How to Choose a Sadhu Board: Spacing, Nails, Wood and Size
Choose a Sadhu board by separating five decisions: nail spacing, fixed or floating construction, nail material, wood and size. The highest-priced combination is not a requirement for starting. You need clearly described specifications and a board that matches the configuration you actually want.
POPOVYCH is a Ukrainian workshop making Sadhu boards from solid ash and thermo-ash. Our baseline recommendation for a first board is 10 mm nail spacing, with an appropriate size. This is a product-selection recommendation, not a guarantee of a painless or medically suitable practice.
1. Understand nail spacing
Spacing is the nominal distance between neighbouring nails. It is not the length of the nail or the length of the board. POPOVYCH uses a triangular arrangement known as the Flower of Life pattern.
Consider a wider spacing only in relation to your own experience, rather than buying it as an automatic future upgrade. A review describing a long session does not tell you which spacing will be suitable for you. Order only an option actually available in the product selector.
2. Fixed or floating nails?
Fixed nails stay secured in the base. In the POPOVYCH floating system, each nail can move down independently under load and return to its original position. Vertical travel is up to 10 mm.
10 mm spacing and up to 10 mm travel describe different things. A fixed board can have 10 mm spacing without any floating mechanism. Neither construction guarantees a painless experience.
3. Compare nail materials
| Material | What it is | A practical consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Galvanized steel | Steel nails with a zinc coating | A lower-cost option in comparable configurations |
| Copper | Copper nails | A warm appearance and natural surface changes over time |
| Brass | A copper-zinc alloy | A different material with a golden tone, not gold |
Copper and floating nails are not interchangeable terms: copper boards can be fixed or floating. Select the material for its actual properties, appearance and cost, not a promise of treating a health condition.
4. Ash or thermo-ash?
Ash has a lighter colour and natural grain. Thermo-ash is heat-treated wood with a deeper, darker appearance. Both are solid wood, with geometry formed by CNC followed by sanding, finishing, assembly and checks in the workshop.
Natural grain varies between pairs. A photograph shows the model and materials, not a promise that every piece of wood will have exactly the same pattern.
5. Check the working area, not just the outline
For the main 10 mm options, the store uses these labels:
| Store size label | Working length between the outermost nails |
|---|---|
| Up to 40 | 26 cm |
| 41–44 | 29.5 cm |
This is the nail-field length, not automatically the maximum foot length. Larger options, including 46 and 48, may be available in the product selector. Do not treat store labels as US or UK shoe sizes. For uncertainty, send your usual size and actual foot length in centimetres to the workshop.
Compare a few relevant configurations
For a classic lower-cost option, consider fixed galvanized nails in ash. To choose the floating mechanism without selecting copper, compare floating galvanized nails in ash.
For copper and independent movement, compare floating copper nails in ash with floating copper nails in thermo-ash. These product links open existing Ukrainian-language pages; the models differ in wood rather than the basic choice of copper and floating construction.
What is included, and what is optional?
The main board set contains two boards for two feet, a named kraft box, two double-sided printed inserts and a Palo Santo gift. Engraving, a bag-mat and paid learning are separate options. Check the final configuration and total before ordering.
For a gift, first confirm that the recipient wants to try nail standing, then their size and experience. A personal engraving cannot compensate for an unsuitable size or an unwanted practice.
Ordering internationally
Shipping method, cost and preparation time depend on the destination and configuration. Contact the workshop about your destination before placing an international order. Ukrainian domestic free-delivery terms are not worldwide free shipping, and a past delivery time in a review is not a guarantee for your address.
Before practice, read how to prepare for a first Sadhu board session and the separate discussion of benefits, risks and limitations. A product choice does not replace individual medical advice.
Workshop videos
Workshop video · Materials and construction · Choosing a board · First-board guidance · More from the workshop
Choose the combination you want to practise with
Solid ash or thermo-ash, fixed or independently moving nails, and the option of personal engraving. POPOVYCH makes each configuration with hand finishing and support from the workshop.
Browse the available pairs and compare their specifications. For an international order, confirm destination-specific shipping arrangements before payment.
The catalogue and product cards open in Ukrainian. Prices for core boards are for a pair of two boards.