Martial Arts Black Polypropylene Bokken W/Blood Groove With Scabbard

was actually pleasantly surprised when I first got my hands on this bokken and ive actually bought a secind one now. Seing the title, I expected it to be cheap plastic rubbish but it's actually really good! It's sturdy on the cutting edge, bendy on the sides which actually helps with training to always use the cutting edge when blocking or slashing, and it feels really good to use.The length of the blade has a nice textured feel and the hammon (hardened part of a katana which is used for cutting) is smooth but still decently as sturdy as the textured sides.The blood groove is also a nice addition to it as it gives it the extra style points lol, but please note that the tip, whilst pretty blunt and makes the blade bend if force is applied, is pointy so please don't stab with excessive force.The balance point of the blade is close to the hilt (similar to the weight distribution of a true katana) which makes it easier and more efficient to use over long periods than other wooden bokkens at its price point but I don't recomend you use it against basic wooden bokkens as its difficult to do and the weight diffrence is too high.The saya (scabbard) has a nice leatherish pattern molded into its design and has the subtle rose/vine moteif on it however, it is made of a thinner plastic and doesn't realy hug the blade, instead hugging the connection point between the bokken and the hilt so it can be abit rattley but it has a decent grip on the bokken (though, this may wear down with age).The hilt itself has a vine moteif along with a small yinyang symbol on the part closest to the tsuba (handgaurd) and the tsuba itself guards the hands pretty well and is decently solid as it is made of the same material (I think) however, you have to hammer the stuba onto the blade which can take abit of effort. If you don't do it evenly, it could crack making it abit uncomfortable to holdThe tsuka-ito (the rope/cord wrapped arround the hilt/handle guard, whilst not being made of an actual rope material, feels significantly better than most other tsuka-ito of wooden bokkens at the same price point. It is molded onto the hilt and has a ropelike pattern on itSummary:Even compared to realy strong wooden bokkens at the same price point, this felt better to use, looks alot better and is more fun to use. It's slight flexibility is actually abit of a bonus as its safer for sparing and teaches you to block and slash with the cutting edge and the additional styling of the blood groove, textured feel and molding makes it a really good bokken for those who like style but also want strength and abit of safety for sparing.My only complaint is the effort required to put on the tsuba and the thinness of the saya. Other than that, its a good bokken that i recommend.

I like it a lot