Kendama Reviews - Master List

[PikWik]

Hey

First post here and I wanted to say hello and thanks so much for the forum to discuss this awesome game! I just started playing and up to that point had never even seen a kendama before. I saw one in a skate video I was watching (rachard johnson - woodward) and googled all I could about this "red ball and cup". Turns out it was a kendama he was mucking with, and soon after I found myself hooked!

After the initial exposure I decided to get myself a kendama but had no idea which to get. hastily :/ I purchased one of the infamous smiley-faced kendamas and after a full nights play the dama had become chipped and obviously not kosher. I did some more research and found out about "official" kendamas; ozoras/sunrise/tk/fuji. And the other respected ones; tributes/sweets/shenzhu. And of course the legendary mugen. This is all well and good and I know these are the ones people use but where are the in depth reviews for these? I need things like exact weights and measurements and pictures that explain the nuances of each of these.

So, please post your in depth reviews, first impressions, weights/measurements, and pictures please keep comments and replies to a minimum and stick to the reviews.. more of a thorough review for each of the kendamas, short and sweet. Then, once thats complete I'll compile this into one topic with all the pictures and descriptions (with references). I feel like this will help out newcomers alot!

Possible Format -

 

How Long Playing Kendama:

First Impressions, Out of The Box:

Weight & Measurements:

Recommended for, Suggestions, Comments:

Star Rating (out of 5):

Pictures are always welcome too!



Thanks so much!

[PikWik]

How Long Playing Kendama: less than a month

First Impressions, Out of The Box: very light compared to my heavier "starter". landed an airplane first try, first trick. the dama fits lower to the sarado than my starter as well. rests right on top of the joint instead of slightly on the top of the cups. and the cups are deeper then my previous kendama as well. definitely got a quality to it and just holding it feels more, 'balanced'

Weight & Measurements: Ken - 66g, Dama - 68g

Recommended for, Suggestions, Comments: 2g difference in the construction of the ken VS dama, but i would rather have the ken be the lighter of the two for lunars and lighthouses. in retrospect, there was a 15g difference in my previous kendama at 160g (88g dama)... i can land lighthouses easily and with any luck get 1 out of 20 with my lunar landings overall a definite improvement in craftsmanship. seems perfectly balanced and the paint is gripping for what i need it to. more of just a skill/control game from here.

Star Rating (out of 5): 5 star

[BrandonYoder]

i can land lighthouses easily and with any luck get 1 out of 20 with my lunar landings

You're getting lunars with only a month of play?
I honestly just started learning them...nice

[PikWik]

if the hang method is in fact 'legal' then Yes

id imagine a few years ago kendama was really tough to learn but these days every single trick has about 10 different tutorials on youtube, and a ton of edits in HD to rewatch. more and more this game seems to be about form (and of course Practice)

but yeah, id appreciate it if you guys could post some more in depth reviews for the remaining kendamas. once we can get a master list of all the damas out there, and list them in an easy to read one topic thread, the decision making will be alot easier. and perhaps give the people making these ideas of new ways of production. i think it would really help out the newcomers in deciding which kendama to get

thanks so much !

[PikWik]

How Long Playing Kendama: a month

First Impressions, Out of The Box: heavier than my ozora but not as much as my bulky starter. the difference in the string placement from the serado is immediately noticeable but corrected with a couple spikes to gauge how much to adjust. the spike itself has a blunt tip and feels shorter than my ozora. cup depth seems to match the ozora and cup height/placement is in-line with my oz as well. also, something i noticed right away; the difference in the quality of the wood. i have felt the ken on my ozora starting to get a 'cloth' like feel and this tribute feels alot denser.

Weight & Measurements: Ken - 68g, Tama - 76g

Recommended for, Suggestions, Comments: the super sticky paint is nice for training and i like the heavier tama. seems to help me with earth spins as the ball is more weighted. contrary to what ive read on here about the fixed position being a pain, i find it relieving. i just started resting my thumb and index right under the cups and dont like the idea of having to worry about things coming apart in the middle of a spacewalk or heavy play. landed my first bird with this and hoping to get better at balance tricks overall. the hang method, where the string is pulled around the big cup to assist with a lunar, IS different but corrected by pulling the string a little further over. i will say that gunslinger spikes feel more natural and balanced on my ozora tho :/

Star Rating (out of 5): 4 star

[PikWik]

How Long Playing Kendama: a month

First Impressions, Out of The Box: very light. well balanced and the bamboo feels different than my other kens. light but dense. makes a "clack" vs the knock of beechwood. the cups are shallower than my others but this didnt effect play, that i could tell. when i stood this next to my other kendamas i noticed that the serado was very high and had to be adjusted, asap. this was not fun but with some filing and opening of the serado i finally got it to snuggly fit in-line with my tribute/ozora. after that it feels like a jka clone. gunslingers swing perfectly and airplanes dont have to be constantly adjusted. the string placement from the serado is higher than an ozora but this makes spikes easier. from having to adjust the cups lower the ken has a longer spike, but i blunted the tip by tapping it on the tile floor. my only problem is that it is very slippery out the box. hoping this clear coat gets tackier cause this kendama plays amazing

Weight & Measurements: Ken - 63g, Tama - 69g

Recommended for, Suggestions, Comments: the bamboo is a tough wood. i can definitely see the lure in the variety of woods for kendamas. this is a great dama and i would recommend if your comfortable with the serado adjustment. otherwise it is not a kendama i would reccomend unfortunately. i have a feeling that the paint from the custom work may have expanded/swelled up the wood and caused the serado to sit higher than usual. this is something i noticed on a few customs ive done and some Work has to be done to get everything back to exact specs. my brother has a factory shenzu and his cup placement matches the ozora closer. the slick coating on this custom makes lighthouses brutal but the ken/tama feel so well manufactured. very very close to a jka kendama

Star Rating (out of 5): 4 star

[TheMarsht]

I used to have an unpainted bamboo Shenzhu before I sold it. The sarado sitting tightly on the ken is nothing new with bamboo's, regardless of paint or no paint. I almost felt as though I would snap the ken in half when trying to replace the string. It's a decent dama, great for birds, stilts, and general cup juggling. But other than its ability to take a sever beating, it's not something I would recommend for the person looking to do it all.