What a branch of willow can be...

Hey Folks, as i mentioned in a way earlier post, i started carving as workout for my arm. Solely using a knife... Ok, on this one i used a drill too and file too ;) It's a bokuto (wooden practice Katana sword) a friend of mine will receive for birthday.

As you can guess by the Title, it's made of a willow's branch.

This is the raw material i started from

I always try to find a branch that has the basic form, in this case a slight curvature

Then it's time to give it the basic shape

...and refining it

Like the tip of the blade

...and a bit of tapering for the handle

After the surface is sanded it's time to start wrapping the handle

As you can see, i have shaped an end cap for the handle this time, drilled and a filed a slot for the wrap to be passed through.

And voila the bokuto is ready :)

Besides the fact that carving is quite fun to me, it's also a good workout to strengthen the arm, and wrapping the handle increases finger strength too :D

Have fun, and carpe diem my lovely ones!