Bokken Practice Katana
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Do the bokken/bokuto and katana weight the same?
Simple question to those who have practiced kenjutsu for a while. I have a pretty sturdy and heavy bokken/ bokuto, and I was wondering if any standard bokken weights closely to a real iron katana. After all, the katana's blade is much thinner than the corresponding "blade" on the bokken (the "blade" is as think as the handle). So it might not be too farfetched to think they weight around the same.
What do you kenjutsuka think?
Erratum: "the blade is as think as the handle" should read "the blade is as thick as the handle". A typo.
The quick and dirty answer is: no, "standard" bokuto do not weigh the same as a shinken of corresponding length.
Standard bokuto are made of Japanese white oak which is not a particularly dense wood. The preference for this material is not because it replicates the weight or balance or a shinken, but because it is suitable for contact with another bokuto during training. If a bokuto is relatively dense then it is more prone to splintering/breaking during training. Softer woods are able to absorb impact much better, and tend to dent rather than splinter.
There are some exotic woods used for making bokuto, which are much denser. I have a bokuto which is made from goncalo alves (tiger wood), which is quite heavy since it is a very dense wood. I know others that have ebony wood, which is among the most dense...but is also very delicate since it can shatter upon impact. These woods are good for solo training if you do not have an iaito or are training in an area where a iaito or shinken might cause alarm. However, these are not "standard" bokuto.
That being said, the weight is not really as important variable as the balance of the weapon. Two shinken with identical weight, but have a point of balance which differs by an inch or two will feel very different. Ultimately, every shinken will have its own unique feel. So it is kind of irrelevant if a bokuto weighs the same as a specific katana or even if it has the same weight distribution, because there is no real standard for how a katana should feel (though there are some general parameters). It is really a matter of preference for the practitioner and/or the school within which they practice.
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