Reviews / Testimonials

To leave us a review, please send your testimonial or feedback to feedback@scrapwoodmartialarts.com

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I just received my Bo and, it looks amazing. The ability to slide enough weight to where it's not impossible to swing but, not easy either. So much power behind each strike and, when I'm used to it even more speed and, accuracy. Without a doubt I'm buying from here again. Not to mention it's beautiful. I can only imagine the purple heart. Thank you

Eugene R. 4/20/25

Hi Adam,

My Jo arrived today and WHOA! It is absolutely amazing! This Jo is absolutely luxurious. Thank you so very much. My partner is a woodworker and he was oohing and ahing over the craftsmanship. I will definitely use this for my testing!

With the deepest bow of gratitude,

Mary Ann

4/13/25

Ok they are finally in my liittle paws. Absolutely gorgeous.

Just wanted to let you know I am really in love with these things. As tools and as works of art/craftsmanship. Thank you so much!

-Evan 4/2/25

I ordered from your company before and love the bo staff, the quality, thickness, heavy weight, and ability to bang in practice.

10/20/24 Shawn T.

Adam,

The ipe sticks were delivered today. Wow! Outstanding work! They have a really nice feel to them. I'll be having great practice sessions with them.You exceeded my expectations!

Thanks Again!

Jim 7/16/24

Immediately upon receiving these staffs, I put them to work. Century Bob (the boxing dummy) was begging for mercy from the first pass. Sadly, he was shown no mercy. After 10hrs (netted after 3 days of training) my staffs are no worse for the wear and I need a new Bob. Speed. Strength. Versatility. Quality. Everything a staff should be. Stop reading this, add one more Bo to your cart and then complete your order. You will have zero regret. Jacob 7/13/24

Hi Adam,

I just received my new Jo Staff. I don't THINK it met my expectations, it BLEW my expectations away. Far exceeded what I was hoping for!

I wanted shorter than my previous ones, but hopefully as heavy or heavier. Love the weight.

Very importantly was I wanted much darker than my other ones. It is.

I take a staff nearly everywhere I go. I keep rubber end caps on them, and use them as a walking stick, but they are always ready if needed for self-defense.

Thanks for yet another quality product!

-Steve M 5/15/24

It's beautiful! Thank you for your woodworking skills and your guidance advising me on the right staff. Thank you Adam! I'll be back for more of your pieces as I expand my forms in training. I think a pair of tonfas is on the horizon, sometime this next year.-Frank 2/14/24

Oh, I can't say enough good things about this bo! It is so smooth and beautiful. It feels substantial without being too heavy. It glides when I do hand changes. The tapering is so subtle. I love the character in the wood. It is obvious that this boy was crafted with love for the martial arts. My old mass produced staff doesn't hold a candle to the high quality look and feel of this one! Kobudo was cancelled tonight for a kyu promotional and I am so disappointed that I have to wait til next week to do katas and partner work in the dojo. I was so happy to take the too long, too tapered, too light loaner bo back to the dojo yesterday since I don't need it anymore! I would highly recommend your skill and customer service to anyone! I know. Thank you again for such a beautiful weapon, Adam. OSU -Beth W 2/1/24

Tried a few Kata’s with it and I love it. Than you!!!! I can take all my broken ones and use them for fire wood. LOLOL -Richard Thank you! 1/17/24

10/16/23 Adam created a 6’6” custom bo for my nephew as a gift for reaching the rank of sho-dan in Isshinryu karate. It’s beautiful, and will serve him well in the coming years. It was hard to find someone who could make a bo that long with hickory, but definitely worth it! Adam is great to work with, and very responsive, I highly recommend Scrapwood Martial Arts!

Bruce B

9/15/23 Love these sticks. I have been looking everywhere for yawara sticks for a while. Even I had ordered a few but I don't like it and I want 4" for easy to carry.I am glad that I found you. I ordered one 4" from you before. This is my 2nd order. Thank You again. -Tony S.

8/19/23 A High quality hanbo, exactly what I needed/ expected.

