This is my favourite shinai from e-bogu ("Musha") which I've been using since July. The shinai is so resilient, that there was no trace of splinters until November, and it has affected just 1 side of a slat. The hardest part about maintaining this shinai was my inability to remove the tsukagawa even after numerous attempts. This afternoon I wetted the tsukagawa slightly and put all efforts into it and voila - it came off. As can be seen from the photo, the tsuka is so pale compared to the rest. With the tsukagawa off, I can now rotate the slats, effectively extending its life.