Ken to Bolt Conversion Calculator: Free Online Tool

Convert ken to bolts with our free online length converter.

Ken to Bolt Calculator

Ken
Bolt

How to Use the Calculator:

  1. Enter the value you want to convert in the 'From' field (Ken).
  2. The converted value in Bolt will appear automatically in the 'To' field.
  3. Use the dropdown menus to select different units within the Length category.
  4. Click the swap button (⇌) to reverse the conversion direction.

How to Convert Ken to Bolt

Converting Ken to Bolt involves multiplying the value by a specific conversion factor, as shown in the formula below.

Formula:

1 Ken = 0.0596457 bolts

Example Calculation:

Convert 10 ken: 10 × 0.0596457 = 0.596457 bolts

Disclaimer: For Reference Only

These conversion results are provided for informational purposes only. While we strive for accuracy, we make no guarantees regarding the precision of these results, especially for conversions involving extremely large or small numbers which may be subject to the inherent limitations of standard computer floating-point arithmetic.

Not for professional use. Results should be verified before use in any critical application. View our Terms of Service for more information.

What is a Ken and a Bolt?

The Ken (間) is a traditional Japanese unit of length, primarily used in architecture and related fields. It is fundamentally defined as being equal to 6 Shaku (尺). Based on the modern standardized kanejaku Shaku (10/33 meters), the Ken is equivalent to:

  • 6 * (10/33) = 60/33 = 20/11 meters
  • Approximately 1.818 meters
  • Approximately 5.965 feet

Historically, the Ken represented the interval between pillars in traditional Japanese buildings and served as a fundamental module for architectural design, influencing room sizes and the dimensions of elements like tatami mats.

A Bolt is a commercial unit of length primarily used for measuring rolls of cloth or fabric. Unlike standardized units like the meter or yard, the length of a bolt is not fixed and can vary significantly depending on the type of material, the manufacturer, the country of origin, and trade customs.

Common lengths often associated with a bolt include:

  • 40 yards (approximately 36.58 meters) - Frequently cited, especially for cottons and silks in the US.
  • 100 yards (approximately 91.44 meters) - Often used for heavier fabrics like canvas.
  • Other lengths such as 30, 50, 60, or 120 yards may also be encountered.

The bolt represents a quantity convenient for wholesale trade, manufacturing, and inventory management rather than a precise scientific measurement.

Note: The Ken is part of the imperial/US customary system, primarily used in the US, UK, and Canada for everyday measurements. The Bolt belongs to the imperial/US customary system.

History of the Ken and Bolt

The concept of the Ken, like the Shaku, originated from Chinese architectural practices (where the equivalent unit is Jian 間). It was adopted into Japan along with other elements of Chinese culture and measurement systems.

  • Early Use: The Ken was used early on as a standard interval in temple and palace construction. Its length, however, was not strictly fixed and could vary based on the specific building style, region, or period. It was often tied directly to the prevailing length of the Shaku.
  • Standardization Attempts: Over time, particularly during the Edo period (1603–1868), attempts were made to standardize measurements. The Ken became strongly associated with architectural modules. Two prominent regional standards emerged:
    • Kyōma (京間): The Kyoto module, typically based on a slightly larger Ken (often around 6.5 Shaku or based on tatami dimensions), leading to larger room sizes.
    • Inakama (田舎間) / Edoma (江戸間): The rural or Edo (Tokyo) module, typically adhering more closely to the 6 Shaku standard or sometimes slightly smaller (e.g., 6.3 Shaku), resulting in slightly smaller rooms. This became more common.
  • Meiji Restoration (1868 onwards): With the standardization of the Shaku at 10/33 meters in 1891, the Ken was implicitly standardized as 6 Shaku = 20/11 meters (approx. 1.818 m). This is the value generally understood as the modern Ken.
  • Metrication: Although Japan officially adopted the metric system, the Ken remains a crucial unit in traditional architecture and related fields.

The concept of the bolt emerged from the practical needs of the textile industry. As cloth production scaled up, manufacturers and merchants needed a standardized way to handle, store, and trade large quantities of fabric. Winding cloth onto a roll or board (the "bolt") provided a convenient package.

