All about wooden weapons - a new article

[jonathan.bluestein]

My attempt at a modestly broad overview of the best woods for wooden weapons, where to buy weapons and how to care for them.

http://cookdingskitchen.blogspot.co.il/2016/09/all-about-wooden-weapons-for-martial.html

[jaime_g]

I really like jatoba. Beautiful wood, good weight, and very strong

[Bill]

[LaoDan]

Thanks for the information Jonathan.

Some time ago I was searching for a source to supply me with a small amount of a specific wood (Tielimu 铁力木 or 'ironwood') in order to reproduce Chinese wooden sparring swords (Jian) using historic Taiwanese material that was used for a pair of wooden swords purchased ca 1970, but I did not have much luck searching the internet using English (my Chinese language skills are extremely poor). What I was looking for apparently grows in southern and western China (as well as Japan and Taiwan) and may also be known as the following:
赤皮青冈 chi pi qing gang
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=210000371
Also:
英文名 English name Red Bark Oak
學名 scientific name Cyclobalanopsis gilva
異名 Synonym name Quercus gilva
Other common names: Stone Castanopisis, Red Ke, Red Leather Fagaceae
Other Fagaceae species (e.g. C. glauca) may also be usable if C. gilva is not available.

The above wood was used for some of the less expensive of the classical Chinese furniture, as well as for pillars and architectural decorative materials in buildings, shipbuilding (steering head), vehicles (wheel, wagon, axle), farm tools, railroad ties, etc.

I am not certain that the above information is correct (I only know that the wood was called “ironwood” and is rather dark in color), but it was the best that I could find at the time. Note that this wood is not listed in the Wood Database (although other species of Quercus are). If someone has the interest in other types of wood that may be suitable for wooden sparring weapons, this may be another type to research.

[Fa Xing]

I can't say enough about the great quality of Carina's craftsmanship from Raven Studios, the Jian I got from her is top notch.

[charles]

I appreciate that you have shared your experience with using a variety of weapons and woods and summarized that in an article.

However, you have failed to identify some of the most important aspects of wood as a material for use in weaponry.

First, wood is a natural material. As such, within any one species of wood there is, generally, a very large variation in its physical properties, including density, hardness and stiffness. Thus, the published values of a species' physical properties, as measured and tested in laboratories, are "average" values and any individual piece can vary considerably from that published value. Consequently, there are many examples where a specific piece of a softer, lighter species is harder and heavier than specific pieces of woods who's published values are harder and heavier.

Second, the grain or fiber orientation of how a wood is cut usually has an enormous effect on the stability of that wood and on its strength. Terms used to describe the orientation of the grain include "flat sawn", "rift" and "vertical grain" (or quartersawn). In most wood species, vertical grain (quartersawn) distorts and splits less in drying and is less susceptible to dimensional change in response to changes in environmental humidity (i.e. less prone to splitting and warpage). Vertical grain material is usually also stiffer and stronger. An additional aspect of grain or fiber orientation that is exceptionally important to the strength and stiffness of long weapons that are to be hit or bent is called "runout". Runout is how closely the grain of the wood is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piece of wood. Extreme runout in a pole or spear will cause failure at forces far less than a similar pole or spear made of the same wood species, but with no runout. (The advantage of using an entire tree trunk, as in the case of white waxwood, is that, since the wood is not cut, there is no runout, providing the strength characteristic associated with the use of waxwood spears and poles.) A good weapons maker will take both the grain orientation and runout into consideration when selecting individual pieces of wood from which to make weapons. Doing so is, in many cases, more important than the exact species of wood used.

Third, although you mention it in passing, a potentially very important characteristic is feel of the surface texture of the wood. Woods with very large, open pores, for example, no matter how smoothly the surface is sanded, will feel very course in the hands. For a weapon that is rotated in the hands, or has the hands slid up and down its length, a very course surface can be very hard on the skin of the hands. Wenge, for example, has very large pores and creates a surface that is unlikely desirable in most circumstances. The pores of white oak are also very large and may not be an ideal choice in some circumstances.

Fourth, the size of the tree, and the available sizes of its lumber, are important considerations on what woods are used. Some species of trees do not grow very tall while others do not grow very large in diameter. This limits the available lengths and thicknesses of lumber. Commercial uses of the lumber also often dictate the sizes that lumber is available. For example, in most species, it is difficult to obtain boards thicker than a nominal 2". A related issue is the percentage of scrap, a result of splitting and warpage during drying. In some species, it can be as high as 60%, making that an un-economical wood choice. Other woods, such as lignum vitae are very prone to splitting and are rarely found in large usable pieces.

