Katori Shinto Ryu - Bokken & Shoto (Modèles Aramaki) [Set Daisho]

Thank you very much for your review.

Regarding the timber density, (Ichiikashi) red oak is significantly lighter than white oak or traditional (now almost extinct) Hon Akagashi red oak, so it's normal that it feels light.

Regarding the finish itself, we offer two finishes.
Standard and Seido special.
You have selected standard finish, so logically, the finish is not as good as our special high quality finish.

Finally, your comment on the tree age and thumbnail mark is incorrect.
The softness of the wood depends primarily on how it dried and how it is treated.
Before its closing, Horinouchi was producing 95% of all Niten Bokken on the market, so you probably experienced one of his production. Horinouchi used to use a drying machine, making the wood harder, but also a little less resilient (which has its pros on cons, not to be discussed here), and finish weapons with a relatively thick varnish.
Hon Akagashi was also used as standard timber back then, which is a denser and harder wood than Akagashi (Ichiikashi), as specified in our guides.
Furthermore, our weapons are finished with camelia oil, which is less protective than varnish and requires more care, but has much less ecological impact (and preservers the health of the craftsmen).

So if there is, undoubtedly, an issue with timber shortage in Japan, it is not the case of Ichiikashi, the most widely available wood timber for weapons, with a quality still similar to what was available in the past.

For the rest, I would strongly recommend reading our blog articles on theses topics, as Seido is the sole and only company that shares true and honest information on the reality of the situation.