I bought it around year and half and now cracked like this , does anyone know it’s my technical problem cause the damage ,or because of the weather ? And how do I fix it?
Oh no! So sorry that happened, Wanni! Did you get it through Bachido? If so, would you mind writing me at kyle (at) bachido (dot) com? I can work out getting a replacement for you. 
Thanks Kyle , it’s not from bachido store , I’m planning to get a new one now , hope the next one can stay a little bit longer😣
Ah, I understand. It’s very strange, but such breakage does seem to occur randomly for these kind of bachi. If possible, it might be worth contacting the seller to see if you can get a replacement. It’s happened to the ones we’ve sold a few times, so definitely a product flaw.
Ic , thanks for your suggestion, I will try to contact the seller from Japan , I was so scare when I see the damage , because I’m a new learner and play shamisen for just year and half , no such experience before , it’s good to see your reply here, thanks again 
I understand! This would be scary to see for anyone, beginners to advanced players 
If something breaks, new learners often assume it’s their fault for the damage. Sometimes that’s true, but quite often accessories are also defective. 
you’re so right , after consulting a few experts shamisen player (including you ) I’m now have more confidence on myself bachido community really is a big lovely place for all the shamisen players thank you Kyle , i never thought that a master player like you will reply this little small potato’s message, thanks again
1 Like
I’m glad the open nurturing environment of the community has helped you build confidence! 
I think the thing that really makes the community as welcoming and grounded is the general feeling that no matter how long we’ve been playing, we’re all the same size potatoes enjoying this cool instrument!
Thanks Kyle, whenever I’m facing the difficulty in shamisen I’m always think about bachino ,glad that knowing I’m not alone
Hey @Kyle_Abbott
Analyzing the damage in the photo, it seems to be related to the flex of the blade acting all the way to the glued area, where the handle material would be sort of brittle.
If I am not mistaken, this Bachi is made from a special German casein sheet, which comes in specific thicknesses. That seems likely to me because of the nearly uniform thickness along the blade.
Looking at the Bachi, it seems it doesn’t have thickness enough at the area where the blade is split into two sheets to hold the handle.
More thickness there would counteract the flex action in the glued area, minimizing the chance of this kind of damage.
One option to avoid wasted material (and higher costs from thicker casein sheets) would be to order an almost double-thickness sheet (if available) and split it in diagonal, so you would end up with thicker material at the handle glueup area, and less material at the blade edge right from the cut.
In case you still have contact with the manufacturer (and I want to ask, is this the famed “Pantera Bachi”?), this information could be useful to them.
Cheers.
That’s an interesting point! Wanni can correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe this is a Pantera Bachi (the sides of that model has a sharper curve from handle to tip). My guess is that it would be casein as well (or something very similar). It’s a bit tricky to get feedback to the manufacturer, because the only people who have contact with the manufacturer are the retailers/suppliers. (Different case with Toa, as they’re both the manufacturer and retailer of the Pantera Bachi) If the retailer gets enough complaints from customers about breakage, they’ll notify the maker.
This is the brand of this bachi , and I have send a message to the online store , that’s what they reply .
Hi @Wanni
That is unfortunately a clear case of them (seller and manufacturer) not taking responsibility for the long term durability of their product, and I’d advise you to stay away from it, and possibly consider a truthful review, if you can still leave one. Trying to get you to buy a new one while the one they sold you broke is a bad move, to be perfectly honest. I hope you would consider disclosing the store you bought from, for the benefit of other possible buyers.
If you decide to get a new bachi, make sure to get one from a respected seller, like Kyle, from Bachido, who is very likely to support you for much longer than other sellers would, and would actively engage maufacturers if there is something wrong with their products.
Now, your bachi can be fixed, but it may take a bit of careful work.
Would you like help with detailed instructions on what to do to fix it so it can at least last a couple of years more before you have to buy a new one?
If you do like some help, please post some close up photos of the current condition of the bachi so I can evaluate the course of action.
Cheers,
Hi jonnyfive , thanks for the advice, i don’t know how to fix it , for now I guess I will play like usual until one day it breaks apart, Here’s the current status, you can see the difference it cracked more and more , I will not buy again from this online store , I might consider to buy form here , still look around , I think the problem is the manufactory quality control not good , its funny that they said it’s been a long time so nothing they can do , I bought this in 2021 oct , and I notice this issue on 2023 feb , it’s only one year and 4months , with the price ¥27000 (not included delivery fees)
The mark on the bachi handle is the company mark for TOA.
Although it does look a bit different, doesn’t it?
Compare^
@Wanni
Given the current condition, I don’t think it will last much longer without some kind of repair or reinforcing.
I highly recommend you to at least do some filling with a specific type of CA glue, so it will last at least a couple of years.
The materials you need are really simple, and you don’t need special skills, just some care and attention with what you are doing.
There are two types of glue you can use, depending on whether or not you can have access to the inner areas of the crack.
If you can take a guitar pick or something thin made of plastic (there are some tools that people use to pry apart smartphone screens that can be useful here), and slightly pry apart the blade material from the handle material (in order to make more space to insert the glue tip inside the crack area), you can use a medium flexible glue like Starbond KEG-500 Flexible Medium Thick (Heavy Medium).
This glue will fill the crack, and be flexible enough to make it last longer. The glue has a special ultra-thin tip applicator that allows you to squeeze the glue deep into the cracked area.
If you can’t pry apart it very much, or at all, you will need an ultra thin glue like Starbond EM-02 Super Fast Thin CA Super Glue for Wood Finish, Inlays, and Stabilizing. It also has a very thin applicator tip, but it will flow through the crack and infiltrate deep into the material. It is not flexible, so it won’t last as long, but at least it should last a year or so.
But it is more imporant that you fix the crack between the blade material and the handle material. The crack that shows up only on one side of the blade material is less likely to progress, or to cause you issues while playing, if you fix the blade/handle crack.
The fix is relatively simple. Use plastic/latex/etc gloves, eye protection, table/desk protection (a few sheets of paper is enough), good lighting, and if possible a magnifying glass. Be in a well ventilated area, and study the cracks well before pouring glue inside of it. Take the thin tips and try to insert those (without the glue tube attached) in the crack to see how far it goes, and only then start gluing.
Do one side, squeezing glue in, and pressing the blade sides together firmly with your hands for a minute or two. Wait 10~20 minutes and do the other side. Be patient, and your repair will be great. If you have glue squeeze-out, let it dry, and scrap it off with the side of an xacto blade.
If you cause the blade material to lose shine, either with glue or by scraping, use a #5000 wet sandpaper until you make it shiny again.
Cheers,
2 Likes
Thank you so much , this is very details and useful information, I’m really appreciate it, while I’m looking for new replacement , i will follow your instructions to repair it first, thanks 
I don’t know if this is fake or the real one, the online shop that I purchased this bachi is from the recommendation of a YouTuber called Tokyo lens actually it’s not as good as he said, I might consider to buy from bachido, I trust kyle more
1 Like
Tokyo Lens? I see.
Did you buy it direct from him? You can dm me the shop information if it was an affiliate.
Sorry you got burned.
No not directly from him , this is the shop he recommended in his video, I will pm you if you wanna know