The length associated with a bolt likely developed through trade customs specific to different types of fabric and regions. There was never a universal legal standard defining its length, leading to the wide variations seen historically and currently. While retail sales shifted towards measurement by the yard or meter, the bolt remained a useful unit in wholesale and industrial contexts. Even with the global adoption of the metric system, the term "bolt" persists in the textile trade as a reference to a full roll of fabric, though the exact length is usually specified separately in yards or meters.

Common Uses for ken and bolts

Explore the typical applications for both Ken (imperial/US) and Bolt (imperial/US) to understand their common contexts.

Common Uses for ken

The Ken's primary importance lies in its role as an architectural module:

  • Traditional Japanese Architecture: It defines the standard bay (pillar-to-pillar distance) in the ken module system (kenshin system 間真). This dictates the layout and proportions of temples, shrines, traditional houses (minka), teahouses, and castles. Room sizes are often described in terms of tatami mats, whose standard dimensions (historically 1 Ken by 0.5 Ken) are derived from the Ken.
  • Construction and Carpentry: Used for planning layouts, cutting timber, and sizing building components like fusuma (sliding doors) and shōji (screens).
  • Real Estate and Land: Room sizes in Japan are often measured by the number of tatami mats they can hold (e.g., a "6-mat room" - 六畳 rokujō), which indirectly relates to the Ken. Historically, it was also used for land parcel dimensions.
  • Martial Arts: The concept of distance or interval (maai 間合い) between opponents is crucial and sometimes measured or conceptualized in terms of Ken. The length of certain weapons, like the (staff), is often around 1 Ken (6 Shaku).
  • Traditional Garden Design: Used for establishing proportions and spacing elements within Japanese gardens.
  • Cultural and Historical Context: Understanding the Ken is essential for interpreting historical architectural plans, documents, and cultural descriptions of space.

Common Uses for bolts

The bolt is almost exclusively used within the textile industry:

  • Wholesale Trade: Fabric manufacturers sell cloth to distributors or large buyers in bolts.
  • Manufacturing: Clothing and upholstery manufacturers purchase fabric by the bolt for production runs.
  • Inventory Management: Textile mills, warehouses, and large retailers manage stock using bolts as units.
  • Industrial Fabrics: Suppliers of canvas, vinyl, and other industrial textiles often sell material by the bolt.

It is generally not used for retail sales to consumers, where fabric is typically measured and cut to specific lengths (yards or meters) from the bolt.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About Ken (ken)

How long is a Ken?

The modern standard Ken is defined as 6 Shaku. Using the standardized kanejaku Shaku (10/33 m):

  • 1 Ken = 20/11 meters
  • Approximately 1.818 meters
  • Approximately 181.8 centimeters
  • Approximately 5.965 feet
  • Approximately 71.58 inches Historical and regional variations (like the kyōma) existed, often resulting in slightly different lengths.

How does the Ken relate to the Shaku?

The Ken is a direct multiple of the Shaku:

  • 1 Ken = 6 Shaku

Is the Ken related to the Tatami mat?

Yes, very closely. The standard size of a tatami mat was traditionally defined in relation to the Ken, typically 1 Ken long by 0.5 Ken wide (though dimensions varied slightly with regional modules like kyōma and inakama). Room sizes are often measured by the number of tatami mats they contain.

Is the Ken an SI unit?

No, the Ken is not an SI unit. It is a traditional Japanese unit belonging to the Shakkanhō (尺貫法) system. The SI base unit for length is the meter (m).

Is the Ken still used today?

Yes. While the metric system is the official standard in Japan for commerce and science, the Ken remains highly relevant and actively used in:

  • Traditional Japanese architecture, design, and construction.
  • Carpentry and traditional crafts.
  • Real estate descriptions (indirectly via tatami count).
  • Martial arts contexts.
  • Cultural and historical studies.
  • Traditional garden design.

About Bolt (bolt)

How long is a bolt of cloth?