8/14/23 The Item came quickly and was exactly as described. The ipe wood is very solid and heavy, and the cool finish feels smooth, almost stone-like. I showed it to my father in law, who is an old grand master, and once he saw could not put it down. So I purchased him his own, and a few more for others :) It was easy to get a hold of Adam and I really appreciate his attention to workmanship and the details. -L.G.

8/2/23 The craftsman who makes these staffs is a teacher of martial artists and a martial artis. He puts his own skill and wisdom from his training and instructing ( we call it "ki" or "chi" ) and it is instilled into everything he crafts.

7/29/23 I have purchased 3 staffs now and each one I feel is a true work of art. You won't regret purchasing anything from Adam. It has been worth every cent. -James

6/3/23 I really love this great Jo Staff. It has a smooth feel and a good weight. I really enjoy training with it -Ronald

2/9/23 I am really very happy with my purchase. It is a nice work of art. I'm absolutely confident it will perform as needed. Thanks! -Diaz

2/8/23 I received my custom hickory/ipe bo today and it is gorgeous! A true work of art. It is heavy and combat ready, and the balance is perfect. I love it!

1/24/23 I have made several purchases now of Scrapwood Martial Arts. I have come back because the quality of the products are simply amazing and Adam always is there to help. This last purchase not an exception. I wanted something specific and Adam was helpful and responsive. I could not have been happier when then staff arrived with the quality of the workmanship M.G

1/14/23 Hello I just received my staff today and it is really great! Thank you so much for the work you out into it, I couldn’t be happier! -Robert D

I purchased and just received my Bo from Adam at scrapwood martial arts. Ordered for a seminar that i am attending. Adam called me, explained he wasn’t pleased and wanted to make me another. Not only did he make me another but I then had the opportunity to get correct size!
Pleasure to deal with, fantastic product and phenomenal customer service! If you want a Bo or even a custom, check this business out!
Thanks again Adam!
-Patrick

"I found the Scrapwood Martial Arts site while researching Ipe wood and decided to add an Ipe hanbo to my collection. My purchase arrived very quickly and I was extremely happy with the quality of my order. So happy, as a matter of fact, that I immediately bought another piece, an octagonal jo, which came out beautifully. Adam does fantastic work, and was incredibly responsive to some questions I'd posed to him over email. My one regret is that I hadn't discovered his prodcuts sooner.

- Tom C."

I love the staffs I got the Purple Heart bo and the octagonal hickory bo

They feel wonderful in hand, a nice weight to them, overall beautiful as well.

I will definitely be coming back and keeping you in mind when I need more bos or jos or tonfa and the like.

10/10

-C.A.

'Adam,
I never gave you a review when I bought this from you. This is a beautiful Bo! I bought this Bo as a Purple belt and finally made it to a Brown belt to become familiar with this gorgeous weapon. I am learning Bo Kata Shodan within my Dojó and this Bo feels great! I get a lot of compliments and my Sensei loves it too. Keep doing what you do.
Thank you!'

Alisha

'This the the best compliment for training and personal defense you could possibly have.. my neighbors are wanting ones also... the versatility of this goes back thousands of years'

Gergory M.

Recieved my staff the other day. Love at first sight. Love the weight, strength, and color.

Steve H.

I am so impressed at the quality of your work!! WOW

10/25/22 This is the Nicest Jo I've ever seen. I hesitate to actually start using it in my dojo because I don't want to inflict wear on it. I would absolutely buy again.

10/25/22 The staff has beautiful craftsman ship. I am excited to use it as a hiking staff, its most likely the best I own.

10/22/22 The staff is solid, straight and straight grained, and shipped with caring. I have purchased in the past 2 rokushaku and then this jo staff, and Adam has hit the mark with quality each time -Matt D

This staff has literally gotten me through the quarantine. It is highly recommended

6/28/20

My father has been wanting one of these for a while and he loves it. He uses it every day and only has good things to say about it.

