[header] How to make a bokken [title] Tools needed: hammer and chisel (used together), sandpaper, shaving plane, metal file (preferably steel ) [step] . [title] Gather a good branch of hardwood; this should be off a live tree. [step] A branch from the ground is unsuitable for any real use. 
How you get is should be with permission if you get it from someone else's property. Let the wood dry for a month in a place heated and dehumidified in a stable manner.