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Woods that go well with each other

Discussion in 'The Lumber Yard' started by Giulian Tena, Mar 26, 2017.

  1. Giulian Tena

    Giulian Tena Honed Member

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2016
    I've seen some companies offer a mix and match option for different woods and I was wondering what woods go good together. Has anyone tried something like bamboo ken and maple tama? I wanna know which two woods would make a really good Dama
     
    Mar 26, 2017
    Guy LaBorde likes this.
  2. Blake W.

    Blake W. Honed Member

    Joined:
    Nov 5, 2016
    Good combos:
    1. Maple ken X Ash tama- grip
    2. Birch ken X Ash tama- grip/stalls
    3. Beech ken X Bamboo tama- gripgripgrip
    4. Ash ken X Birch tama-stallstallstall

    That's pretty much all I've tried so far and they all slay
     
    Mar 26, 2017
  3. Chad Covington

    Chad Covington Slayer

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2016
    Location:
    Lexington, KY
    My two favorite combos for aesthetics are:
    1. Maple and Walnut
    2. Ash and Walnut

    For playability I usually just keep the same wood types together.
     
    Mar 26, 2017
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  4. Nick Lectura

    Nick Lectura Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2016
    Location:
    Santa Cruz, CA
    Birch and walnut are also a really good pair when jammed thoroughly
     
    Mar 26, 2017
    Guy LaBorde likes this.
  5. Aloysius_hung_

    Aloysius_hung_ Honed Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2016
    Location:
    Earth
    just tried a maple tama x beech ken a fee minutes ago, hones for jugs and whirlwind, pretty much everythin due to the heavier tama
     
    Mar 27, 2017
  6. Jake Wiens

    Jake Wiens Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2016
    Mixing woods is fun because you get to play with weights and wood density. I've been playing a Hickory Ken with a RAW ASH tama. I was playing on the beach and dropped it in the water and now its on another level of honed.

    My other favorites
    Birch - Walnut
    Maple ken - Birch tama
    Zebrano ken - Beech Tama
     
    Mar 27, 2017
  7. KeeganS

    KeeganS DS Legend

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2016
    Location:
    Boise, Idaho
    I just put together a birch ken (KUSA kaizen) and a keyaki ozora tama. Really digging how they play with each other.
     
    Mar 27, 2017
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  8. lategreat808

    lategreat808 DS Legend

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2016
    Location:
    Eau Claire, Wisconsin
    I laced up a BLK Zebrano tama with an Ozora keyaki ken and it jammed like crazy.
     
    Mar 28, 2017
    sambarboo likes this.
  9. Gwalts

    Gwalts n00b

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2017
    Padauk kaizen X Collin Sanders pro mod tama
     
    Mar 28, 2017
  10. Primechicken

    Primechicken n00b

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2017
    Location:
    New Westminster, British Columbia
    In case y'all didn't already know, standard beech Ozora's are strung on cherry tamas. So that's one wood combo that works pretty well.

    A lot of other good combos already mentioned, but one of my favourites I've strung up is an Ash Ken (HG) with Keyaki Tama (Terra-yaki) plays great for stall tricks.
     
    Mar 28, 2017
  11. Jenny Cho

    Jenny Cho Slayer

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2016
    Location:
    Pasadena, CA
    I tend to think that with wood, the best combos involve a harder wood ken and a softer wood tama. Means the tama gets broken in faster and beautifully, and the ken stays sharp and in shape.

    Personal favorite of mine is my maple HG ken x raw ash GT-1 tama. Raw ash is the best for tamas for sure because of the extra rough grain - it makes for a grippy finish.

    Maple ken, ash tama. The best!
     
    Mar 29, 2017
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  12. Cavs

    Cavs Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2016
    Location:
    RI
    Can't go wrong with a maple ken and ash tama. Crisp clacks. I've been jamming a zebrano ken with a maple tama lately. Also pretty crispy but the bevel is chipping
     
    Mar 29, 2017
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  13. Radson

    Radson Honed Member

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2016
    Location:
    Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii
    Has anyone tried a red oak ken with a natty beach tama?
     
    Jul 9, 2017
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  14. lategreat808

    lategreat808 DS Legend

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2016
    Location:
    Eau Claire, Wisconsin
    I put a natty beech on a krom red oak ken and that bad boy slayed like crazy. Red oak is really grippy when it breaks in.
     
    Jul 9, 2017
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  15. KeeganS

    KeeganS DS Legend

    Joined:
    Dec 6, 2016
    Location:
    Boise, Idaho
    Raw ash tama (from Craft, RWB, or GT) or a hickory tama (RWB) on a keyaki ozora ken.
     
    Jul 9, 2017
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  16. Bloukinen

    Bloukinen Honed Member

    Joined:
    Feb 10, 2017
    Location:
    Michigan's Upper Peninsula
    Anyone know how raw beech on beech is?
     
    Jul 9, 2017
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  17. Fadwil

    Fadwil n00b

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2017

    AMAZING. Get a PNW slate when they come back in stock. Just a natty beech setup with a spinner bead for 20ish bucks. One of the grippiest fresh natty setups you can get, also breaks in to be super grippy for lunars, stalls, lighthouses, and the ken shape is great for kenflips and juggles.
     
    Jul 9, 2017
  18. Fadwil

    Fadwil n00b

    Joined:
    Jan 5, 2017
    In the meantime, the KUSA kaizen select beech would be a comparable setup to try.
     
    Jul 9, 2017
  19. Sir Spike

    Sir Spike Slayer

    Joined:
    Jun 6, 2017
    Location:
    Michigan
    RWB Classic Birch x GT RAW Ash Tama!
     
    Jul 10, 2017
    sambarboo likes this.
  20. goenKendama

    goenKendama Administrator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2016
    Location:
    Metro Manila, Philippines
    Been playing a RWB Hickory ken and Ash tama but I think a Red Elm or Keyaki tama might be even better.
     
    Jul 21, 2017
    sambarboo likes this.