I've been experimenting and watching the KumaFilms Zoomadanke video, but I haven't really recorded anything yet
When it comes to string, as long as there's a spinner/bearing on that string that prevents it from tangling up, any string is fine with me. Also, on string length, I tried putting a longer than usual (6-8 finger) length string on a setup to practice my juggles. Might just be me, but it feels super awkward.
I really like the ozora strings, I'm used to it's length( 3-4 fingers long) and how it feels. I also like the smooth feeling of premium strings my only issue with them is it's hard to tie it because of the thickness
so for me rt now, I have two prefered lengths- 1. loose 4 fingers for new gen stuff 2. loose to tight 3 for string flow I really like sweets nylon strings (extra long) and kusa strings.
So for me I love to have 4 finger+ on a kendama at all times to do double and triple orbits but besides that I stay with 2-3 fingers
Are Sweets premium strings the silk ones that feel really soft (and kinda fuzzy)? Because I tried a dama that was strung with one of those at yesterday's ken oc jam and it felt amazing compared to the one I have rn.
I second that. I also switch them out after a week or so of play because they start to snag on the wood when they begin to fray. I like the feel but I usually stick with KUSA string because of this.
I try and keep a setup for for practicing different tricks (lunar set-up, yank set, jiggle set) but I agree the long string almost does more harm than good when learning to juggle. I switched to a slightly shorter sting than normal on the juggling set up. Practicing with less room for error is making it easier to juggle on other dams. Only at one or two jugs max rn but improving little by little.
AFAIK pretty much all major company offerings are braided nylon, Dacron, or polyester. Real silk string on a kendama are rare though you can find the strings here and actual kendama strung with the silk strings here if you are interested. The Sweets premium (and other company) strings are more like "satin" sleeved with an unknown core, probably synthetic, hence the shininess of them. They are pretty flexible but seem to be a bit thicker and get fuzzier when they snag on the wood.
About those silk satin Sweets strings, I really hated them and was really disappointed when I got them as I thought they would be like the ones that are on their 2017 pro mods (those are nylon?) I didn't like the fact that they tangle hell of à lot they do get fuzzy quickly and they are shiny! But by reading this thread I understood that they must be primarly used for string tricks as they do are really soft! Also I'm looking to buy some 1.5x4x2mms bearings to equip all my tamas, does anyone got a link to a seller that ships in Europe? Cheers!
I don't like the ones on their prime pro mods that much since they are pretty rough. For me it's not that big of a deal unless I grind out sweets special for an unhealthy amount of time (I've gotten a blister in the form of a ring around my index finger). They are tough though. Both my prime and prime pro model from last year still have their original string.
If you have a problem with the satin/premium strings tangling, use a spinner/bearing and tie a double knot so that the spinner doesn't slip through the knot. Really nice to have it on, especially if you're doing string flow and you're hitting the tama around a lot.
One thing I've found it that minor adjustments in string length can result in playability differences. On a few of my damas that I use for new gen stuff, I've made <cm adjustments on the string length and they have just felt better to play after that small adjustment. Any ideas why such a minor adjustment mades that sort of playibility difference?
I can't speak to everyone but for me it's partly hand size that will work in combination with string length. Certain strings wrap around my hand exactly right for me to be able to catch the trick, too long or too short and it's just off and I pretty much can't catch the trick. It only applies to certain kinds of tricks for me though.
I recently strung up all my damas with sweets premium string, and it's awesome. It lets you do tricks like swirls and hand rolls without killing your hand, and just feels good. The 5 pack lets you trim the string to whatever length you need and the 2 pack comes at about 4 fingers, which is the best compromise between string tricks and pull ups, and juggles and flips