Almost Like Getting My First MP5...

[SteyrAUG]

You know that feeling when you finally add a "grail" to your collection. Something you've wanted for perhaps decades and honestly never quite believed you'd ever find and / or afford one. The sense of awe as you hold it in your hands and think to yourself "I don't believe I finally own one." That wonderful sense of accomplishment and contentment as you place in with the other chronology of your collection.

Well thankfully I collect some other things that don't require $10-20k to enjoy that gratifying experience. And I hope you will indulge me on this one as most of you, especially those who didn't grow up trying to be Bruce Lee, might not be able to completely relate.

Anyone who has paid close attention knows I have been involved in the martial arts most of my life and that in addition to training with weapons I collect them as well. Especially vintage weapons from a time long gone.

If you grew up reading the same kinds of magazines I did you probably know of a company called Dolan's Sports which sold nunchaku from the late 1970s to the late 1980s which are now very collectible.



And I have a few.



This includes some hard to find examples.



Among the rarest of the rarest were a pair produced by Dolans in 1976 only with their unique U swivel chain but before they added caps to the sticks to prevent splitting.







And I assumed this would be the only pair along these lines I'd ever find and I resumed my quest to find more later model pair.

Well just recently I had a major grail moment.



Those are the FIRST Dolan's ever offered in 1975 only. Two pairs of the Bruce Lee style, one with a shorter chain than the standard 9".







Then there is this pair. To the best of my knowledge these are the first pair of US made nunchaku ever offered on the market and they were available from 1974 until about 1976 by Shuriken Co.







And if you are thinking to yourself, those look like nothing more than two billy clubs chained together with screw eyes you are correct. They are barely a grade above what we made as kids in the 1970s with broomsticks, screw eyes and chain. I actually managed to grab two pair of these and they are both pretty much mint. And they are also incredibly rare and hard to find.

[SteyrAUG]

Now here is where my knees started wobbling.



I have the COMPLETE SET of Tokaido Ltd. (Tokyo) nunchaku offerings. These are late 60s or early 70s. This is what Fumio Demura, Ryusho Sakagami and Tadashi Yamashita were using in the early 70s because there wasn't anything else made. Eventually Tokaido would stop offering weapons and Shureido became the premier weapon supplier. But during the 60s and early 70s Tokaido was IT. They were the only weapons permitted in some dojo.



They initially were offered with a long, thin dog collar type chain. By 1974 they swapped out that for shorter and heavier Dolan's style chain stock. Here is an example of an ad from 1974 showing the change to heavier stock chain.



I now have both wood grades (standard and high grade) of their 14" corded nunchaku.



I have the 14" chain model.



Incidentally it's virtually impossible to verify a chain from a cord model as they are the identical stick stock and the chains are simply tied in place with cords.

I have the 12" models in both chain and cord.



I have the half round (half moon) in 14" I cannot even begin to discuss how impossibly rare this pair is.



And I have another incredibly rare one, a half stick version sporting it's original dog chain collar. The cords securing it were still in pretty good shape and I don't think I'll be swinging these around much so I just left it original.



And all with the Tokaido "nunchaku" logo on the bottom of the stick.



When Dolan's and AWMA came on the scene in the late 1970s they took over the US market and Tokaido's were rarely seen after that. Typically they were only used by instructors from Japan / Okinawan who recently arrived or "old timers" who just never felt the need to upgrade their old equipment.

Last time I saw that logo was probably 1981, sure was neat seeing a box full of them again.



They will go nicely with my Tokaido sai.





I have to go breath in a paper bag now.

[Safetyhit]

Don't you know that someone can get hurt with one of those things?


By the way as you can likely predict I did indeed have the exact type of 80's era nunchaku, including the swivel. Ordered them as a teen around '83, the set was one brown with etchings, one was black with silver colored studs and one just flat black. The same order contained a brass handle Balisong and a small multi, credit card sized tool that I still have in my wallet to this day. All the others are gone.

Opened countless beers with that little tool, let alone cans, etc. Was a giveaway with the order but became nearly priceless many a time.

[cinco]

That was cool, thanks. I enjoy all sorts of history. Impressive collection. I do remember those ads growing up, but Mom wouldn't let me have any of the cool stuff. I would have hurt myself - she was right.



As I was reading your post, I pictured you instead of the fake Bruce Lee actor playing, and schooling, at ping pong using nunchaku.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SncapPrTusA

[polymorpheous]

Doesn't Tokaido supply all sorts of Budo supplies?
Or is it just Budo uniforms now?

[SteyrAUG]

Doesn't Tokaido supply all sorts of Budo supplies?
Or is it just Budo uniforms now?

Just uniforms since the late 70s.

[ChicagoTex]

The nunchaku ad selling the cup in the lower left corner cracked me up. Having screwed around with a pair only once, it became quickly obvious as to why that would be a good idea, at least for absolute rubes like myself.

[Tzed250]

8th grade shop class was all about making a set of 'chucks. I even remember a group of us ordering some shuriken from a mail order house, could have been Dolan's for all I know. We thought we were so cool. A total bunch of goobers is more like it.

I still watch Enter the Dragon when it comes on.

[SteyrAUG]

8th grade shop class was all about making a set of 'chucks. I even remember a group of us ordering some shuriken from a mail order house, could have been Dolan's for all I know. We thought we were so cool. A total bunch of goobers is more like it.

I still watch Enter the Dragon when it comes on.

I wish I still had some of my "home mades." Back then Dolan's sold the swivel chain hardware for $3.95 and I produced probably a dozen pair or so.

[Alaskapopo]

Nice collection. I like old swords myself but generally only spring for replica's or show swords.
Pat