Fifth, you state, "The biggest problem with choice of wood for weapons is that there are no clear parameters for “what is best” or “what is most suitable”. I disagree. One starts with the requirement for the specific weapon one is to make. The requirements differ depending upon the size, shape and intended use of the weapon. For example, a 2" diameter, 12 foot long pole has different requirements than a 6" dagger. What is "best", "what is most suitable" for one isn't necessarily so for the other: each needs to have its own requirements identified. Once the requirements are identified, anyone knowledgeable in fine woodworking can then select a suitable wood that should provide many years of usable service. Off the top of my head, a "spreadsheet" pf the requirements would include columns such as hardness, stiffness, surface texture, resilience, weight, dimensional stability... Then fill in the spreadsheet for the specifics of each weapon.

Sixth, the potential problem with relying upon the results of the bokken test results is that too few samples were used of any one species. As mentioned above, the resistance to breaking is also very heavily dependent upon the grain orientation of the specific piece of wood used. Different bokken made of the same species of wood, but with differing grain orientation, will provide varying results. Then add in the variation in mechanical properties within a single species of wood and the test results don't really tell you much beyond what many fine woodworkers already know.

There are also some factual errors in the article.

First, the photo of the waxwood labeled as still having bark on it, shows a waxwood staff with the bark removed. The photo above it shows the trees growing and shows what the bark looks like.

Second, there is a distinction between "drying" and "seasoning" of wood. Drying has to do with removing moisture from the cells of the wood. As you note, that can happen within a few months, for kiln dried wood, or within a few years, for air-dried wood. Seasoning, has to do with changes to the chemical composition of the wood over longer periods of time. In short, drying occurs in a few months to a few years, seasoning occurs over decades. The changes to the mechanical properties of the wood as a result of seasoning are probably not of great significance to the material's use in weaponry. So, "the longer the better", doesn't necessarily apply in this case.

Third, you state, "hardness does often predict raw weight". Sometimes, but why attempt to correlate hardness with weight, when relative weight is already tabulated as density and specific gravity? Hardness is just one mechanical property of a number than need to be considered in weapon making.

[Greg J]

I can't say enough about the great quality of Carina's craftsmanship from Raven Studios, the Jian I got from her is top notch.

I heard a great interview with Carina on the old Hiyaa! podcast. Here it is:

http://www.hiyaapodcast.com/episode-30- ... rrincione/

My attempt at a modestly broad overview of the best woods for wooden weapons, where to buy weapons and how to care for them.

http://cookdingskitchen.blogspot.co.il/2016/09/all-about-wooden-weapons-for-martial.html

I appreciated your article, Jonathan! Lots of good information in there.

Best,
Greg

[yeniseri]

I like the article!
I have found it best to not concentrate on a weapon per se but the weight in wielding/slashing/stabbing within the heavier maintenance of control and direction. Anyone who has held European swords will be surprised at the 'heaviness' and will have to develop some type of conditioning routine in approximation of the lighter, easily handled dao or jian used in present day meetings.

[Fa Xing]

I can't say enough about the great quality of Carina's craftsmanship from Raven Studios, the Jian I got from her is top notch.

I heard a great interview with Carina on the old Hiyaa! podcast. Here it is:

http://www.hiyaapodcast.com/episode-30- ... rrincione/

Best,
Greg

Thanks, Greg, I'll have give it a listen to.

[Ron Panunto]

Nice article Jon. I have a custom made set of cocobolo rice flails (nunchaku), and I have used purple heart often to make jian (sword) handles. I also use tung oil on my spear shafts and long poles.

[DeusTrismegistus]

So where would be a good place to order nunchaku from? Raven Studies and Kingfisher both do not have a standard nunchaku to order. I am sure I could do a custom but I was thinking of getting some new ones.

Also thanks for the info Jonathan. My family happens to have a 10 acre woods with plenty of shagbark hickory. I might try my hand at making something myself just for fun.

[jonathan.bluestein]

Thanks everyone for the lovely and insightful comments.

Charles, your remarks and additions are welcome. I have edited and improved the article now, paying attention to some of these issues. Other things I have intentionally omitted when I wrote the article. For example, the topic of grain alignment is an important one, but not for most martial artists. It bears much more relevance to the craftsmen. Further, I would rather refrain from writing about things which I do not understand deeply. Being that I am a teacher of traditional martial arts and but a hobbyist woodworkers with relatively little experience in the latter, I cannot pretend to write a professional woodworking article.
I wouldn't know about the pore. As you have mentioned Charles, White Oak has large pores, and it still is widely used for many types of weapons. African Padauk I can assure you has even larger pores, and yet it always felt fantastic for me as a sword handle.