6/19/20

This is another wonderful purchase from Scrapwood Martial Arts. I have purchased several weapons from Adam for myself, and since then I've broken quite a few other people's weapons with them. I've been purchasing replacements for my classmates as gifts too. A couple weeks ago I actually broke my Sensai's ebony tanbo with my hickories from Adam. He said, "Damn that Hickory, its too strong!" So I bought him a set of Hickories. By now Adam knows that kind of grain patterns I like so he send me a really special flame design that occurs naturally in the wood! They are stunningly beautiful. I must admit bashing them and seeing the design get dented is a little sad but weapons are strong, and well made and they deserve to be used!

-Amy 6/10/20

This has excellent weight, and smooth to the touch. I mostly spin staffs, and I'm only a beginner with any martial use, so the appearance and weight and balance is more important to me then any martial aspect.

It has enough weight and I'm getting a core workout my lighter staffs can't give me, and it shipped quickly. I'm very pleased with this purchase. Very impressed. 6/7/20

I love this staff. I had a few questions and they were answered almost immediately. I love it so much I just placed a custom order last night. Adam does great work. Whatever you get. I am sure you will be happy!

Martin 6/6/20

Perfect. I've been searching for a strong hiking stick for a while now, and this has been the best so far. Very Sturdy! Thank you a lot!

Jeffery T 6/2/20

When you want the best, this is the best. He's got the best. The best in communication and he does he best on every single one of his creations.

Roy 5/12/20

I'm absolutely blown away by the craftsmanship. I've been using staffs since I was a kid, and this is my favorite. I've bought them from all over the globe, and this is my favorite.

-Joahua 5/11/20

Awesome piece made to exacting specs. It is well-balanced, sanded and finished for immediate practice of forms. The hickory feels lively and shows a beautiful two toned grain pattern. Adam takes a ton of care in choosing the materials for his bo staffs. Its been ideal for working out aching muscles after holding a form for a long time, as its well made. Mahalo nui loa! A+++!

Asuka T 5/7/20

Extremelly delighted with the bo I received. I ordered one round and one octagon shape. Both are straight and high quality.

Jason K 3/26/20

My purpleheart staff is more beautiful then I even immagined. I love thats its a little slimmer and lighter then what I'm used to. I have been searching for bo staff like this for a while now and it was definitely worth the way. Thank you very much!

-Shelby 3/5/30

Very Solid and Attractive, and heavier then it looked! I'm a real happy guy :) Now I just need to learn how to use it!

Joseph B 2/5/20

A Very well made a packaged staff. It is super smooth and I'm excited to use it. When I asked to change the size Adam responded super quickly. Thanks!

-J.Ng 1/11/20

My 17 year old daughter needed a bo staff. She was super impressed when she opened this on Christamss. She said it was better then any of the other staffs in the entire studio! She loves it! Thanks! -Leslie P 1/20

Scrapwood Martial Arts did a great job with my two Hanbo. They are silky smooth and great, and he has a level of customer service that is veru personable and understanding. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for high quality wooden weapons. -George 11/19

I have been searching for a chemically untreated raw wood staff for years now. I called store after store and couldn't find anything of the quality I desired. Then I found Adam at Scrapwood Martial Arts. He crafted me a WORK OF ART worth far more then the price of the staff. This object will be with me for the rest of my life. The entire experience from meeting Adam to receiving the staff was incredible. I can't recommend him enough. -Evan. 9/19

This is an awesome Jo staff! The edges are sculpted to perfection, the grain is beautiful and the item shipped quickly in a sturdy box. Highly recommended! Asuka May 2019

I am a repeat customer, and Adam knows what type of grain I like and he picked a pair for me that I love. That is the kind of customer service that I love. I'll definitely be back again! -Amy 2019

I am delighted with my staff, and my conversation with Adam helped me narrow my choices to perfection. Thank you! -Sarah 2019

This jo is a 10 because it has simple beauty. Many want a fancy laminated stick but I wanted a light tough as anything stick. I love the feel of the Jo and for the money it is worth every penny. Thanks! MH 2019

This is a mastery creation. The staff is so balanced it cuts the wind with every movement. I have many different versions of staffs from his work and each one feels special and unique. Each staff is unfused with the spirit of warrior/priest. I recommend any of his products. God bless all of you dear friends -Rory 19

