So far I have an ash, beech, purple heart, walnut, zabrano, maple, keyaki and cherry wood natty. What would you recommend as a next wood to try out? I was thinking rosewood or hickory but wanted some opinions. I hear birch is really a great natty wood too.
I recently just got a birch natty and I'm super stoked to try it out. @lategreat808 let me know if/when you get yours and how you like it.
I want an RWB so bad. Honestly though I'm more intrigued by the red elm. I heard its super slick as a natty though.
Not really. It just depends on the grain. They are all different just dependent on the wood being used. Hickory is a harder wood. Very durable and has an amazing clack. Ash tama just because I love ash tamas and the contrast between ken and tama are amazing.
U can try out birch, btw hg spectras are made of birch. I recommend a spectra striped tama hg so it will be easier for tracking
The Kotodama from PNW has a hickory Ken and a birch tama with Paduk inserts! It's the best natty I have ever owned!!
GT! Raw ash and anything plays awesome. I'd recommmend raw ash/spec or raw ash/birch, specifically the Stodd mod version. Birch has the durability of a hardwood but breaks in similar to a spec, so stalls will be money on them. Just get some sweat on the raw ash and lunars will also be honed! Birch is becoming, if not already one of my favorite woods. Got 7 birch kens in my collection
Got this exact setup and it slays! Hickory is a great ken, idk about it as a tama though. I have a birch rwb/gt mashed setup and it's great as well, breaks in really well! Also have a rosewood ken from Sol and it's great for stalls.
Hg reclaimed elm has amazing grain too, just like a gt ash and oak,u can feel the rough grain and helps with balance tricks
Birch seems like a good one for you to try, or hickory. Honestly a natty TK16 would be a great pickup, especially considering they'll soon be discontinued. Which rosewood were you looking at? There are many different species of rosewood, I've made kendamas from a few different ones, and the feel of the final dama is quite different with each one.