As for wooden nunchakus... This used to be a good place to order them it seems, but they're closing, at least temporarily: http://www.customworkshop.biz. Another option here: http://crane-mountain.com/styled-3/styled-12/index.html. Based on some play with that weapon years ago, I'd guess that one wouldn't want too much weight. This weapon can cause a lot of damage even with a light wood, and wood be challenging to wield accurately when heavy. I have heard of people who made themselves African Blackwood nunchaku, but that sounds excessively heavy to me. Also found this store: http://nunchaku1-1.net . The woods look authentic. Some prices are decent, others (cocobolo) somewhat expensive.

[Niall Keane]

I appreciate that you have shared your experience with using a variety of weapons and woods and summarized that in an article.

However, you have failed to identify some of the most important aspects of wood as a material for use in weaponry.

First, wood is a natural material. As such, within any one species of wood there is, generally, a very large variation in its physical properties, including density, hardness and stiffness. Thus, the published values of a species' physical properties, as measured and tested in laboratories, are "average" values and any individual piece can vary considerably from that published value. Consequently, there are many examples where a specific piece of a softer, lighter species is harder and heavier than specific pieces of woods who's published values are harder and heavier.

Second, the grain or fiber orientation of how a wood is cut usually has an enormous effect on the stability of that wood and on its strength. Terms used to describe the orientation of the grain include "flat sawn", "rift" and "vertical grain" (or quartersawn). In most wood species, vertical grain (quartersawn) distorts and splits less in drying and is less susceptible to dimensional change in response to changes in environmental humidity (i.e. less prone to splitting and warpage). Vertical grain material is usually also stiffer and stronger. An additional aspect of grain or fiber orientation that is exceptionally important to the strength and stiffness of long weapons that are to be hit or bent is called "runout". Runout is how closely the grain of the wood is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the piece of wood. Extreme runout in a pole or spear will cause failure at forces far less than a similar pole or spear made of the same wood species, but with no runout. (The advantage of using an entire tree trunk, as in the case of white waxwood, is that, since the wood is not cut, there is no runout, providing the strength characteristic associated with the use of waxwood spears and poles.) A good weapons maker will take both the grain orientation and runout into consideration when selecting individual pieces of wood from which to make weapons. Doing so is, in many cases, more important than the exact species of wood used.

Third, although you mention it in passing, a potentially very important characteristic is feel of the surface texture of the wood. Woods with very large, open pores, for example, no matter how smoothly the surface is sanded, will feel very course in the hands. For a weapon that is rotated in the hands, or has the hands slid up and down its length, a very course surface can be very hard on the skin of the hands. Wenge, for example, has very large pores and creates a surface that is unlikely desirable in most circumstances. The pores of white oak are also very large and may not be an ideal choice in some circumstances.

Fourth, the size of the tree, and the available sizes of its lumber, are important considerations on what woods are used. Some species of trees do not grow very tall while others do not grow very large in diameter. This limits the available lengths and thicknesses of lumber. Commercial uses of the lumber also often dictate the sizes that lumber is available. For example, in most species, it is difficult to obtain boards thicker than a nominal 2". A related issue is the percentage of scrap, a result of splitting and warpage during drying. In some species, it can be as high as 60%, making that an un-economical wood choice. Other woods, such as lignum vitae are very prone to splitting and are rarely found in large usable pieces.

Fifth, you state, "The biggest problem with choice of wood for weapons is that there are no clear parameters for “what is best” or “what is most suitable”. I disagree. One starts with the requirement for the specific weapon one is to make. The requirements differ depending upon the size, shape and intended use of the weapon. For example, a 2" diameter, 12 foot long pole has different requirements than a 6" dagger. What is "best", "what is most suitable" for one isn't necessarily so for the other: each needs to have its own requirements identified. Once the requirements are identified, anyone knowledgeable in fine woodworking can then select a suitable wood that should provide many years of usable service. Off the top of my head, a "spreadsheet" pf the requirements would include columns such as hardness, stiffness, surface texture, resilience, weight, dimensional stability... Then fill in the spreadsheet for the specifics of each weapon.

Sixth, the potential problem with relying upon the results of the bokken test results is that too few samples were used of any one species. As mentioned above, the resistance to breaking is also very heavily dependent upon the grain orientation of the specific piece of wood used. Different bokken made of the same species of wood, but with differing grain orientation, will provide varying results. Then add in the variation in mechanical properties within a single species of wood and the test results don't really tell you much beyond what many fine woodworkers already know.

There are also some factual errors in the article.

First, the photo of the waxwood labeled as still having bark on it, shows a waxwood staff with the bark removed. The photo above it shows the trees growing and shows what the bark looks like.

