How I ’Shape’ Men - My Unorthodox Soft Method

First, read my mendare shape preferences.  This is my goal in shaping my men in my favorite “Shape 1” style.

The orthodox spring steel method (I don't like):

Most new-to-kendo people are told to tie the men up in elaborate ways and leave it for a long time to shape the mendare.  The idea is to crease the mendare in just the right way so the mendare returns to the right shape like spring steel.  It’s the common way.  These people have good intentions, but the effect is so minimal I don’t see the point in doing this.  During one hard training, your bogu is sweat in, knocked around, later dried in another shape, and finally placed in a bogu bag in another shape.  After a few trainings, the shape returns to Shape 2.   It looks just as haphazard and unintentional as an unshaped men.   

See this spring steel method I don't prefer below:

Bogu is only like spring steel when it sits on the shelf dry.  After many trainings's it naturally becomes Shape 2.  It needs to be shaped every training multiple times, like a soft moldable clay.  

How I maintain Shape 1:

It takes constant (yet little) effort for me to achieve Shape 1.  Immediately after tying the men on the head, the mendare has to be properly molded and shaped into shape 1 (which takes only a few seconds).  Then the mendare has to be shaped again during natural breaks in training for a (again, only takes a few seconds). 

I needed to look in the mirror and watch video footage to make sure the shape was maintained during training, shiai, etc.

HOWEVER:

If my mendare is too stiff, none of this above maintenance works.  It needs to be soft and moldable enough.

Making mendare a soft and moldable clay:

I always agressively crease my machine stitch daily-practice and taikai mendare immediately after I buy it.  I fold it in many directions till it’s soft enough to naturally flop downward if held hanging by the menhimo (see photo below).  I make my mendare it soft enough for me to mold into a good shape like clay, multiple times during training for a few seconds.  

The soft mendare is also more comfortable.  It allows me to pull away the mendare from my ears after I tie it. This allows a pocket of air between my lower ears and the mendare.  I can hear more clearly this way.

Once your mendare is soft, you can’t really go back and stiffen it.  So, do this at your own risk.