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The Right Tool for the Job

Discussion in 'The Sesh' started by lategreat808, Jan 17, 2018.

  1. lategreat808

    lategreat808 DS Legend

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2016
    Location:
    Eau Claire, Wisconsin
    Which kendamas do you think are best at certain tricks and why?

    For example, I think that the Krom B-day is the best at lunars because it has a large sarado with sticky LOL paint and a drilled base cup. I think it is even better than the give a dama at lunars.

    I think that REZ kens are the best at one turn tricks because they pull up so straight and perfect, when they swing up they are almost as straight and level as a kenflip. It also has the perfect spike to stick one turn stilts.

    Which kens do you think are excellent for particular tricks?
     
    Jan 17, 2018
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  2. ttocsic

    ttocsic Slayer

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2017
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    hmmm, primes for slingers? At least in my experience.

    and also, primes for birds and underbirds.
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2018
    Jan 17, 2018
    Jedi_man and Emil Apostol like this.
  3. Morgan Boucher

    Morgan Boucher Honed Member

    Joined:
    Jul 29, 2017
    Location:
    Nipawin Saskatchewan
    Man whenever I want to do stalls my terra LBB white ash is the one for me. It's great for handle stalls, birds, and stilts
     
    Jan 17, 2018
  4. DavisDama8010

    DavisDama8010 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 22, 2016
    Location:
    San Diego
    The mko 2017 dama stomps luners. Tacky paint+engravings are one of the best lunar tamas out there
     
    Jan 17, 2018
    adamv27 and Jedi_man like this.
  5. Sirwillcode

    Sirwillcode Slayer

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2017
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    My give a dama has insane loon balance. I may need to try a drilled base cup dawg and see if it can hang.
     
    Jan 17, 2018
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  6. Sam Strohmyer

    Sam Strohmyer Slayer

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2017
    My favorite paint all around is super broken in pro-clear, I have an old Van-Reeven tama that has the perfect ratio of stick/slip. for kens, I'd say best all around is a maple F3 for me, I spent the most time on F3's I guess if you were to add up all my play time. Playing on an F3 again just brings back some old muscle memory perhaps.
     
    Jan 17, 2018
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  7. goenKendama

    goenKendama Administrator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 14, 2016
    Location:
    Metro Manila, Philippines
    Not just different tools for different tricks but for different jobs. Kind of like tools in a toolbox, no one just carries screwdrivers.

    I'm partial to JKA, F3, or most of the standard size/shape kens for stalls particularly ring stall, handle stall, etc. For me bigger cups mess with the relationship to the center line of the ken. e.g. the bigger base cup changes the tilt I have to hold and they don't always settle in on landing as easily. I also tend to hold the sarado rather than the ken for those stalls so there's that too.

    For tamas, general purpose aTack paint is my favorite and for natties Keyaki, Red Elm, and bamboo. In humid climates like the Philippines they all really respond to the moisture in the air or on your hands; bamboo not as much though.

    For two handed (2 kendama) the Catchy Air is my go-to along with a matched set of NG HG Sweets. The Air is routinely within a few grams of each other out of the box, that plus identical string length and balance abilities makes ambi tricks a lot easier.



    For me learning new tricks, particularly stalls and nods, clocks, etc. I often use Jumbo sized (24cm) kendama to figure them out then translate what I learn to a standard kendama.

    For performance or demonstrations on stage the Kenzilla size (34cm - 1.5Kg) kendama is great for being seen though it can be evil when you miss.

    For teaching newbies, heavier kendama like the bamboo composite ~200g kendama, Jumbos, and Taisei are really good. Heavier weight slows them down to help dial in their fine motor control, same with the bigger cups on the Jumbo or Taisei.
     
    Jan 17, 2018
    Andy Dama likes this.
  8. Jasper B.

    Jasper B. Slayer

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2016
    Location:
    San Diego
    Grain theorys for undirbirds and axe. The aynedter mod specifically is ultra honed for that type of tech
     
    Jan 17, 2018
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  9. lategreat808

    lategreat808 DS Legend

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2016
    Location:
    Eau Claire, Wisconsin
    Those bday slaydawgs are insane with the loons. Like they just pop right om.
     
    Jan 17, 2018
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  10. James Hoang

    James Hoang Slayer

    Joined:
    Nov 8, 2016
    Location:
    San Jose, CA and Milpitas, CA
    Broken-in pro clear damas from Sweets for leanhouse. I think I have an old Sweets Architect that's pretty honed for them, so I might try to get one soon.

    Yumu Eclipse, KROM Pop, and Sweets Prime/Next Gen HG: good for any stall, especially for axe/cliffhanger combos and/or wing

    Old TKs: Great for just training muscle memory on certain balance tricks

    Old F2 Focus kens: great for slingers from the three that I've had due to all of them being base cup heavy. The only exception I'm making is the 2014 pro mods because for some reason, my Ruisch mod was the first kendama I could fully lunar on.
     
    Jan 17, 2018
    ttocsic likes this.
  11. Gasiek

    Gasiek Slayer

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2017
    Location:
    Poland Wrocław
    Fortress ricesplit for stalls and slingers. Two step cup rims + wide bevel + this bevel angle makes a great kendama for wings and all other stall tricks. About slingers. I just feel that they stuck on your finger and don't want to go away :p also sweets next gen is Hella great for gunslingers :eek:
     
    Jan 18, 2018
    Jasper B. likes this.
  12. ttocsic

    ttocsic Slayer

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2017
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    kaizen selects for string flow.
     
    Jan 18, 2018
  13. Jasper B.

    Jasper B. Slayer

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2016
    Location:
    San Diego
    Ugghhhh I really want a Fortress.... I just wish that they had faster shipping to the US
     
    Jan 18, 2018
  14. Nick Lectura

    Nick Lectura Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2016
    Location:
    Santa Cruz, CA
    One that comes to mind are the Zens from Kendama Co. They were always honed for slingers. Ozoras and TKs as well.

    For me, REZ is the lunar master, but I've never played a birthday before.

    GTs for bats. Especially with a raw ash tama. It just locks right in and makes eclipse tricks a breeze
     
    Jan 19, 2018
    Jasper B. and ttocsic like this.
  15. ttocsic

    ttocsic Slayer

    Joined:
    Sep 28, 2017
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    whats a bat? I've seen you mention them in earlier threads, but IDK what it is?
     
    Jan 19, 2018
  16. dabhitsandkenflips

    dabhitsandkenflips n00b

    Joined:
    Jan 9, 2018
    Location:
    Corvallis, OR
    KA's for jugs. Has such a nice swoop. BH's for birds. The widened sarado is soo nice.
     
    Jan 19, 2018
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  17. lategreat808

    lategreat808 DS Legend

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2016
    Location:
    Eau Claire, Wisconsin
    A bat is the same as an underbird. I usually call it a bat if it is in Saragrip though.
     
    Jan 20, 2018
    Jasper B., Nick Lectura and ttocsic like this.
  18. Nick Lectura

    Nick Lectura Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2016
    Location:
    Santa Cruz, CA
    Funny, I refer to them the opposite way. Bats for ken grip, underbird for sara
     
    Jan 20, 2018
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  19. Cheech_Sander

    Cheech_Sander Administrator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2016
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    tk-16 is absolute FIRE at big cup
     
    Jan 20, 2018
    Gasiek, Jasper B., Andy Dama and 2 others like this.
  20. lategreat808

    lategreat808 DS Legend

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2016
    Location:
    Eau Claire, Wisconsin
     
    Jan 20, 2018