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Kendama Entertainment Network

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Favorite Kendama

Discussion in 'The Sesh' started by Tonser, Oct 13, 2016.

  1. Jedi_man

    Jedi_man Slayer

    Joined:
    Oct 27, 2016
    Location:
    St. Paul, Minnesota
    I always find myself returning back to my Krom Pop. The shape is just perfect for everything and the price makes it fine to thrash and drop on the concrete without remorse. It always has the best tracking and all around play-ability.
     
    Sep 20, 2018
    KenWave likes this.
  2. KenWave

    KenWave n00b

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2018
    Location:
    Calgary, Alberta
    Nice! I've been thinking of getting pop as my next dama. It's insanely cheap and a lot of people are saying its a great dama!
     
    Sep 20, 2018
    Jedi_man likes this.
  3. ttocsic

    ttocsic Slayer

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2017
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Prime customs. Rn it's the v15 virginia with a zack mod ken.
     
    Sep 20, 2018
    KenWave likes this.
  4. KenWave

    KenWave n00b

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2018
    Location:
    Calgary, Alberta
    Nice!
     
    Sep 20, 2018
    ttocsic likes this.
  5. Ricky Røge

    Ricky Røge Slayer

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2016
    I have a couple of jammers right now. My 2018 bonz Pro mod, a 2017 iji mod and a pop ken with an oase legend mod tama
     
    Sep 20, 2018
    KenWave likes this.
  6. KenWave

    KenWave n00b

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2018
    Location:
    Calgary, Alberta
    Nice! I just wanted to ask how is the Krom 2018 pro mod going for you? I heard its a honed dama like the pop.
     
    Sep 20, 2018
  7. Jasper B.

    Jasper B. Slayer

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2016
    Location:
    San Diego
    I love the new Krom 2018 Pro Mods, such an amazing shape and paint for lunar tricks. Also it is 1% larger, probably my favorite part.
    I also love the Maple Craft Slims (recent release) because they are just so honed all around. Slings, lunars, and stalls amazingly well.
    If I could create a banger high quality setup, I would take a slim ken and lace it up to a Rolf pro mod tama.
     
    Sep 20, 2018
    KenWave likes this.
  8. Ricky Røge

    Ricky Røge Slayer

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2016
    I really like it, but weights are Way of, so that took me some time to gået used to. Also the paint is a lot less sticky and more slippery than my other damas with lol clear
     
    Sep 20, 2018
    KenWave likes this.
  9. goenKendama

    goenKendama Administrator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2016
    Location:
    Metro Manila, Philippines


    @KenWave We already had a similar thread so yours has been merged. You might have missed it when you searched because of the different spelling of "Favourite" and "Favorite" in the titles. :D
     
    Sep 21, 2018
    KenWave likes this.
  10. Zachwallen

    Zachwallen Member

    Joined:
    Nov 21, 2016
    Location:
    Louisville Ky
    Lately my everyday Kendama's been a red Stitch GT-E1. It's pretty durable and my best all around kendama right now. I don't think it's my best at any single kind of trick but it's pretty good at everything.
     
    Sep 21, 2018
    Kendama London and KenWave like this.
  11. Seth Gossett

    Seth Gossett n00b

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2018
    Totally opinionated but I want to hear what everyone’s perspectives are

    -List brand and model

    -Personally my Masako Mod from ‘Deal With It’ kendamas is my favorite. The maple wood and Sticky AF make it my best controlled kendama. It even feels more solid for some reason. Just ordered the Zawa Mod from them and am completely stocked to get it.

    -Curious to hear about Homegrown and Crafts because I haven’t tried either but both seem amazing.
     
    Dec 19, 2018
    poncho151 likes this.
  12. ttocsic

    ttocsic Slayer

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2017
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    Dec 19, 2018
  13. Jasper B.

    Jasper B. Slayer

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2016
    Location:
    San Diego
    Favorite brand right now: Grain Theory
    Best GTs in my opinion: Aynedter Mod or Ben Herald mods
    Huge cups, amazing lunars, unique feel

    Best brand (in my opinion): Krom Kendama
    Best Kroms also in my opinion: Krom 1% pro mods
    Krom is always pushing kendama shapes and paints, amazing over all

    ^^^Out of these two, I would have to say crafts are better, but I have more experience with crafts. I own both but really like the craft quality and shape over HG shape.
    I personally own something like 10 crafts and 2 homegrowns. I have tried multiple other peoples homegrowns too though.
    I find Kendama USA's crafts to be some of the best kendamas in the game right now. These have some of the largest cups around, the "Craft Plus" cups are HUGE, and they play so well. The slim shape is more of a slinger kendama, and the shift shape is more of a juggles and lunar kendama based on it is more beefy. I prefer the slim shape more, but I think the Shift shape is more popular over all. Craft Plus' are probably the best, but you only can experience how good they are if you are an experienced player, have big hands, or both. All crafts are pretty amazing for stall tricks, and can lunar and sling quite well, even though certain shapes have their advantages.

