Silly / Absurd

#87 · Miniature bo staff

Hold in both hands and perform your martial arts forms with conviction. Tiny, but spiritually enormous.

A traditional bo is around 1.8 metres of hardwood. A chopstick is 23 centimetres of bamboo. The gap between these two figures is substantial, and can be closed only by imagination - which, if you are staging an epic battle at 1:8 scale or defending a doll's house against invaders, is entirely sufficient.

Why it works

A bo is a long, straight, rigid staff with no blade, no guard and no grip, worked with both hands. A chopstick meets that description in every respect except magnitude. Scale is the one variable, and it is the one nobody in your living room is measuring.

Tips & warnings

• Duct-tape two together end to end and you have doubled your reach and your credibility.
• Perfect for tabletop RPG props and miniature photography.
• Even at this scale, do not hit anyone. It stings far more than the dimensions suggest.