Is it generally ok to wrap the hilt with something that gives a better grip, or are such practices frowned upon? My bokken gets sorta slippery towards the end of training sessions, particularly long ones, and I don't want to hurl it into anyones forehead.

Would the sort of tape they use for taping hockey clubs be a good alternative for the wrapping?

If wrapping the bokken hilt is not ok, is sandpaper a viable option?

if you're worried about the respectability of wrapping your bokken, tape would be even worse. I don't think there's anything wrong with wrapping your bokken - I have done so myself and my sensei approves.

Sandpaper is also a good idea, most people at my school just sanded theirs down. A wrapped bokken looks very good though, and tends to be comfortable if wrapped properly. However, the wrapping will slide this way and that and come undone eventually if the grip of the handle is smooth - so even if you want to wrap it it might be an idea to sand it down first to provide that extra grip for the wrapping.

Yeah it's the respectability I'm worried about.
If tape is not ok, how should I go about wrapping? I thought
'proper' wrapping is a skill that takes ages to master? And, how will I get ordinary wrapping to stay on?

if you do a decent job at wrapping, ei it isn't slapped on like some display swords I've seen, then I don't think it would be disrespectful - in fact it would be the opposite in my opinion.

I actually have not 'taken ages to master' the wrapping. I had about 50 practice goes, yes, but it was all in the course of 2 days. I'm not saying there's no room for improvement but you don't have to be a 'master' at it.

To get the wrapping to stay on, do it up VERY TIGHT. You could even put a menuki in, but I've never succeeded in this as I found that it just unravels again when I try to slip it in (it's advised to wrap first and then put menuki in so that it tightens the wrapping even further).

Here are a few sites you can look at.

http://pages.prodigy.net/tlbuck/tsuka/tsuka.htm
http://www.montanairon.com/tsukamaki.html



Also, if you can, look at the wrapping on a good sword, observe it carefully. That's how I learned to do it, I did not look at any diagrams. I had a spare sword and slowly undid the wrapping to see how it went, then wrapped it up again.

Zyranyth

You might try a couple of things.

1-Ask you teacher what you could do--they might have a better suggestion.

2-You might try getting a course grade of sandpaper and "roughing up" the hilt a bit.
Should help you keep a better grip and its not really very noticable.

Definitely ask your sensei. I have never seen a bokken with any kind of handle wrap in the dojo or during seminars. I have seen bokken with itomaki on some web sites, but never in person.

Why is it getting slippery, anyway? If it's because of the finish, perhaps you could sand it down and finish it another way. I certainly would do that if what you have is one of those $20 red oak bokuto they sell at karate mega-marts, the finish on those seems like it could be slippery if you sweat a lot.

I would not sandpaper the tsuka and then wrap it. After all, if you're after a better grip, why is it that you'll first sand the handle to give the wrap a better grip, and then wrap it with little way to keep it secure like it is on a real tsuka? Just sandpaper it and keep the better grip for your hands, not a wrap that can come loose during practice.

Aye, good point. Sandpaper it is.

And yep, cheap bokken.

Even the expensive ironwoods we have become slippery, I have not seen a bokken yet that doesn't have some sort of finish on it.
I have also seen wrapped bokkens for sale in a number of places. They don't sell them cheaply, that's for sure, even if they're just oak.
I wrapped mine for 2 reasons: to practice wrapping
and because when you sand it down, underneath is a paler wood, no matter what type bokken you have. It's not a very good look...especially when it goes BLACK AND SPLODGY after a month or 2 from the sweat. And it will do that if you're sanding it in the first place because your hands are sweating.

Maybe it's just me, but I am very fond of the way the bare wood handle of my red oak bokken has darkened with sweat over the thirteen years I have been using it.

if it's for sentimental reasons, then why not. But you've had it for 13 years?? an oak? ... that's something.

13 years. Even with kata only, I would have expected something to happen to it by now. Even the practice foil that I only use for pointing and demonstrating to the beginners class is wearing out, and it's turning two this December.