First Natty Kendama

My first natty was an ozora Japanese maple. I've had it for about 4 or 5 months and it's still not fully broken in, my lighthouses and lunars are still incredibly hard to land.

 

Natty ozora.still use it even after having it over a year. Very durable and SUPER light

 

But would recommend a sweets Natty. It's one of the cheapest and best quality

 

Mine was a NextGenHG walnut stripe(first reslease). It played great, but was unbalanced with the tama weighing 15g heavier. I now have it laced to RWB classic Hickory ken, and it's my favorite setup. They have not been fully broken in, but there is initial grip from the hickory grain patterns.



@Graham Pehrson what did you get?

 

Shin Fuji Beech

 

First natty was a krom red oak with a horizontal walnut stripe. It's been shredded good since then! I'd recommend an ozora keyaki, it has such an incredible indescribable feel about it when fresh and slays anytime.

 

First EVER natty, was a BLK Queen B Spectra / KUSA Classic Birch Ken

 

My first natty was a Maple Ozora and was my first kendama. It was gift form one of the Wenatchee kendama team members if you've ever heard of them. I've had this kendama for about 4 yrs and it's held up and broke in beautifully!!

 

If you have a little bit of money on you, i'd definetly reccomend a Craft Plus, overall top 5 dama for me for sure. If not, i'd go with a Sol Flow, really clean designs and play really well, (i think i might have the name of the sol line wrong let me know.)

 

My first natty was a KROM deluxe red oak with the vertical stripe. I still have it, its now a scarred up warrior.

 

My first natty was a green Raw Stripe Zen. I learned many tricks on it: lunar, lighthouse flip, stilt. It certainly influenced my formative days, because I play mostly natties now.

 

Can someone give some suggestions of good natty kendamas...I don't want it to feel big in my hand.Thank you

 

Crafts 2.0 & Slims and Kaizen Selects from Kendama USA. OG Homegrowns from Sweets. Sol Flows from Sol Kendamas. Natty Ozoras (beech/cherry, maple, keyaki, KUSA may also still have enjyu too.)
Can't go wrong with any of these. Didn't list NG Homegrowns because I think all the natty ones are sold out (correct me if I'm wrong) and I know there are still some OG Homegrowns listed on the site.
Each damas all good for different things, but my personal recommendation would be Craft 2.0s/Kaizen Selects if you don't want a dama too big in your hand.
They're both the Kaizen 2.0 shape, which makes for a very well rounded dama. The Craft 2.0s are made in the US and have tracking stripes in full ash or full maple. The Kaizen Selects are made overseas (still the same shape) and do not have the tracking stripes but have more wood variety to choose from(maple, ash, beech, birch). Great for lunars, not as primed for slingers as the Craft Slim shape is but can still slay. And the Kaizen Selects are each weight matched (tama and ken are equal weights to each other).

 

DUUUUDE. Right now they have DWI all maple with purpleheart stripe tama for $20. Hard to beat that for the price.

 

Those or get a Bolt lol www.boltkendamas.bigcartel.com

 

Dude good looking out. Been waiting on it to go on sale. I snagged one. I'm gonna put the tama on my ph kaizen if they are close in weight.