Frequently Asked Questions of Wooden Swords

Since Martial arts are seeing tremendous growth right now there are many people jumping on the bandwagon and making inferior and dangerous wooden training swords. Some of these people have made copies of their swords that look similar in a picture, but with inferior wood and joining techniques. Before purchasing a training sword...

1. Ask if it is made of high quality impact grade hickory. Hands down, hickory and some select South American and African exotic woods have been used for years in martial art equipment.

2. Ask if the wood has been selected and dried for use in martial art equipment or for use in kitchen cabinets. Cabinet wood is too dry and unacceptable for martial art use.

3. Ask how the guards are attached to the blades. Our Wasters made of Hickory are the only that have a solid lock on the shoulder of the blade and a holding pin through the guard and blade. The guards can not be pushed back onto the users hand. If they use a 'wedge method' of tightening the guard to the blade, it will come loose very soon.

Since Roman times, through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, wooden weapons were used throughout Europe for training and practice by warriors, men-at-arms, knights and students of fencing. Wasters save wear and tear on valuable steel swords and help build strength and coordination. Also called "bavins" or later on "cudgels", wooden swords were often of double weight for instructing squires or for use on pells or even tournaments.

Our swords made of Hickory are among the first to offer in a range of styles special discernible edge hardwood weapons for Western martial artists and students of historical European swordplay. All weapons are hand-constructed for the best possible degree of strength and sturdiness. The wood for each piece is carefully chosen for strength, grain, and beauty. Wasters featured on Wooden-Swords.com are have design patterns that follow actual historical sword and weapon geometry. Each is carefully polished and then hand-tested to ensure ruggedness, correct weight, and proper balance. Each piece is made as an individual weapon just as with its real-life steel counterpart. Only all natural hardwoods are used in the traditional manner –no press-woods, pressure-treated lumber, or artificial compounds.

Wooden practice weapons are much less expensive and less conspicuous than steel versions and offer an excellent and historically valid alternative for practicing or performing. Ideal for anyone who has been searching for Western equivalent to Japanese Boken, these swords and weapons are suited for countless hours of supervised semi-contact sparring and training drills. They are NOT toys. They will hold up to heavy abuse to let you safely train and exercise to develop your skills. They are ideal for fighting demonstrations where live-steel is impractical or undesirable, and also for theatrical stage-combat practice (saving wear and tear on steel weapons). Use them to develop serious martial skills or just to practice for fun. Develop precision and finesse in your movements while safely training in techniques or conducting choreographed fights.

Design, development, and past success makes our wasters the best on the market. PHA's design features a locking system where the guard can not be pushed down the blade. Simpler designs simply use a 'wedge' design to hold the guard in place. But that only will last so long. With cutting edge technology we are able to cut the wood in a way to have a hard stop on the guard so it does not slide back down the handle when it accidentally gets hit over time. The guard is then pinned to lock it in place and industrial grade glue is used to hold it in place.

Our high quality, impact grade hickory wood is vastly superior to any other woods that are out on the market. Very few other manufacturers can get the high quality of woods that we use. See 'What type of wood do you use?' for more information.

Support in the field of martial arts. Christian Darce, PHA's founder, is a martial artist himself, first and foremost. He knows weapon terminology, design, and what people need or how to make what they need. He is not a wood worker who just so happens to be making swords but could just as soon be making pull toys.

Our wasters are made from crop grown American Hickory, one of the best woods for martial arts weapons. Hickory is used to make axes and hammer handles so it is known for toughness and durability. Sometimes called 'impact grade' it is also used in the press beds for steel forming machinery. It has a good weight that gives the weapon fair balance when compared to it steel counterparts. PHA's Wasters are solid wood weapons made to withstand the rigors of serious martial training. They are designed after actual weapons in the same manner as historical wooden practice-swords ("wasters"). They are ideal safe, practical, training tools. PHA does not use hickory that is purchased through cabinet maker shops like many other weapon makers do. This results in an inadequate species of hickory (there are 5 species in the US and only 2 are useable). Cabinet wood typically has more defects and is incorrectly dried. The hickory that we select is hand pulled in a very select region of the United States. Sorted for highest quality by the lumberjack, inspected by the sawyer, then inspected at 5 different operations during manufacturing. Ask others where they get their lumber and we guarantee it will be from the local lumber yard.

