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Breaking-in a brand new Kendama

Started by Greg the Strangler, 23 July, 2011, 08:11:30

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Greg the Strangler

It's frustrating to get a new kendama that plays poorly because its not worn in. I've employed a number of techniques (sandpaper, banging on concrete, spikespikespike....) to accelerate the wear of a kendama ball so more advanced tricks can be preformed.

Not wanting to personally destroy the integrity of another of my shiny new kendamas, I noticed that my best lunar kendama has a cup rim that is soft-almost doughy.

EXPERIMENT: I boiled some water in a pan and soaked the rims of the cups in it for about a minute apiece. I then juggle the kendama non-stop for around an hour. The warm water softens the rims and the impact softened them enough that when dry, they remained softer than before. It's now playable!

Anybody else do anything like this to break-in a new kendama?
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AlexSmith

Can't say I've ever done anything that extreme. I once sanded some paint off a TK, but that was just cause I wanted to give it some stripes, not to make it play better. After the sanding it was so incredibly grippy... I would basically rank sanding it in a 'cheating' category based on the results haha. 

The break in period can be fun though, if the tricks you want to do aren't yet possible it forces you to try new things. I just got my sweets focus in the mail and it's fairly slick so I've been forced to try a lot of new tricks to break it in.

With a few exceptions, all the damas in my collection were bought with the intention of playing them. This also means I will literally beat the hell out of them in the process. I'm no stranger to suiciding fresh damas straight into concrete...

The Void

I just play it. Sure, we all know a worn-in kendama plays better, but if you force-wear-in a kd, it'll be sooner worn-out.

Too many kds, and not enough time to break them all in!
If you don't want to BUY MY BOOKS 😉, then why not ask your local library to order them in, and read them for free? That would help too. Cheers!

The Void

Actually, come to think about it, I have done something to wear in a few kendamas: put them in my workshop kit. That way they get a good battering from beginners who are learning the right techniques. After a while - hey presto! - a nicely worn in KD!
If you don't want to BUY MY BOOKS 😉, then why not ask your local library to order them in, and read them for free? That would help too. Cheers!

Harrydh3

I think new damas play better anyway...

John

Take it on a weeks holiday with 35 clumsy teenagers. They get BATTERED.

The Void

My new Sunrise is getting nicely worn in after just a couple of days. How? Long runs of moshi kame! The slightly-missed rimshots provide lots of little arc-shaped dents in the paintwork, which is all good for grip, IMHO.
If you don't want to BUY MY BOOKS 😉, then why not ask your local library to order them in, and read them for free? That would help too. Cheers!

MrieFry

Quote from: The Void on 23 August, 2011, 11:50:35
My new Sunrise is getting nicely worn in after just a couple of days. How? Long runs of moshi kame! The slightly-missed rimshots provide lots of little arc-shaped dents in the paintwork, which is all good for grip, IMHO.

I used this on one of my fresh dama's. Still wearing it in as we speak. Moshi kame and a lot of tap, backs. I think this is the fastest 'legal' way to get your dama worn in... And it's fun, it gets your fast-clicking-skills up (if that even exists)!
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