Maple hands down. Just the most durable and sounds crisp. Second choice would be beech/cherry mash up that JKAs do. Something about those two just click.
Post a pic im so curious what that looks like. I can never pick one favorite of anything but as of right now, maple for stick, and ash for slick and clack.
One of the most beautiful woods out there in my opinion. A little heavy for a dama but still not bad.
Enjyu, all around an incredible wood. Also I say this with <100% confidence (or maybe its just my native Pennsylvanian mind speaking) but oak is a damn good wood. Only played 1 kendama that used it in but it ripped/wore in beautifully.
My fave is maple as well for the exact same reasons. I prefer an ash tama though because there is more texture for balance tricks and stall tricks.
so far, my favorite has been birch! (more specifically RWB birch kens) the birch kens i have have a nice sound, rigidness and a very slight roughness/"grit" to it
The only reason I stay away from birch is because its typically a little light. I like my kens and tamas to be matched in the low 70s. Have you found any birch setups in this realm?
I haven't played ash too much. Do you know what the average weight is for ash? and how durable it is? I really love the durability of maple. I bet since ash is more porous that it is less durable, but that also means that it should absorb super glue better right!? Maybe the tip could potentially be more durable than maple now that I think about it!
Ash will be similar in weight to beech... anywhere between 65-80 grams or so on average, depending on the board its cut from. Less durable (but maple is very durable against chipping, so I guess most woods would be 'less durable' than maple). Also, the porous nature of the wood would absorb glue well, you got it right. Maple dents but doesn't chip, so maple tips are actually at risk of destruction more than some other species. @MattSweets I searched for some pink ivory to make a kendama for a whiile, its not very easy to find, and I have some really good sources. Maybe one day i'll find some, its super pretty, and has a hefty price tag too!
Actually kinda! my RWB birch classic is around 77g, BUT my RWB og shape is around 72g. so i guess it definitely varies but i assume it's gonna be mid-70s range for most RWB kens which is kinda close to low-70s. (and side note: i got the cush clear tamas and they are may be like a couple grams heavier but still within a 5g range from the ken)
I guess I've been lucky. The birch I've been playing tend to run heavier ~160g. Right now I'm liking a laminated bamboo, nice balance and different sound.