Building weapon replicas is hugely popular these days. Movies, TV series, and video games inspire all kinds of creations, no matter how fantastical or high-tech. Recently, the YouTube channel I Like to Make Stuff decided to follow the path of a katana… made from wood flooring. It might look simple at first, but the attention to detail demanded by a Japanese sword (even a replica), combined with the arsenal of tools involved, quickly shatters that illusion.
A Quick Note on Terminology
Before getting started, let’s clear up a technical point, because I’m sure our readers know their Japanese culture, and it’s not something to ignore: a wooden katana is known as a bokken. While the katana is a real traditional Japanese sword, the bokken prioritizes training… although in the hands of a master (or, conversely, someone who has no idea what they’re doing) it can kill a person. Those who want to take their first steps in this particular world will find a much safer resource in the shinai, or bamboo sword, but when it comes to making replicas, most people decide to wet their feet following the wooden path.
Bob’s Build: From Flooring to Katana
That’s exactly what Bob from I Like to Make Stuff did on YouTube, after a bit of Iron Fist, and following the evolution of the katana he made, including Alec Steele (14 videos in total). The difference is that he didn’t use a specialized wood, per se, but based his design on hardwood flooring scraps. The blade demanded a lot of time, but personally I think the difficulties were greater when making all the handle elements, with particular emphasis on the diamonds.
The Final Result
The final result is very good, although Bob admits the sword didn’t turn out perfect. Some of the gaps between the diamonds had to be filled with sawdust and glue, the bamboo habaki contrasts too much with the rest of the sword, and finally it’s too long (15 centimeters too much) for a user like Bob. Even so, I’d love to see his version 2.0, and why not, a real katana in the future.
