This 42" long bokken has been carved from a solid piece of East African padouk. After giving a final sanding with 220 grit paper, I have given this several coats of tung oil, which will lock in the color and provide a strong coating that resists wear, soiling or denting from light contact. Padouk has a Janka hardness rating of 1970, and is dense and reasonably heavy so will withstand quite a bit of hard training if properly cared for. Please be advised that our bokken are somewhat wider and thicker than most commercial models produced in Asian factories. They fit North American and European hands well, and have a stouter feel to them.