My two boys have had a few wooden swords to play with. THey are 13 and 16, and love to pretend to be jedi with them. The others have broken too easily. This one is quite good. I play with them often with a lot more strength and it feels good to me. Really good deal for <$20. Highly recommended.
We are not serious, but do wack each other's shinai pretty hard. We tap each other in the body, and sometime hit the head on accident. This shinai is made to absorb some shock, so it's not like it is hitting someone with a hard wooden sword. The four bamboo staves in the sword slide past each other and absorb some shock. Really nice design. The shinai is straight and stiff, despite being able to absorb shock.   Permalink

I would recommend this to anyone who's thinking about joining Kendo. Kendo for those who don't already know is very fast past and demanding both body and mind and much different from other more common hand to hand arts. Kendo can also be painful when hit in areas where your bogu doesn't cover. but don't worry because you only hit each other when your a year or so in to it. This Shinai can handle about a month of Kendo so buy two. That's also a good thing because that's about how long top grade Shinai lasts for. Over all a good buy for a beginner.  Permalink

As always, I absolutely love these things. I only wish they were sturdier but I always just end up duct taping all my kendo swords anyways, regardless of who they are from. I'm probably not using them correctly, my sparring partners and I usually just wack the living crap out of each other. Ah, good times.  Permalink

its a good item and i would recommend it to anyone who wants a practice sword. my only complaint is that it didn't come with a tsuba, and thats a relatively minor complaint anyhow wonderful product overall  Permalink

I am very pleased with this item. I have used Shinai before and this is very good quality. It can take a nice beating and it won't bend, break or otherwise warp easily. Plus, I only ordered 1 and I received 2 in the mail. I am sure it was a mistake but I am still quite pleased with it.   Permalink

Good Shinai, Great Price! Buy 2 and save even more money (and have a spare).  Permalink

I looked around for a good strong Shinai and had acouple fail shots until coming here. These boys are strong and lightweight. How strong you may asked? I took him to a tree first nice training swing and moved up to homerun baseball swing lol the joints on the wood crazy strong total worth it and what a Great Price!! Just brought 6 more
Amanda  Permalink

this shinai is great!!!!I wacked it hard on a tree and it didnt brake! this is great to buy when it breaks im really gonna buy a new one!!!!  Permalink

I am a beginner in the art, but I love the feel of my Shinai. The weight is very comfortable for me. I plan on buying another for myself and 2 pairs for my kids.  Permalink

I just got mine today, very fast shipping 3 days earlier then expected. They split up my order so I don't know how they made money off me, The Shinai is awesome, I removed the strings and got all the plastic off and smacked it as hard as I could against a tree and it didn't break, crack, or dent. I am very happy and will write another review when my shinai breaks.   Permalink

These are the same shinai that can be bought for twice the price at most stores. They last well for mid level sparring, and I would recommend them for all levels so long as you're not attempting to just wail on each other with them. Make sure to take off the red strips, they are not only meant to come off, but they shinai is more likely to break with them on. the weapon is also much more dangerous with them on because it can't absorb shock as well.  Permalink

Me and my freind both ordered 2 of these from this site about a year ago. His broke about 2 months in, might i add in we strike with all the force we can when we hit, mine lasted almost 2 years, it just started cracking to day, and even tho it started cracking, we keep fighting, now at the top its all cracked. im buying another one of these soon, i love the balance and maneuverability of these Shinai's.  Permalink

I bought two of these a little while back, and they are absolutely great! The craftsmanship is remarkable, they are light and nimble, and me and my friend had a great sparring with them! I definitely recommend it, it is great buy for the money!  Permalink

My friend ordered a bunch of these and we practiced for hours they are a amazingly light and durable, a must buy.  Permalink

I bought this product for my rigorous training schedule and have been pleased immensely by its tough durability yet lightness and balance. I highly recommend the purchase of this product!  Permalink

You can't go wrong with this kendo shinai. For roughly twenty bucks, you get first-rate craftsmanship and absolutely incredible durability. This might be the best buy of KarateDepot.com  Permalink

This is a great training sword, just perfect for those just beginning to learn how to handle a Japanese sword. Definitely recommended!  Permalink

This is a great product for such a low price. EXTREMELY Fast & cheap shipping. Thank you very much.  Permalink

I just started kendo and this shinai is holding up very well. in class we have sparred and so far I cant see any sign of damage on this shinai. after about 7 classes the only difference I can see on this shinai is that the handle is getting discolored but there is no damage to the shinai. this is a great buy and it will last you a long time....buy this shinai!  Permalink

Very light and extremely maneuverable. A good sword for trainees just getting started.  Permalink

This shinai is of great quality. Not for competition or anything like that for practice. For longer results the shinai should be sanded on the inside of the staves and oiled.   Permalink

They do say to take the little red strings off before use. So don't think its a bad thing that they do come off. Great item!  Permalink

My brother and I use these to develop our 2 sword style. The bamboo is very durable, but one of the red strings snapped the first time I hit him with it. Here's a tip: I use my sister's hairspray to make the strings stay on better. Highly recommended.  Permalink

I don't have a lot of experience with other shinais, but friends who have used mine (and DO have experience) think it's a simple but very nice little number. I wish the ballance were shifted more towards the hilt, but you adapt quickly. Forget the little red strings - mine lasted all of 15 minutes (and I still keep finding them every now and then).

Also, thanks to an accident, I can verify that they can handle being left out in the rain, and can survive active use in the middle of a river (we were drunk). Durable and strong, though they need occasional tightening.  Permalink

Great Value! I've had shinai's that snapped in half after a couple hours of sparring. That surely won't happen with this one. The red strings do come off once in a while, but other than that, great! A perfect practice sword. Buy it.  Permalink

Very good practice sword. I recommend it to anyone who wants to build up their striking power and to anyone who wants to increase speed with a sword. The only problem I had was that the hand guard slips off occasionally. Overall, good sword to build up things.  Permalink

It is a very good kendo shinai but it starts to get loose after a while of practicing. The red strings do come off very easily and the white grip gets worn and dis-colored easily. Overall it s a good practice sword so buy it. You won't be disapointed.  Permalink

Basics:

Very strong, durable wood. However, when practicing, don't plan on keeping the little red strings on. After an hour of training mine were all off. In any case, the swords certainly isn't just for looks. Other than the small decorative strings, this practical equipment is certainly a superb training sword that should last quite some time.  Permalink