Where can I buy at least jo grade tatami mats?

piryohae3 · April 9, 2020

I want to get a production beater sword for tameshigiri. The only US vendors I found sell mats by Mugen Dachi which are nami grade, the lowest without a bamboo core. I'm looking for new jo grade or better with a green bamboo core. Anyone know where to find them?

jeremy · April 10, 2020

Probably try e-budo.com for these types of questions. Here in Australia there's no supply of any type of tatami omote hence we use beach mats and bamboo. Good luck in your search

Katsujinken · April 10, 2020

Contact Nihonzashi down in Florida. They may be able to help you out if you haven’t tried already.

Ken-Hawaii · April 10, 2020

I run e-budo.com, James, & if there are tatami omote grades better than bare mats, I haven't found a source after 20 years of searching. Tameshigirimats.com is where I bought my last batch of 500 mats, but their Web-site seems to be down or defunct. They used to sell to Nihonzashi, whose prices are now exhorbitant! Might have to grow your own tatami.

Nihonzashi NihonzashiNihonzashi, whose prices are exhorbitant!

Katsujinken · April 12, 2020

Ken is right, the prices from resellers like Nihonzashi are ridiculous, but unless you are prepared to buy a shipping container (yes literally), fill it with tatami omote, and pay for all of the shipping and logistics, and store the container and thousands of mats once it arrives, you will pay upwards of $8 per mat after shipping.

My sword organization was able to do what I described above by pooling resources. That got the price per mat down to around $4... which is still infinitely more expensive than what it costs to cut in Japan ($0!).

It’s tough practicing an art that includes tameshigiri in America... even tougher in a big city. :-/

And by the way, I have only seen either mugendachi or tatami omote for sale. If you’re looking to insert green bamboo you’ll literally have to “roll your own.”

Good luck.

John A Stuart · April 17, 2020

I used to get bulk shipments of tatami for kiri from S Salafia , (888) 660 9673, Mantis Inc., 9 Westminister S/C #394, Westminister MD 21157 This was over 15 years since so info may be dated. John

jeremy · April 21, 2020

I used to buy hanwei swords drom shawn salafia about 20 years ago ! He used to run a site called mantis swords, as far as i know he doesnt operate anymore .

Jeremy

jeremy · April 21, 2020

The Owner at mugendachi gave me this idea a few years ago, to get beach mats to feel more like tatami when cutting. Or should I say similar resistance when cutting . Roll about 3 beach mats and insert a 6mm-10mm pine dowel. Soak about 12 hours. Dry for an hour or so. This is what we have resorted to here in Australia. As well as fresh green bamboo.

Jeremy

Ken-Hawaii · April 24, 2020

Beach mats down under must be a lot more robust than our Hawaiian counterparts, Jeremy. It would take a dozen of them, plus bamboo, to give a decent tameshigiri target!

jeremy · April 25, 2020

It gives similar resistance to the mugendachi grade tatami (which is the lowest grade/softest resistance) however it doesnt compare to the used tatami omote and other higher grade tatami used in Japan. Even these beach are starting to become hard to find here down under!

jeremy · April 25, 2020

This is from a couple of days ago

Greg F · April 26, 2020

Jeremy where do you get your beach mats from?

I bought a bunch of tatami off ebay a few years ago for a bucket load and since then anything ive found is even more rediculously expensive unfortunately. Im very keen to get somd too, hopefully theres a solution.

Ive seen videos of piles of free tatami that are used in Japan. Such a tease!

Greg

jeremy · April 26, 2020

Here in Sydney the Chinese cheap reject type shops have them. But now even they are getting harder to find. It'll be only be bamboo that will be available for cutting soon I feel.

Ken-Hawaii · April 26, 2020

I started a small bamboo grove in my back yard, for exactly that reason. Just had to be careful that it's the non-spreading kind.

Steves87 · April 26, 2020

My class brought in a container last year, was an expensive exercise, but worked out to be about $4.50aud a mat (that's like 25c USD these days haha), the minimum was 2000 mats, but they were made to order and were wider than the usual 1800x600 dimension, which means more cuts per session if you are economic about it.

I bought 100 to beef up my stock.

The cheapest site I have seen otherwise is ninecircles.com, if you buy 100 at a time

Ken-Hawaii · April 27, 2020

One thing NOT to do is try to substitute rolled newspaper for tatami. Two of my kohai ruined decent shinken, thinking they could cut anything with their new blades.

Here's the link for Nine Circles: https://www.ninecircles.co.uk/iaido/test-cutting-and-accessories/test-cutting/straw-test-cutting-mats-100-pack/

Great if you're in the UK.

jeremy · April 27, 2020

Foam pool noodles are another sub standard substitute for mats and bamboo. Good for beginners too. N

Greg F · April 28, 2020

I'd be happy to go halves with another Ausie.

Greg

jeremy · April 28, 2020

Hey Greg , check your PM.

Jeremy

Blazeaglory · April 29, 2020

What are traditional tatami mats made from? Straw or bamboo?

Is this a good deal? 20 for 170$ roughly? They're almost 4' in length

https://www.ebay.com/itm/352895158178

Ken-Hawaii · April 29, 2020

Tatami is a type of reed, called "rush." Tatami omote is the top layer, that's used for cutting, as I understand the term.

jeremy · April 30, 2020

What are traditional tatami mats made from? Straw or bamboo?

Is this a good deal? 20 for 170$ roughly? They're almost 4' in length

https://www.ebay.com/itm/352895158178

These aren't tatami omote. As Ken had said, tatami is a type of rush or igusa grass. Bit harder to cut than straw . Not sure if that eBay straw is a good deal or not.

Jeremy

Katsujinken · April 30, 2020

Those eBay mats cost about the same as what you could get from Nihonzashi, which would be a better choice because 1) you’d be supporting a local small business, and 2) you can get actual tatami omote or mugen dachi and not this mystery crap from eBay. :-P

doomsdaymachine · May 2, 2020

What are traditional tatami mats made from? Straw or bamboo?

Is this a good deal? 20 for 170$ roughly? They're almost 4' in length

https://www.ebay.com/itm/352895158178

Those look a lot like the mats that Bugei used to sell. If they are they are fun to cut, but they are spongy. Won't provide you the same feedback as cutting real tatami omote. Bad cuts can still make it through just fine. I vote Nihonzashi.

Greg F · June 7, 2020

I recently purchased some mats from nine circles with Jeremy and I am extremely happy with the mats and the speed they arrived in Australia especially during the covid situation even happier with the efforts from Jeremy. If anyone ever has to do any kind of business with Jeremy I recommend him for his honesty and great communication. Thanks again Jeremy.

Greg

Ken-Hawaii · June 7, 2020

How much was the freight charge, Greg?

jeremy · June 7, 2020

Thanks for the kind words Greg . It was unusually quick from the UK to Australia! Freight for 100 tatami was about $500 Aussie, definitely not a cheap endeavour by any means! Safer than cutting bamboo especially here in the winter time though.

Ken-Hawaii · June 7, 2020

Why is it unsafe to cut bamboo in wintertime? Snow? Ice? Attack by heat-seeking wallabies?

jeremy · June 8, 2020

Most bamboo species become harder during colder months. It feels a bit more like cutting through wood, so more chance to chip or bend a sword.

PNSSHOGUN · June 8, 2020

Has anyone bothered to try and use ballistic gel & moulds for Tameshi?

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