I was exploring bachido forum as always and saw a post talking about bachi. Kyle said it had the same flexibility as a bekkou bachi.
I saw a enthusiast’s bachi and it is completely different from acrylic (Ps: its bekkou bachi)
Maybe the acrylic bachi kyle used is weatherbeaten?
Hi Shinji,
I think the acrylic bachi (like the see through kind) are very stiff, even the Bachido store says they are very hard. I’m not sure if it is actually acrylic or not but I believe what Kyle is talking about is the fake tortoise shell bachi, I have one myself and I am really happy with it, it makes the plastic one seem so stiff and light. Having said that, I have never had a bekkou bachi, so I can’t say how good it is compared to the real deal.
Hi Shinji,
Ah, the bachi that has similar flex to real bekkou is the “Faux Bekkou Bachi” (called 鼈甲調), not acrylic. Acrylic bachi is the transparent kinda.
Liam: Yeah, the faux bekkou is really nice. 
It’s probably only going to get better in the future, as newer synthetic technology gets used for it.
No question it is better than regular plastic bachi, and I find it superior to cheaper bekkou bachi, which are very stiff. Bekkou bachi do gain superiority when you get into the higher price ranges, as the flex increases. Masahiro’s bachi is almost unbelievably flexible, and slides off the ito like butter (in a good way).
Anyway, the faux bekkou is definitely worth it, and is far better than bekkou bachi of the same price, methinks.
Hmm as i am about to comment all i can think about is cake… darn profile pic… must resist…
Okay now i’m only thinking of cake abit…
What would be a good starting bachi?
On the subject of the faux bekkou bachi, do they all come from the same manufacturer, and are they all the same size? Katoh-san seemed to imply that that was the case, I think… Is it bad if the edge isn’t perfectly straight? My teacher told me that good bekkou bachi have a perfectly straight edge, and showed me one that was warped. My fake bekkou one has a bit of warping that seems to have shifted a little with use.
Im talking about this post
Here kyle says that the acrylic bachi has the same flexibility of a Bekkou Bachi
Cana - All depends on your budget really. Any bachi is a good starting bachi but if you don’t have much cash I would go for the cheap plastic one. That way you don’t spend too much and when you upgrade to a better bachi like I did, you will notice the change and you won’t take the flex for granted.
Sounds good liam
Thank you ^^
Caaaa~aaake…
Ah, Shinji, at the time of that post (2011), I thought acrylic bachi was the name for 鼈甲調 (faux bekkou). I learned the difference when I asked Masahiro to get an “acrylic bachi.” When it arrived at his office, he sent me a picture of it, and I was surprised to see that it was clear. When I showed him a pic of what I meant to get, he clarified that the clear bachi was acrylic and the fake bekkou was 鼈甲調。Oops!
The cakes no lie, kyle abbott… go ahead… reach out and grab the cake you know you want too.
Acrylic are very stiff, even more stiff than the most stiff bekkou you can find.
It’s definitely better to go with faux bekkou or even wood in my opinion. However, the bachi makes a huge difference in your playing experience, so go with the best you can afford.
The acrylic ones are played with the full-electric BENIYA models. Since there is no skin on the dou, and the top and bottom of them are plastic, a normal bachi would break rather quickly.
I have been using my faux bekkou (鼈甲調) since I began to play. It came with shamisen in a case six month ago and I thought it was real bekkou until it had a crack inside. The music store clerk said it is bekkou-Chou(鼈甲調),then I came to know what my Bachi really is.I still think it must be as good as real bekkou and very happy to play with it.
For four days while I was waiting for my Bachi coming back being repaired, I was using a guitar pick! That was a horrible experience.
Should I get an extra Bachi ?
what I’m hearing is that ‘faux’ bekkou is pretty darn good, maybe not quite as good as the real thing but very very close, and maybe more durable. sounds like the right choice to me…
but I’m curious, what is it? can anybody fill us in, is it simply a plastic that’s coloured to look like bekkou?
I would agree that it’s pretty awesome. It has the flexibility of most decent bachi and doesn’t chip away as much from regular playing.
I’m not exactly sure, but it’s made from some kind of acrylic or other synthetic material. More than just the regular plastic bachi (which is much stiffer).
Gwaah…
If Bekkou-Chō’s handle could be made with something else than plastic… would be awesome and pro-looking