If your ultimate goal is to wield a sharp sword safely, you need to train with a sword that approximates the size, feel and heft of a live blade, yet minimizes the possibility of causing injury to yourself or your training partner. This concept was implemented by the ancient Romans, who used dull wooden swords to train their Gladiators and soldiers. And Japanese Samurai used a wooden training sword called a Bokken. It's an elegant solution to a vexing problem and effective enough to still be used today. The only problem is that a wooden sword can rot, crack, chip or splinter and eventually become useless. The solution to this dilemma was to design a synthetic substitute, low in price and impervious to the elements. Our Cold Steel range of Training Weapons are made of heaviest grade polypropylene available and closely duplicates a real sword in length, size, weight and feel. While they're not quite as rigid as wood, they have the winning advantages of being virtually unbreakable, remarkably stiff and cut resistant.