Training Weapons (Exotic Hardwoods)
The creator of this site, Michael Enad makes wooden kris swords from Maple, Cherry, Walnut, Oak, Mahogany, African Wenge, Cocobolo, Paduk, Bubinga, and Goncalo Alves. In addition, he makes garotes (listed under Pacific War Clubs).
I've ordered from him already, and he is very responsive with emails, and will accomodate most customization requests (length, weight, wood, finish).
For $35 (+ s/h) per garote, I haven't found a better price on the net
This company sells dowels in a lot of domestic woods in 36" (hanbo) lengths in various diameters (1/8" increments up to 10/8"). They're perfect for making your own practice sticks and will survive most impact strikes. I would recommend getting hickory or ash.
The best thing is the value. Each dowel only costs a few dollars whereas if you bought hickory sticks completed, it would cost you $10 minimum. Also, you have a lot of customizing options in choosing length, diameter, texture (how much you want to sand it down), and finish.
To complete your sticks, all you need is a saw to cut it down, sandpaper (I start at 220 grit), maybe a file to bevel the edges down, and an oil finish (optional).
NOTE: If you are going to order, I would advise you to buy some extra dowels so that you can pick the best from them (some will be bowed). I've already ordered from here. I bought 5 dowels, 3 were straight, 2 bowed out in the center. I plan to cut those down into dagas.
I think this is the most well known store around here. The owner is a nice guy, and will entertain visits to his physical store upon special request to view the products. (I'm assuming there isn't an actual store front, but a garage or wherehouse). They ship out of the Bay Area (Pinole)
Kris Cutlery has the best prices I've found on the web for exotic hardwood sticks. Recently though, their selection of sticks has dropped as they no longer carry purpleheart or bloodwood sticks.
I've ordered from here numerous times without problem. Their kamagong sticks are very nicely polished.
These guys make a variety of Japanese and Filipino wooden weapons (garote, sticks, kris, sword) Their specialty is with macassar ebony (kamagong). In fact, I think that's the only wood they use.
Prices are great and rival a lot of the prices at Kris Cutlery. ie. $44/pair kamagong sticks
This company specializes in exotic hardwood weapons primarily for Japanese Koryu arts, but they will make 'eskrima' sticks as well. Woods they use are hickory, purpleheart, jatoba, cocobolo, and the very rare, very heavy, very expensive lignum vitae.
They also offer customization and lamination. Prices are a bit steep though. I havent ordered from them, but I suspect the quality of the product is topnotch.
This site is under renovation and doesn't have anything to sell currently. When it was open in the past, they sold many domestic and exotic hardwood sticks.
Bob's focus is primarily on bokken, but he does make eskrima sticks, though he can only make octagonal sticks. (I prefer to train with octagonal sticks anyway) Woods he uses: Hickory, Red and White Oak, Cocobolo, Indonesian Rosewood, Brazilian Rosewood, Purple Heart, Jarrah, Paduak, Jatoba to name just a few
I emailed him and his quote for a pair of 28" cocobolo sticks was $50, very affordable for the type of wood I asked about.
Their specialties are tonfa and nunchaku, but they make sticks of various lengths (bo, jo, hanbo, eskrima) out of domestic and exotic hardwoods.
Prices aren't listed on the site, but through an email, their quote for a pair of round cocobolo sticks was $65 plus shipping.
Canadian company makes bokken, clubs, and sticks out of various hardwood and domestic woods. I do not know the pricing structure here. Lamination and 'ebonized oak' offered.
I do not believe they answer emails.
Mark S Taylor runs this site and builds staffs of any length, wood, taper, and diameter that you want. He specializes in laminating and hollowing out the inside to make a staff lighter.
I've emailed him, and he says that he can make eskrima sticks for around the same price, but I suspect it would be cheaper if you ordered a long bo staff and cut it up yourself. He charges a flat fee of something around $100 any length (up to 9'), laminate, wood, diameter.