Who has both? Which do you prefer? This is something I'm very curious about. I own both - and when I got my Next Gen, I was sure it would be my favorite kendama moving forward. I've always been a huge fan of the HG shape, the slimmer, premium feel. But now that I have my hands on the Prime, I'm actually enjoying it more than my Next Gen! Isn't that weird? The Primes being the far less premium kendama. Well - I'd be curious to hear anyone else's thoughts on this, and some general thoughts on the new Sweets line shapes. My Next Gen is still killer, but I noticed that with the slimmer sword, the sarado ended up slipping down the sword to a ridiculously low point, and I ended up with the longest spike I've ever seen! It doesn't destroy the playability of the dama, and I actually recently fixed it up with some tape on the sword to keep the cups afloat (easy fix), but I do think there's some issues with the Next Gen HG shape compared to the Primes, b/c the Primes don't seem to have this issue! What's everyone else's experience?
I agree, I have both and I much prefer my prime. The fact that I'm not a huge spec fan is probably a big reason why but idk something about prime just plays a bit differently and better in my opinion. A main reason a don't play NextGen as much is because the spike is ridiculously long, so much so I had to adjust the way I tré flip with it. But don't get me wrong tho, both shapes are killer, my prime has just received a lot more love.
Yeah, I don't own any specs at all myself, because I go hard on my damas and I would most certainly break it into little pieces. LOL. (My Next Gen is the maple walnut stripe.) I think what Sweets needs to do on their next gens is to somehow drill a smaller hole on the sarado or something to keep the cups from coming down so far? I do like the slimmer feel of the sword on the HGs, but the long spike trend seems to be a problem for a number of these Next Gens. Do what I did on mine! You can use the post it note or grippy tape trick, wrap it around the sword to friction the cups up higher. I've actually moved my cups up higher than they originally were even sitting out of box.
I have a next gen fruit punch and a red solid prime and I prefer the next gen. Even though I have the same problem and my spike is super long, I prefer the way specs play over the way the Prime paint plays. For $16 though, the prime is not a bad option. Good jammer, solid paint, and the shape is alright. I must say that the big cups on both of these are insanely big lol. Like it's super noticeable when you switch between damas and just when you look at it. Edit: just put some flash card paper in my sarado to help it sit higher. It still slays lunars, but it slings way better now. Likin it a lot
"Oh, a positive post about Sweets Kendamas from a Sweets Homegrown player? This is obviously a biased post, and her comments aren't fair. Smh." Hahaha! Right? But hear me out! I have multiple Primes and multiple Next Gens. And I enjoy both equally! Both: - Beautiful, well-developed, and improved shapes/designs. - Both of their new designs and shapes--longer Sarados, slimmer kens, wider/deeper cups--easily accommodate and make lunars, lighthouses, slingers, and stall tricks feel effortless. Like seriously, every trick just slaps on like nothing. - The tama designs and colorways (of the spectras and paints) look awesome. The only things I hear and read about that make Primes better is that: 1)They're cheaper in price, which makes them more appealing. 2) Some people don't like the long spikes on Next Gens, which isn't a problem for me because I actually prefer long spikes. If it gets too long, I use clear tape. 3) People prefer the Prime paints because they're glossier and not as grippy as Cushion Clear Next Gens. But of course, one could just not use Cushion Clear tamas with their Next Gen kens. I have expensive taste, I love maplewood, and I love the look of spectras, so I definitely lean more toward the Next Gens over the Primes. But if I were too reluctant to purchase something more pricey with the worry that the spike might be too long, I would definitely choose the cheaper option of getting a Prime instead.
I agree with what ^ Chelsea said above. I do think much of the Primes' higher appeal (and why they sold out so successfully) has to do with the amazingly affordable price point, and also that their paint is very popular. (Sidenote: This seems to be a 2017 kendama trend - the LOL clear, the Sol Pioneers, the Analog ET, even the TJ and new Bray mod are using the sticky Trib paint. Sticky clear is super in right now.) Chelsea's comment makes me think of another observation; Maybe the Primes are more appealing in the sense that there's a higher jump in change and quality between the last generation of its type vs. the HGs. Meaning that while the Next Gens do have larger cups and modified shape, they've always been a premium line and minus the shape change, there isn't as much change to the line. Spectra ply and cushion clear has been around in the HG line for a while. Yes, the Next Gens are slimmer, but the HG shape has always been fairly slim in the neck. The cups are noticeably bigger, but the HG cups have always been incredibly sharp edged and deep, so the change isn't as noticeable. Meanwhile the Primes are a drastic change from the F3s. Their slimmer shape seems more of a pronounced difference from the F3 kens (that had a more solid, chunkier feel). The color ways are entirely brand new (especially the triple splits, which sold out first from what I can recall). The paint is a brand new offering from Sweets. And the price difference is definitely more marked down on the Primes than the F3s, whereas the HG has remained premium pricepoint for both the old and next gen. Just another observation!
When I have $$$ again I'll grab one of each and post my thoughts on here. I'm interested in checking both out.
I have both and i definitely agree with a lot that has been said. i do like both kens so much, but there's something new and different to me of the prime clear plus that beech ken that i'm liking more than the cushion w/ a spec ken. also i think i like jamming non-spectras more especially in a slump (Side note: I've been in a major slump as of late lolol) anyways i've been just jamming the primes as of late just because: it's more convenient in terms of i can just take it anywhere and not worry about dropping it on concrete/hard surfaces (since it doesn't cost as much as the next gen) dama-raging and chucking it across the field and not worrying about it letting new-to-dama people play with it and drop it or make gnarly cup/spike marks on the tama plus they're lower costing, so if the opportunity presents itself to dama wave someone, i wouldn't hesitate to wave a prime. alsoooo i took a solid prime on my recent trip with my friends and we all played with it and taught them how to orbit and around the block. then i started drawing and writing inside jokes on the ken. lol sooo basically commemorating the trip on one dama. XD
I have both and I definitely prefer the prime when I'm just jamming because I'm so afraid of dropping the next gen. However, the lunar balance on the next gen with the long spike is crazy good so I definitely prefer that for lunars over the prime any day. So if you're looking for an insanely good lunar balance dama that's not a gt, hit up the next gen!
You'll like it! It's so good True! Mine is a fresh natty and it still lunars very well! (Though less so now that I've adjusted the spike length ) That's so cool Nikki! I wish more people did stuff like that - what a great way to make your dama personal and memorable! <3
I've bumped a low sarado up quite a bit using these; small bands to hold the sarado in place or just a little height change, doubled over medium sized ones for a bigger jump in sarado height. Their easily removable/replaceable and don't leave the ken sticky.