With holidays and my birthday around the corner, I really want either a craft or homegrown. I have a birch homegrown cushion and I love the thing to death, but these crafts look REALLY nice. I'm looking mostly at the ash slim, even though they are sold out right now :/ 1 advantage of the HGs is that I could get in cushion if I want, but I could also just pair up a craft ken with my tama of choice if need be. Can anybody offer any insight on which one they think has the edge?
Go for the Craft, especially the Ash Slim. I played one and it was super honed. Good for slingers but it can still lunar just fine. Since you already have a HG, go for the Craft. The full natty set up will break in super well
I second what @Nick Lectura says. It's really based on preference but if you want to try something new, go for the craft. If you're still trying to find that perfect shape and setup, it's better to keep exploring what other companies has to offer rather than getting the same shape again. Literally the first 5-10 damas I bought online were from different brands to see which ones I liked the most for my play style. The Kaizen craft is a really unique shape where you have to try it to understand the hype.
Get the Birch Cushion HG, cushion hg's are literally the best kendamas in the world (in my opinion) and especially how well birch plays with cushion, there's no way you could even think about re thinking your choice.
Both are fantastic and it seems like you are definitely torn between the two. however, if I was in a similar dilemma, I would probably buy something new so that I can broaden my dama horizon.
I'd say go Craft, based on the fact that you already have an HG in the collection. Once you have one of each, you can figure out which is your fave shape!
I would say craft because they have 2 shapes you can choose from and slim is unique and I guess it looks fun, I don't have either but I really want a ash slim