    Overall: Some amazing kendamas I recommend you try, maybe even the "best" kendamas are: GT-KA, GT-BH, Krom 1%, Krom Slaydawg, and Craft (shift, slim, plus models). From personal experience, these all play really well, and all brands are fairly reputable. (KUSA may have the best customer service tho:eek:)

    Currently my top rotation kendamas are my: Legaxis x GT-BH, and Jake Fischer 1% pro mod.
     
    Dec 19, 2018
    Jake.ship and Seth Gossett like this.
  14. ttocsic

    ttocsic Slayer

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2017
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    False. Sol.

    But out of those three definitely Kusa.
     
    Dec 19, 2018
  15. poncho151

    poncho151 Honed Member

    Joined:
    Oct 23, 2017
    Location:
    Upstate NY
    As far as a brand all together GT and Terra are my favorites but Craft too for the kendama alone. I love the branding styles and aesthetics but most importantly the high quality craftsmanship and generally well balanced kendamas (specifically sarado/sword/tama weights and not just random pieces of wood stuck together). As we all know though, in kendama it’s all about the shape! There are currently so many companies/people that are creating their own take on the kendama shape. One of my favorite parts of kendama is trying new shapes and there’s some really good, innovative and unique ones out right now.

    With that said I don’t think I could really say I have a one absolute favorite. Right now I’ve been loving both GT legaxis (ka/bh), Craft Shift and Slim (any wood) also both Plus, and Terra prefects. Also I should add prior to the Prefect and new craft shapes, I played a lot of GT-1s, GT stodd’s and Homegrown next gens.

    These days I mostly buy/play “premium” damas because as I said above I love quality craftsmanship etc. but as far as shape alone i think it’s a great time to just pick a Dama and go for it. Kroms 1%, Analog’s Squab, Sweets Prime/Next Gen, DWI V2, Sol’s “Sol Shape”, Pineapples new shape, some smaller North American ones and past that to all the Japanese, European and anywhere else that have serious companies in the industry. I realize I’ve hardly given any specific direction but my point really is just do a little research based on what you like and then try as many as you can!

    One last thing to keep in mind is every ken no matter the shape/company (excluding Rez) plays differently because all wood is different. So I wouldn’t dismiss a company completely if one Dama isn’t perfect. This is a lot more than I planned on typeing but if someone can take something away from it then that’s awesome.
     
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2018
    Dec 19, 2018
    Seth Gossett likes this.
  16. Jasper B.

    Jasper B. Slayer

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2016
    Location:
    San Diego
    Oooohhhh. Totally forgot about Sol! How could I? :oops:
    Yep they have AMAZING customer service and also AMAZING kendamas!
    I need more sols;)
    The sol shape is really great for most tricks, a very well rounded kendama shape, but lacks a little in slings/lunars is the weights get too far off.
    I also love the Sol Flows, but those seem to be retiring, at least they have been on sale for a while, and have no new models. Flows have crazy wood combos and the increased size makes them so fun to play!
     
    Dec 19, 2018
    goenKendama, ttocsic and Seth Gossett like this.
  17. Seth Gossett

    Seth Gossett n00b

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2018
    I’ve been on the edge of getting a craft and just after this description I think I will in the near future. Still will have to figure out what type of craft I think I’ll prefer.

    And just wondering if you’ve played with a ‘Deal With It’ I’ve never had a $65+ kendama and am not sure how all the kendamas from DWI are but man the masako plays really really well compared to everything I have other than my GT. If not might look into getting one I highly recommend them and they’re semi cheap at 35 for almost all of they’re products.
     
    Dec 19, 2018
  18. Jasper B.

    Jasper B. Slayer

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2016
    Location:
    San Diego
    I am thinking if you like your DWI you would probably gravitate towards a Craft Shift or Craft Plus, because those are more similar to DWI's. The GT-E1s are actually made by the same manufacturer as "Deal With It" and Matt Rice is the owner of DWI, co-owner of GT, and pro for terra, so it seems like every company he influences has amazing products. But on the note of GT-E1's, they are made in a chinese factory, unlike the USA made GT's and Legaxis made GTs from the USA and Japan, which you will generally find higher quality control because they are made by people with kendama play ability in mind, not just random workers.
     
    Dec 19, 2018
    Seth Gossett likes this.
  19. goenKendama

    goenKendama Administrator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2016
    Location:
    Metro Manila, Philippines
    Dec 19, 2018
  20. goenKendama

    goenKendama Administrator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2016
    Location:
    Metro Manila, Philippines
    Lots of new shapes out there not so I thought I'd bump this to see what the favorites of these days. Here's one I've been jamming lately. Still miss my aTacks but this is pretty nice.


    Sweets Zach Pro modded compare IG.jpg
     
    Oct 19, 2020
    Jedi_man likes this.