Wooden Naginata

I was watchin The Last Samurai and I saw them training with what looked like a naginata version of a bokken. Does anybody know what it is called or where i could buy one? I looked at a few stores but I didnt find anything.

 

May want to find a supplier online, or try something like eBay. Someone I know was thinking about ordering an oar, or kai or eku, depending on who you ask, and whittling/sanding it down to a naginata-ish shape.. I know that Century's catalouge has the kai, so you could try that if you can't find one.

I guess it would be called a bokunaginata or something. We usually just call wooden variants bokken, sword or not.

 

wooden naginata are quite a comon training aparatus in Japan (for those styles anyway), and I have seen a fgew around for sale on the old interweb thingy. GIve me a minute:

http://www.e-bogu.com/Naginata_Kihon_Yo_for_Basics_with_Tsuba_p/hir-wea-nag-nagikihon--.htm

Only one I could fine in a short search.

 

Wow thats pretty expensive. I guess whoever made it put alot of effort into it, but im not gonna pay more than 100 dollars for a piece of wood.

 

You will NOT find a cheap wooden Naginata in the US.

To buy one from Japan will cost 9500 yen or more and in the UK they cost from:

£85.11 plus vat (about $180 plus shipping).

It's a fringe item, almost always made to order so it will cost you a bomb. However if you are serious about taking up Naginata then you would spend the cash, if not then it's no great loss.

 

They aren't difficult to make. I have made one, and am planning to make more in the future. All one needs is a Table saw (circular saw if you have a steady hand), a router, and a sander (belt and orbital preferred). Personally I think all of the Naginata bokken must have a gold core or something for the prices they are asking.

 

Reason for price is likely a mix of things. Length - must be LONG 7-8ft, it is generally NOT a round shaft - has to be profiled to show the direction if the blade without looking, it has to be curved which means either steam/heat treated and bent or carved from a much thicker piece of wood with a lot of wastage, and it should be one piece to avoid breaking on contact.

Doesn't excuse the price though...can anyone out there make one at a reasonable cost?

 

Whoa....lets back-up a bit.

With all of the hardware and Home Improvement Centers I have seen around I'm trying to figure-out what would make it so tough to mock-up pretty much any piece. IMHO about the only thing that would stop somebody is the dedication to putting-in the time and effort.

Take a good look at the typical naginata and tell me that a person could not affix a wooden short-sword to the end of a length of oak and start learning the basic motions. And if you DO make the item yourself you will have a lot more respect for it than if you bought some el-cheapo item from BUDO-R-US.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

 

Agree.
I have made by own bokken, shoto, bo etc. unfortunately at present a 7ft naginata is outside my capabilities. Kudos to anyone who gives it a go though.

 

I can make a naginata for you.

I have no idea how much it would cost to send one of these, but this is the rough product http://i.imgur.com/12RQF.jpg

And it is, of course, perfectly balanced and ready for training.

 

Is that a mop handle attached to a pirate sword next to an outdoor bidet and a large fan?

 

lol. Funny, but no.
i can take a closer picture of the components, but this is just the unpainted and unfinished product

 

Sorry, but it has to be one piece with no joins, otherwise it will snap the first time it makes contact.

 

How much Naginata training have you done?

I'm just wondering about what makes you think the balance is correct.


It looks a bit short too not to mention the eda looks a bit off.

 

It does look the way doesn't it.



Sorry Mr Hawk but I don't think it would be something a lot of people here would train with.

 

Somwhere on this site Brad Elin posted excelent PDF designs for a training Naginata, yari and bisento I think. I will have a look.

 

Sorry I was mistaken it was not Brad Ellin but Nick Mandilas, as he is still active on the site and is very knowledgalble about the subject and construction of wooden weapons maybe PM him and ask. (The designs are very very good).

 

I know there are doubters but you have no information about it and you are already writing it off as a mop handle. This is a naginata that i built for my brother, just beginning in our local ninjutsu and nagininatajutsu school. I have only been learning the art for about a year now, but my craftmanship skills stem from my entire life making traditional bows.

EDIT: If you really care, ill make a destruction video with it.

 

I'm ure it's not expensive to order a training angina ya from Japan as thy have point based comps similar I kendo there

 

Just looking at that, I dont think it would be THAT hard. And I suspect you COULD make it in two pieces. You'd need a blade with a long wooden tang that you pin in place and reinforce with metal rings. If you were competent enough you could make the two fit like a glove. So a length of round, like a curtain rod and a bit of solid oak planking. I imagine it would work rather well and not take forever.