My son is new to 'special weapons forms'. I really did not want to invest in the expensive brand that the school suggested. So, I ordered these and took them to the instructors to make sure they were alright for him. They agreed that the size is perfect for my almost 11 year old son and had no problems with the quality and were quite impressed. While they are slightly heavier than the ones the school has, he likes that even better. Other students and parents inquired about where they were purchased and said they will be buying them too! Since this is all new to my son and I, I did not understand when I purchased them, that the entire center piece was octagonal, I thought that it was going to only be the handle. But, that doesn't affect their quality and my son likes the look. I highly recommend this set. They are just as good as any higher priced brand out there, so don't bother spending more or looking elsewhere!

I have just started learning how to use the sais and these are Perfect for a beginner.
Here is what I received in a nut shell.
1. The chrome sai set are not throwing balanced. Witch a beginner should not be doing in my view.
2. The handles are wrapped rather cheaply This can easily be fixed by re-wrapping them.
3. 18 inch in size and a little heavy. You will need to check the length of your arm before ordering them to make sure they are the right set of sais for you because of how sais are intended to be used.
4. Heavy this will mean that if you mess up the sais will give you a little sting to remind you how to use them.

So far I have not tried to do a sai push up yet, Sadly I do not have a sparing partner so I can't say if they hold up to real combat.
Any how by the time I reach that point I will probably get a better balance higher dollar sai set.

I recommend these sais for beginners who need to learn the motions and how to hold and swing the sais just re-wrap the handles and you will be good for a while.

I am not a ninja turtle righting the wrongs of the world in battle. But I do practice the use of Sai, as they are a brilliant defensive weapon, designed by policeman to counteract Samurai, when the Samurai had gone from being defenders of the weak to a bunch of lazy arrogant rich boy thugs terrorizing the locals, like all the snots in 80's movies who pick on the underdogs. You know what I'm talking about. These were used by the Po-Po to neutralize swords and such, defend against attacks, grab, pin, or immobilize people, and maybe break an arm, shoulder, wrist or fingers when necessary. They are not stabby things, they are batons, essentially. This set is right weight, and pragmatic enough for defensive oriented crowd control, if need be. The handle wraps are a little cheesy, but replace if you use a lot. Pay attention, Elmo, you can hurt yourself with these things if you're being an idiot, so don't be an idiot! Good tool for mindful body meditation and focus at slow speeds.

This is the first set of these I have ever purchased and they are definitely not toys. These things are every bit as heavy duty as I expected. The size and weight of these is enough to make a person confident in using them. Highly recommend.

It is a great value for the money- arrived as advertised. And on time.