I heard. I would be happy to have them, but if they're as expensive as I found at one shop, I'm not so sure I want to pay as much. The preferable price would be 60-80 USD. Does anyone, by chance, have any tip where to find a sai like that (string, octagonal, 46-49 cm, not too wide at the base)? I'm all ears! If you know about any Shureido sai, I would be happy to get the info, too. Of course, shipping from abroad doesn't matter. Any advise about what kind of sai to look for is olso welcome, of course. I have an idea from sensei, but I have zero experience myself.
That may be true. How would I know, though. Sensei said something he used to have one from the shop in my city, but he put it that the shape wasn't too good and he wasn't very happy with it. Hmmm, thanks for the insight!
I can see that the Shureido ones would be nicer for flipping, but if you don't want to spend €150 then you're going to have to compromise.
Yep, just what my sensei said. He praised them a lot. But as you said, I'm not particularly inclined to spend so much on them Still, you know of a place that sells them and in euros? I didn't have much luck even finding a place that sells them... except one that sells them in japanese yen.
Kamikaze.com sells them but they have a waiting list their own brand ones fit your bill (but are more expensive)
Those look pretty good! I mean that brand of theirs! Still quite expansive but the bast looking I've seen so far. I will keep those in mind! Thank you
Looks like the Kamikaze sai could work! Sensei probably has a discount at their Spanish shop if I understood right and the only reason he doesn't have them himself is that they don't make his size. Another plus is that it seems possible to pay through PayPal, where I have some savings that I planned to spend on something nice anyway, since most things I buy can't be paid by PayPal Woohoo!