Breaking in to new bogu

I just picked up my new bogu from my dad's office just now! I'm really excited! Marcus warned me to not get TOO excited though.... well, I'll try to NOT sleep in it tonight.... it's so beautiful....

So i upgraded from this

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THIS!!!!!

Can you guys spot the difference?

Everything is new except for the zekken (nameplate). Even the shinai is new.... my first one had a lot of splints, starting to get very dangerous already. So I also ordered a fighting shinai.... haha.

Let's start with the men. Very nice fit, and definitely less heavy than the school's one. A lot less dustier too. It's still hard, and feels somewhat starchy, so I need to break the men-dare (the flaps) after this. Tie them up with the flaps facing front and upwards, leave it in the bag until Saturday, and we're good to go.

nice, classy finish.

Check out the cute floral patterns on the inside.

Next up is the kote. It felt like heaven to put on kote that did not have holes in them!!! They're still hard, but overall, much better than what I'm used to wearing. I paid more for the kote, since I was told that kote are worth investing in, since they're the fastest to wear out. And plus, I don't wanna wear holed kote again.

See? No holes... FINALLY!!!

Right up is the tare. And my zekken that Abul ordered for me from Japan. The tare is very nice, longer than what I used to wear. Makes the wearer look more elegant.

The red sewn-lines are a nice touch.

And finally, we have the do. Frankly, this is the reason why I got the bogu set today. Because of the color :-)

Iridescent orange that flows into black. The embroidery on the mune reminds me of Abul.

I really cannot wait for Saturday to come...

Oh yeah, and Kendoshop.com includes a bag as well. Mine is exactly the same as Marcus'. 

Awesome. The front pocket can be used to put in your tenugi or other miscellaneous stuff.

I would recommend ANY KENDO ENTHUSIAST to order from Kendoshop.com. Not only they're cheap, the quality is quite good as well, and the service is fast. Everytime I order I get a free keychain, complimentary. The goods are shipped from Korea, which are cheaper than their Japanese counterparts, but the same thing nontheless. Plus, they give you "Mileage Points". Every time you purchase from them, they give you points that will result in discounts for your next order. A bit like Bonuslink.

Now I'm off to admire my (repeat, MY) bogu. Maybe I'll sleep in it tonight after all.