This is fantastic! I will be getting more as soon as I can. It is super durable and balanced to the point of being perfect. The Creator said to me that he felt this one was special and he was correct.Rory 2019

My order was shipped quikly. This is a beautifully crafted martial arts staff with great balance and mass distrubution. The Bo has a weight that I can only describe as authoratitive. I would not want to be caught on the wrong end of it. The heft I believe will increase my strength as I work using it. The texture of the Hickory allows for grip transitions that are smooth while still allowing enough tranction for a secure grip. Tom B 12/26/18

These are high quality and tough Tanbo weapons, high grade. They are excellent for training and if needed self defense. They are precision made and a great deal of woodworking know-how is involved in making such a pair that will most certanly outlast me. Thanks for the purchase and you are always recommended! 8/18

This staff is incredible. Once my husband saw it and held it he showed me howto use it and then kept it for himself! I suppose I should have ordered 2. It is extremely well made and the balance is incredible. I am very thankful and will be returning soon. Gloria W Jul/18

The build on this staff is superb, crafted precicely with a high quality piece of hickory with perfect grain, which means it has strength under various applications. This is a simple weapon or tool but it is beautifully created with great knowledge and care. I will not hesitate to buy again.7/18

The Hanbo was all I expected and it performs great with practice and would be a very serious weapon if it was used for real. I had a great experience purchasing it. Eric N 5/15/18

Jeremy K. An absolutely superb bo staff! I was gifted a custom length hickory and ipe wood bo staff for the holidays. The staff is made of 2 different hickory woods with a strip of ipe down the middle and lightly tapered at both ends. It is a fantastic weapon.

This jo is so beautiful that it is truly a pleasure to hold it. It is such a well crafted piece. It is cut to the right size to suit my height and has the right weight with a very solid feel when I move it. I am excited to bring it to class! Min Z. Apr 9 18

I took up the bo staff recently and for class we purchased an expensive performance staff. It’s a nice staff, but extremely light weight and more for tossing and playing than striking. For my art, I wanted more of a weapon than a toy.

The staff from Adam is sensational. The hickory is durable and beautiful and the ipe down the middle adds weight and stiffness. The balance is perfect and the grip and length is just what I wanted. The staff wants for nothing except an occasional rub down with high grit sandpaper and a touch up on the linseed oil finish.

Every time I practice with my new staff I am reminded again that we are practicing MARTIAL arts. While a lightweight staff is fun for tricks and goofing around, a true crafted WEAPON like this one is at the heart of the art. Thank you for a wonderful bo staff that I will use and enjoy throughout my martial arts journey.

-Jeremy K.

Adam does a nice job with his staffs. He custom cut this one for me to match another Tanbo staff I have. His finishing is wonderful and they are shipped well packaged in perfect condition. Thank you! -Don

This is another wnderful Tanbo from Scrapwood Martial arts. Ipe is beaufiful and has great weight and density. It feels comfortable in the hand. Thank you.-Don 3/1/18

Corey S. As a customer all I can say is this guy is superb in the art of weapon making! I have trained in various martial arts for years and have had the pleasure of training with weapons from all around Asia. This guy rivals and most times succeeds what are considered "Old world master craftsmen" the truth is I do consider this guy a master Craftsman. I have never received a product with knots in the wood, warping, splintering etc and the finish is phenomenal! Great guy to work with and bounce ideas off of.

3/1/18 It is hard to find a jo staff that is not made from warped wood. This one is beautiful and straight.

2/25/18 Patricia R. This is a wonderful hiking staff and it is just the stick I had desiered. Thank you very kindly.

John B. 2/21/18 I saw the staffs on here and liked them. I reached out to Adam to ask for a longer heavier staff, and he hooked me up immediately. It has a great quality to it and feel, and there was good communication. Top notch service.

Jerry C Hello Adam, I received my Osage Orange Escrima Sticks today and really love them! I have enjoyed getting to know you and your work over the internet. If I desire to have a bo made from an exotic wood I will notify you with a request. Until the future...

