We all see those pictures online of 'fresh' versus 'seshed' comparisons of damas, but some people's seshed damas are waaaayyyy more seshed than others. For you, at what point does a fresh dama need to be retired? At what point do you stop playing with a dama and get a new one? When does a dama truly become seshed???
Many factors come mind mind. First off, hand oils, when the ken shows noticable changes in color due to dirt and hand oils it is starting to get seshed. Another one is obviously the spike...worn down or rounded tip is definitely a sign, or if someone had to build it back up with glue to reshape the spike. Another sign is dulled rims. When you first get a dama the cup rims will be crisp and well defined. Over time these edges will become blurred in a sense, dented by small nicks. Tama bevel and tama condition play a big role too. On a freshie you can almost count the dents while with a sheshed the dents habe just become part of a homogenized surface of tiny craters. The more of these conditions you meet the more seshed a kendama is.
You covered it all. I feel like these are all of the requirements that come to mind with me too! Just agreeing for agreance sake
All the statements above are true. But, for me, all those things do mean it has been played but with no need to retire them. I only retire mine when they start getting chips in places that are vital to play. (Base cup, big chunks of big/little cup) I've had a spike split in two to where my dama became a wooden stake that could draw blood by dropping it so I retired that one. Too old and used to fix but a good story when someone sees it. So yea all the things above with the addition of pieces coming off. Of ken or tama for me. I have only really retired 3 of my damas and they all have huge base cup chips and the bevel is thrashed hard. Can't lighthouse. Can't lunar with 3/4 if a big cup. Haha