Hey folks,
I'm looking to find a better cutting medium than pool noodles. I know a lot of people use cheap straw beach mats in place of actual wara/tatami. I can't find any locally (apparently Ohio has no beaches :) ). Has anyone come across a good, reliable, relatively cheap source online? Thanks!

I haven't used these:

http://store.yahoo.com/asianideas/strawmats.html

http://www.beachtrading.com/strawbeachmat.html

http://store.yahoo.com/skate2000/strawbeachmats.html

Nathan (who's up awfully early) :),
Thanks. I had run across some of those as a result of googling. Are those fairly average prices, $3-5?

Frankly, I'd ignore all those. Nevermind I linked there.

Go here http://www.tameshigiri.com/ and buy some better mats. They have some for less than three bucks apiece. New customers can buy their first box (20 pieces) of tatami omote at the "New Customer" price of $2.50 per mat, plus shipping

Bugei also has their lowest quality mats at about $3.20 a mat.

Bugie is out of stock, as is tameshegiri.com. Tameshegiri.com is getting another shipment in a few weeks, though.

Thanks!

Thanks, guys! I had remembered seeing these advertised ( think by Bugei) at these prices at the Blade Show. I hadn't got around to checking into them yet, but I was starting to get the bug to cut some different media.

I think there was an ad up at the CAS booth advertising mats, too, but I might be mistaken or it's the same thing.

Chad,
As I host cutting parties often, I discovered long ago unless you live on the westcoast, shipping for tatami will eat you alive.
I got a price from bugei a while back for about 20 mats and basically the shipping was going to cost more than the mats themselves, I think the total price was over $125ish.......

I use East Coast Martial Arts supply. Bob Elder is a great guy to deal with http://www.ecmas.com/

Currently their website says they are out of stock, but id keep checking with them. Their prices per mat are comparable to others, but since they are east coast, shipping might be less for you.

So that's what it is!!!

It's simply a Beach Mat!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
I never thought of that!!

I quess I can buy them in any store that sells bading stuff.....

Yeah, definately get real tatami mats, not beach mats. Not only is the price roughly the same, but I've found that tatami mats tend to cut more smoothly. I've only tried a "normal" beach mat once, and it just wouldn't allow a full cut. Maybe I didn't soak it enough, I don't know, but I've never had any problems at all with tatami.

David's totally right, though. Shipping will kill you.

Thanks for the advice guys. I may try East Coast Martial Arts supply. Or I may go the cheap route and use $1.50 pool noodles.... :)