Is Wood Strong Enough?
Obvious question first - and the answer is yes, absolutely. I'm a reasonably strong 38 year old guy, I go to the gym and I stay active. Even if I make a test kubotan in a weaker wood, like spongy ash sapwood, there is no way I can break it. The woods I use start with oak and zebrano, which are already pretty strong, and progress up to some of the toughest woods on the planet. You might find kubotans here made in Ebano, depending on what I have in stock, which as far as I can tell is literally the densest wood you can buy, anywhere. Possibly the densest wood on the planet. But with all of the wood I use, even the relatively "lighter" oak, there is absolutely no way any of them will break on you when you need them.
Why Wood?
Obviously, the aesthetics of wood are better than plastics or aluminium in tacky colours. And some of the woods I use really do look amazing. Better still, even the densest of them is only half the weight of aluminium. But there is another reason, which is part of why I have expanded the number of available designs - they don't look so obviously like weapons. There are countries in which the local police force consider kubotans as offensive weapons, and will charge you accordingly. Which is obviously insane, as they are a daily carry defensive item. If someone wanted to cause harm they could grab a knife or a steel bar, and likely do more damage with it. So these designs are made to look less threatening, and more like just a big keyfob.
How they are made
I create the designs on my computer using a CAD program (computer aided design), with each one having gone through multiple iterations to end up with the products you see on this site. Each kubotan is then made on my home brew CNC machine, using some pretty esoteric techniques, and sanded and finished by hand. Does this mean they are not "totally hand made"? Yes it does - although I am also a wood turner, and have worked semi-professionally as one in the past. So while I could make the basic designs here on my lathe, I prefer a CNC machine. It allows me to achieve a higher degree of consistency and quality in the final product, plus I can add spirals and patterns that would otherwise be impossible to do. The end result is that I can make kubotans that are way better than any I could produce by hand.
What Finish I Use
I've been testing different finishes recently, but unless the description say otherwise all kubotans are first soaked in a penetrating artificial resin. This strengthens them, hardening the surface and effectively waterproofing them from the inside. When cured a layer of wax is added on top - I use carbauba based car wax. Car wax might seem like a strange choice to woodworkers, but it actually works very well. It is designed to stick to artificial finishes, to be as hard and scratch resistant as possible, and again, totally waterproof. Plus it gives a great level of shine, somewhere in between satin and gloss. I doubt you'll ever need to touch it up, the wood certainly doesnt need to be "fed" or anything like that, but if you do want to wax it then most good quality waxes will do the job. Do not use pure beeswax!! I have seen other kubotans sold with beeswax, and I do not mean to be unkind, but it is honestly the worst possible choice. It is soft, it doesn't harden (crosslink) over time like carnauba does, and due to its low melting temperature it gets even softer at human body temperatures. Very easy to scratch, and it could easily get sticky just from handling. If you buy a kubotan from me and want a small sachet of the wax I use, just get in touch and I'd be happy to send one out for the cost of postage only.
Keyring End
I use solid stainless steel eye bolts for the first step of the keyring. To set them in place the kubotan is drill, the hole in the wood is threaded, and then the eye bolt is screwed and set into place with an industrial grade epoxy. No way it will ever come loose. Better, they strengthen rather than weaken the end of the kubotan, as would happen with a simple hole drilled through the wood. In addition the steel acts as a secondary striking surface. I tend to add simple 25mm keyrings to the eye bolt, although I can fit other sizes as requested.
