The Kendama Forum

Forum categories => Gear => Topic started by: KenSan on 15 December, 2015, 10:50:49

Title: Ebay purchase (looked like a shinfuji)
Post by: KenSan on 15 December, 2015, 10:50:49
As the title says I bought a Kendama from auction on ebay last week. Initially I thought it was a shinfuji, and that if I get it for a few pounds, plus a few pounds postage I could just use it as a beater kendama or see if my son wanted it.

Well I won it last Thursday for a grand total of £2.19 + £2.80 postage. I looked back at the photos as I was paying for it and noticed a pointed spike and perhaps a hint of purple in the seal. As far as I am aware shinfujis have a rounded tip (I have a natty). And we probably all know about purple JKA seals. Hmmm.

Well it arrived yesterday morning (14/12/15) and it is a purple seal. Shin Sakura?

Whatever it is its barely been used and was listed as an old souvenir picked up sometime ago in Japan.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Japanese-Wooden-Kendama-Toy-New-Full-Size-19cm-X-7cm-/221959350702?hash=item33adcee9ae:g:3kAAAOSwAKxWYZjc (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Japanese-Wooden-Kendama-Toy-New-Full-Size-19cm-X-7cm-/221959350702?hash=item33adcee9ae:g:3kAAAOSwAKxWYZjc)

Here are some photos, one is with my shinfuji for comparison. As you can see the ken is ridiculously light so its not much of a player.

Any thoughts?

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5y3jc5R_WGY/Vm_nSSbByCI/AAAAAAAAATU/vzwkzkyuCXs/s640-Ic42/IMG_3411.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qgJrFIs5CPo/Vm_na1EEMCI/AAAAAAAAATk/9aaH16R0LF8/s640-Ic42/IMG_3412.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-datH9HEP44k/Vm_ngNEDsRI/AAAAAAAAATs/XUit3aeGtYY/s640-Ic42/IMG_3413.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-djw2eMxpli8/Vm_nYAqK2VI/AAAAAAAAATc/H3vEzoxAdug/s640-Ic42/IMG_3414.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-I5yL3VaCRYk/Vm_noL_OUNI/AAAAAAAAAT0/9ONFAT70OIs/s400-Ic42/IMG_3415.JPG)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DM0L6H0f32g/Vm_nrMMd2OI/AAAAAAAAAT8/_Jqp9Kd66VU/s400-Ic42/IMG_3416.JPG)
Title: Re: Ebay purchase (looked like a shinfuji)
Post by: The Void on 15 December, 2015, 12:26:35
Shin Sakura. Well done you, you lucky boy!
Title: Re: Ebay purchase (looked like a shinfuji)
Post by: HansNickmans on 15 December, 2015, 12:49:34
Wow, that one is in perfect condition!

Congrats man, what a find! (and a steal) :)
If you need someone to take it off your hands, I'll offer you double of what you paid ;-)
Title: Re: Ebay purchase (looked like a shinfuji)
Post by: The Void on 15 December, 2015, 14:02:24
Cheapskate. I was going to offer 3x. ;-)
Title: Re: Ebay purchase (looked like a shinfuji)
Post by: KenSan on 15 December, 2015, 21:52:34
Cheers guys.

Was a bargain to say the least.

Did you look at the original listing? What did you think? Shin fuji?

Anyway just need to stumble on a JKA Mugen in the same price range  ;D! Should get the relatives in Japan to start searching the second hand shops!!

Also searching on the forum I see one of these went for £200+ a few years ago! :o

I'll keep hold of it for the moment though as the seal looks cool.
Title: Re: Ebay purchase (looked like a shinfuji)
Post by: Tiffany on 23 February, 2016, 08:14:47
Would you ever consider parting with it? :)
Title: Re: Ebay purchase (looked like a shinfuji)
Post by: KenSan on 23 February, 2016, 18:47:57
No, I think I'm going to hold onto this one.
Title: Re: Ebay purchase (looked like a shinfuji)
Post by: AlexSmith on 23 February, 2016, 22:31:49
Wow! Epic find, nice work!

I'm similarly amazed at how light the ken is. That is outside of 'good playable range' in my opinion, but definitely a cool collectors piece!
Title: Re: Ebay purchase (looked like a shinfuji)
Post by: KenSan on 23 February, 2016, 22:55:07
Hi @AlexSmith Do you know much about these kendamas at all?

The lightness of the ken really stands out, so I'm wondering what wood it might be made of. Its so light that it feels almost like balsa wood, its sort of rough to the touch and also as you can see in the picture where the sarado is off its discoloured, but the sarado is not. Seems odd? Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: Ebay purchase (looked like a shinfuji)
Post by: The Void on 23 February, 2016, 23:08:14
My Shin Sakura (natural) is 64gr ken, 66gr tama.
Title: Re: Ebay purchase (looked like a shinfuji)
Post by: KenSan on 23 February, 2016, 23:27:31
That sounds like a very playable kendama!

Well, this one looks good hanging up with my other damas for now.
Title: Re: Ebay purchase (looked like a shinfuji)
Post by: AlexSmith on 24 February, 2016, 00:09:05
@KenSan From the photos it looks like it is likely birch wood, though some closeups would help identify the species. The shin sakura in my collection is birch, tama weighs 73.8 g, ken 57.2 g.

Shin sakuras were made from the early 2000's until probably about 2006? I'm not entirely sure when they ceased production. They were the successor of the Sakura model made in the 90s, which was the cheaper model of the time (the other JKA model from the 90's was the Fuji). The word 'shin' basically means new, so the name is the 'new sakura', more or less (similarly, the Fuji was followed by the currently produced Shin Fuji). Though they do not have much demand, they are arguably much more rare than the sought-after Mugen kendamas (though Mugens had a higher quality control standard to follow, meaning most mugens are very well built kendamas, hence the demand for them).

Fun facts: The sakura was the model of choice for many schools in Japan, as it was cheaper than the Fuji, and kendama was a part of the school curriculum if I understand it all correctly. I have been to schools in Japan to help teaching kendama lessons to kids, and was presented with boxes literally stuffed full of old, mostly destroyed sakura kendamas with which to run lessons for the children. In some boxes you could find shin sakuras, though most seemed to be the older models. So while they are not often on the market for sale, they do exist in good number out there!
Title: Re: Ebay purchase (looked like a shinfuji)
Post by: KenSan on 24 February, 2016, 10:08:58
Hey @AlexSmith thanks for the info and fun facts!

Here are few more photos if you don't mind taking another look? I tried to get some close ups of the grain in various places.

Anyway thank you for the info so far.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G4FVPgchrDM/Vs1_EaijzwI/AAAAAAAAAXE/QutqkYCZyN0/s640-Ic42/IMG_3696.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rsieFCp6U_s/Vs1_GPW6TMI/AAAAAAAAAXk/bAzI1LVtoYQ/s640-Ic42/IMG_3695.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Yy2rbJXeoO0/Vs1_M7r8H1I/AAAAAAAAAXk/Z-h9UOLW2p4/s640-Ic42/IMG_3694.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-XIWn9nihBiM/Vs1-76A9_tI/AAAAAAAAAXc/BVUOSSWuEVg/s640-Ic42/IMG_3693.JPG)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-41X7lTR6IRA/Vs1_PrE0YJI/AAAAAAAAAXk/iCkfy4I5Dvo/s640-Ic42/IMG_3692.JPG)