There are many other tropical hardwoods such as ironwood, bloodwood, purpleheart, cocobola, etc, that can make excellent wasters. But due to the cost, time, and questionable origins of these woods they are not available.

Our sword selection made from Oak is an imported sword from Asia and is suitable for novice and beginners that are looking for an inexpensive practice weapon.

Some items are not regularly stocked by Wooden-Swords or are kept in limited supply and may take longer to ship. These items are marked with asterisks (*) and are colored in Orange. Please feel free to contact us to inquire about availability. Please allow 2 to 3 weeks for delivery on Special Order Items.

These weapons were called wasters for a reason. Eventually they will get wasted. They are designed to hit other wasters, scrape the ground, hit pells, and hit your opponent. But just like every thing else, depending on their use/abuse, they will eventually be too torn up to use anymore. If you think they are too beautiful to spar with (and I understand) and you hang them on your wall or only wear them to Renaissance Fairs then they will last forever. If you do contact drills or techniques with them three times a week, they will last awhile, but just like steel or any other material they will not last forever.

Our wasters that are made from Hickory do carry a warranty. If the damage is due to a wood or manufacturing defect it will be repaired or replaced at the sole discretion of the manufacturer. Virtually all breaks occur within the first month of the wasters being used due to cracks in the wood that we did not see during manufacturing. Just contact us about the the circumstances and we will resolve it promptly. Our waster are the finest on the market, you will not be disappointed.

Wooden Practice Swords made of Oak do not have a warranty.

Your waster will be coated with one application of Boiled Linseed oil. This keeps the wood from drying out and becoming brittle. You should apply a coat of oil monthly for at least 10 months, then every 4 months thereafter. You can not over-oil them! Let the oil sit on the wood for 15 minutes then wipe excess away with a clean cloth. If there is only a little excess oil on the wood after the 15 minutes, then oil the wood again. Allow the oil to dry overnight, then lightly sand over with 220 grip sandpaper. Add a very light coat of oil on the surface and rub it in until it is dry and smooth to the touch. The oil will provide superior protection to the wood and extend its useful life. Tung oil or mineral oil can also be used with much the same results.

Minwax has a "Liquid Wood Hardener" that can be used to give added strength to the wood. All are commonly available at your local hardware store. A light sanding with the 220 grit sandpaper can also be used to removed dirt and grime that builds up on the handle area.

Caution: Please be careful with Linseed oil, since wet rags can spontaneously ignite, so follow all safety precautions. We have seen it happen, so please be careful.

Regularly check your waster for any splinters that may appear. These should be sanded out with 100 or 120 grit sandpaper and then smoothed over with 220 grit. Re-oil the spot as required.

Do NOT leave your waster in direct sun, heat, or water. This include leaving them in your car. This will cause the blade to warp and will not be covered by our warranty.

Do NOT use wasters against steel weapons or steel armour. Wasters hitting a round surface is typically OK, but any sharp edges such as on a rim of a helm will gouge the wood if there is sufficient force. This is also not covered by our warranty.

Do NOT use beeswax on your wasters, this makes the weapons look pretty, but does not penetrate and preserve the core of the wood. Some beeswax applied in the handle area to keep the dirt away is OK, but not on the blade section.

Do NOT neglect oiling your sword. The wood moisture content in the wood will change just like your skin. A dry air conditioned house to a humid workout room will cause the wood to warp. Oiling can prevent this. Also without oil, the wood will dry out and splinter with contact. This is not covered by our warranty.

With proper care and maintenance your waster should last many years to come.

For further information email us.