I've been working a pair from RWB lately, a Red Elm full and a Hickory ken/Ash tama. I like the Hickory/Ash but the Red Elm plays better IMO. It's the same family as Keyaki and those can be pretty wicked too.
You know how people check the stickiness of paint by screeching the tama against a cup *squeek! squeek!, I love when new out of the mailbox natties do it too!
Especially birch and other natties have that same screechiness as painted damas out of the box I love that!
I've been all about the paint recently, but I need to get a fresh natty soon. Thinking about a new ozora since it's the only one that won't break the bank.
I have been natty strong for a while, but recently am picking up that painted tama wave. No matter how well a perfectly broken in ash tama plays, paints have gotten so perfected that there is no real reason to play natty in trying to get the best tricks. I still love natties and will still continue to get them because I feel like I bond more with the kendama and get a feel for what it can do through the breaking in process, but in competitive play, painted wins...
I started off on a gloss TK-16 but followed up with a natty Shinfuji. I prefer natty because of the feel of the tama in hand and the fact there’s nothing to wear away like the clear coats and matte coats of painted tamas. I admit I have more painted tamas than natty but I go back to them more often times than not.