Second, there is a distinction between "drying" and "seasoning" of wood. Drying has to do with removing moisture from the cells of the wood. As you note, that can happen within a few months, for kiln dried wood, or within a few years, for air-dried wood. Seasoning, has to do with changes to the chemical composition of the wood over longer periods of time. In short, drying occurs in a few months to a few years, seasoning occurs over decades. The changes to the mechanical properties of the wood as a result of seasoning are probably not of great significance to the material's use in weaponry. So, "the longer the better", doesn't necessarily apply in this case.

Third, you state, "hardness does often predict raw weight". Sometimes, but why attempt to correlate hardness with weight, when relative weight is already tabulated as density and specific gravity? Hardness is just one mechanical property of a number than need to be considered in weapon making.

I haven't read Jonathan's article yet, so I won't comment on that, but wow! what a fantastic amount of information charles! And I say that not as a martial artist but with my architect's hat on too! I'm familiar with the terms plain, rift and quarter over here, and such properties are of vital consideration from framing to flooring. I assume the pore issue is what makes White oak not suitable for outdoors? We use English oak etc. for such.

As for the martial arts, it was traditional for the Gaels to use ash as training swords (we do in the modern version now called hurling) and as spear shafts and Yew for bows. (not much Yew left now... it poisons cattle and so had to make way). I find ash very light and easier to take a belt from without the bone-cracking potential of blackthorn and oak, and always supposed that the reason for using it. Although it breaks a lot easier. Shillelaghs were traditionally left in cow dung for a couple of years to dry / season a bit or left coated in butter inside chimneys for a few months. The root was the best part to be used and could be hollowed out at the knot end and filled with molten lead to make it a "loaded" shillelagh.
I've made a few myself, some for practice some for "persuasion". Even one or two from plum wood, quite a heavy and strong wood, prone to splitting though, took a few goes to get it right.
I have a few pieces of rattan ( a spear cut in two when it warped) for spear its useless unless you want to enter wushu forms. For sword play its excellent, robust and light.
As for the modern cut to look like jians or daos... I've never been satisfied with them, they break far too easily or splinter a lot, making them more dangerous than metal practice weapons in my opinion. I think charles point about grain orientation plays a major factor here as its obvious to see why these items break along grains. the shillelagh or rattan is far more effective a training tool as such with the 360 degree rings behaving like a laminate dissipating forces as opposed to allowing force to focus along a grain.
as for staffs , oak I found splinters easily enough, of course could be the batch I received. Wax wood is great, but needs to be cared for to prevent warping and mould. (experiences leaving them in gyms)
One the biggest letdowns of jians (decent unsharpened spring steel practice weapons with full tangs etc.) I found is the poor quality soft woods used as handles. I've replaced most of mine with separated blackthorn sections (to simultaneously form a grip - minimalist architect hat on again ) as the steel is good and by the serrated edges those weapons now have after 25 years of practice its very good. So for sure softwoods are out for handles and so too should charle's advice about movement coefficients / seasonal expansion be taken into account.

[charles]

I assume the pore issue is what makes White oak not suitable for outdoors? We use English oak etc. for such.

White oak is "often" used for outdoor purposes, where it weathers well to a silver gray. It is often used as a modern alternative to teak or ipe. There is a historic building just up the street from me. It was recently restored and a modern addition was created. Interestingly, the outside framing members, between large windows, are all unfinished white oak. Of course, white oak is one of the woods of choice for wine and scotch making, staying in contact with moisture for long periods of time. It does have its exterior uses where one wants that weathered look.

I make Taiji bangs that are gripped and twisted in the hands. I don't like oak - white or red - for that purpose, as the large pores make it like rotating sandpaper in one's hands. Wenge is even worse, like twisting a rasp in your hands. I've also made wooden musical instruments for the past 35 years, where grain orientation and runout are critical.

[jonathan.bluestein]

Charles, now that I see that you are a professional in making wooden instruments and have a lot of experience... A question if you may. I have a very large stock of Dalbergia Sissoo which I am currently drying. Chucks, pieces, branches, trunks and boards of all sizes, including 2'' thick and 6'2 long boards. Most of this lumber is now at 20-35% humidity, so a long way to go. This wood is quite common where I live. They are planted everywhere by municipalities and every year many are get cut down when they get ill and die standing. Such trees are usually 20-40 years old. How do you think Sissoo will do for weaponry? I have never encountered someone who tried that before. Was speaking of this with a friend who's a guitar building professional, and he said he doesn't want to use this wood for his guitars because it might have too much movement in service or not be stable enough in general.