There is no single standard length. It depends heavily on the fabric type and manufacturer. Common lengths include:

  • 40 yards (~36.58 m)
  • 100 yards (~91.44 m)
  • Other lengths like 30, 50, 60, or 120 yards are also possible. Always check the specific product information for the actual length of a particular bolt.

How many yards are in a bolt?

Commonly 40 yards or 100 yards, but this is highly variable.

How many meters are in a bolt?

Based on common yard lengths:

  • A 40-yard bolt is approximately 36.58 meters.
  • A 100-yard bolt is approximately 91.44 meters.

Is the bolt a standardized unit?

No, it is not a standardized unit of length like the yard or meter. It's a commercial trade unit whose length varies.

Is the bolt still used today?

Yes, the term "bolt" is still widely used in the wholesale textile industry and manufacturing contexts to refer to a full roll of fabric, although the precise length is usually specified in yards or meters.

Is this related to the fastener "bolt"?

No, the bolt unit for cloth is completely unrelated to the metal fastener known as a bolt. They share the same name but have entirely different meanings and origins.

Conversion Table: Ken to Bolt

Ken (ken)Bolt (bolt)
10.06
50.298
100.597
251.491
502.982
1005.965
50029.823
1,00059.646

All Length Conversions

Meter to KilometerMeter to HectometerMeter to DecimeterMeter to CentimeterMeter to MillimeterMeter to InchMeter to FootMeter to YardMeter to MileMeter to Nautical MileMeter to MicrometerMeter to NanometerMeter to Light YearMeter to Astronomical UnitMeter to ParsecMeter to AngstromMeter to Point (Typography)Meter to Mil/ThouMeter to FathomMeter to FurlongMeter to Link (Gunter's)Meter to PaceMeter to SpanMeter to DigitMeter to Cable LengthMeter to EllMeter to FingerMeter to Roman MileMeter to StadionMeter to Chi (Chinese)Meter to Shaku (Japanese)Meter to Li (Chinese)Meter to ToiseMeter to BoltMeter to RopeMeter to SmootMeter to SajeneMeter to KenMeter to WaMeter to VaraMeter to AlnMeter to Cubit (Royal/Egyptian)Meter to VerstaMeter to ArpentMeter to Ri (Japanese)Meter to KlafterMeter to YojanaMeter to SkeinKilometer to MeterKilometer to HectometerKilometer to DecimeterKilometer to CentimeterKilometer to MillimeterKilometer to InchKilometer to FootKilometer to YardKilometer to MileKilometer to Nautical MileKilometer to MicrometerKilometer to NanometerKilometer to Light YearKilometer to Astronomical UnitKilometer to ParsecKilometer to AngstromKilometer to Point (Typography)Kilometer to Mil/ThouKilometer to FathomKilometer to FurlongKilometer to Link (Gunter's)Kilometer to PaceKilometer to SpanKilometer to DigitKilometer to Cable LengthKilometer to EllKilometer to FingerKilometer to Roman MileKilometer to StadionKilometer to Chi (Chinese)Kilometer to Shaku (Japanese)Kilometer to Li (Chinese)Kilometer to ToiseKilometer to BoltKilometer to RopeKilometer to SmootKilometer to SajeneKilometer to KenKilometer to WaKilometer to VaraKilometer to AlnKilometer to Cubit (Royal/Egyptian)Kilometer to VerstaKilometer to ArpentKilometer to Ri (Japanese)Kilometer to KlafterKilometer to YojanaKilometer to SkeinHectometer to MeterHectometer to KilometerHectometer to DecimeterHectometer to CentimeterHectometer to MillimeterHectometer to InchHectometer to FootHectometer to YardHectometer to MileHectometer to Nautical MileHectometer to MicrometerHectometer to NanometerHectometer to Light YearHectometer to Astronomical UnitHectometer to ParsecHectometer to AngstromHectometer to Point (Typography)Hectometer to Mil/ThouHectometer to FathomHectometer to FurlongHectometer to Link (Gunter's)Hectometer to PaceHectometer to SpanHectometer to Digit