Jerry C Hello Adam, I received my new Ipe laminated Bo Staff today and once again I am very pleased with your work and in doing business with you. Thank you very much for offering to do this after my black-wood request. I love its feel and its weight. I regard it as another one of your 'class' bo staffs in my collection.

Thanks again, Adam!

12/25/2017 Wow is all I can say. The staff is unbelievable. It is made from gorgeous white oak. It was a gift for my BF and he was elated when he received it, and he said I made a great choice for my gift. He is in love with it. Mimi L.

Ted P My hanbo order arrived today and I LOVE what I'm seeing in your work!

I'll be looking ahead to the future for others.

Thank you for sharing your talents in such a beautiful way.

12/7/2017 Outstanding service, and great craftsmanship. I highly recommend. Communication is pefect, and I received my staffs earlier then expected. Pictuees were sent and premium materials were used in this beautiful craftsmanship in making these custom items.

J. Gordon

Roy

This is a masterful example of craftsmanship. This staff is so well balanced and it cuts the wind with each stroke and movement. I have a few different variations of his work and I think each one is special and unique. Regardless of the size difference and materials each staff is infused with the spirit of the warrior/priest. I highly recommend any of his products and if you're debating on it,stop. Quickly get one of the best handmade battle ready staffs today. You're wasting time if you're still reading this. Buy it ASAP and look forward to a wonderfully made product that will provide many years of diligent faithful service. God bless you all my dear friends.

Matt S Great customer service! The items came as described. I will definitely order from him again..
The thing that separates a master Craftsman from a Journeyman is being able to make your weapons feel alive. This man's tools come alive in your hands like no other. The Japanese believe that a "Kami" or spirit is formed into the weapon once it is finished by the smith, these staffs add to that theory.
I believe I have ordered a total of four staffs in total and cherish every one of them and would not hesitate to take them into battle. I thank the smith for such a great all around job! I'm having some financial issues at the moment but will order again when I'm back in my feet. Have a wonderful day sir!

Emily B 'This bo feels like such an ally to me.'

11/16/17 Wonderful Tapered Hickory Bo Staff. Very well made. It is Balanced and Smooth. I am very pleased with all the items I have purchased here. Thank you

Amy Greetings! I want to tell you right now how much my Sensei loves my bo staff that you made! He said the taper is perfect, the ends are perfect, the quality of hickory is amazing, even the linseed oil finish is perfect. Normally when I buy wooden weapons he tells me to sand off the finish and redo it myself, but he said yours is perfect!

He said it's the second most perfect bo staff he's ever seen in his life, the most perfect belongs to HIS sensei and he joked that he practically sleeps on top of it to protect it.

He joked, "Whoever made this staff is going to be my new best friend."

I performed my kata (Choun No Kun, if you know it) quite a bit better than I normally do. I did practice it very carefully a few days ago, but I also think that maybe having him gush over what a nice bo it is may have inspired me?

Thank you for such a lovely weapon!

Amy S: I'm a repeat customer! I've bought some bo's from Adam and by now he knows what kind of grain I like in my hickory, so when I bought a set of tan bo he sent me "the most aesthetically pleasing pair". Now that's customer service! I will definitely purchase from him again and again.

11/2/2017 Adam is amazing. He has great responsiveness, sent pictures of the progress he made and built my very own "Unlabored Flawlessness"! I would certainly buy from him again. -ST

10/6/2017 Very Solid Hickory with quick shipping. Beautifully done. Thankful for the martial-arts staff and all the effort and time put in -thank you!! Mark H.

To see over 400 more 5 Star reviews you may check us out on etsy at www.etsy.com/shop/scrapwoodmartialarts but then don't forget to return here to our website to purchase your staff ;) Or feel free to contact us through e-mail at scrapmartialarts@gmail.com for questions or for custom inquiries. Thanks! And whether you decide to leave a review here one day or not, that you are happy with your staff is of utmost importance to me, and I'll always do whatever I can to make sure your martial arts kobudo experience is something you can be proud of -Adam!