Some holes are pretty small and some strings are kind of fat so a stringing tool is not always the answer. A fat string in a tight hole causes the string to bind and makes it get kinked easier.
Today I saw the So kanada dragon ball z edit, which was amazing by the way, so go check it out if you haven't, but I noticed that his string seemed pretty short. Idk if it's just me, but it seemed to be in the three to tight 4 finger range, which isn't exactly short, but not what I would have expected, because he does a lot of taps and late kenflips (not necessarily in the edit, just in general).
I met both So and Kengo from Sweets Japan at KWC and they both use somewhere around a tight 4 for their setups. Crazy cause most people are shifting towards the +5 finger length for strings setup.
I’ve wondered about this string length thing too. Apparently Stodd appears to have a shorter(4fingers) string nowadays. Maybe these guys have honed their juggle-tap-kenflip game to the point where they feel confident in realing that stringlength back a notch or two! Maybe it was also detrimental to other aspects of their games and they’ve found a happy medium. I’m now on 4 tight fingers, from an original 2.5, and feel that it’s top limit and perhaps the sweet spot for a mixture of juggles and pull up tricks.
Personally, I have found that the longer string length (I play 4 finger length) had made whirlwinds more difficult, if only because the string is more likely to get tangled in my hand when going for the kenflip unless I’m really aware of where the string is draping off from.
thinks for the answer, and that seems about right for So. Also crazy impressive that he does like quad late kenflips and stuff with that length.
Its crazy how everyone thinks that 4 fingers is on the lower end of the spectrum where as a couple years ago a loose 3 fingers was a long string I always play about 4 fingers, and it seems like that is a basic norm these days.
yeah 4 fingers is pretty solid, as many people have said, it provides a nice medium between spacewalks/pullups and juggles/kenflips. But of course many people's string lengths are customized for they're style such Bryson lee, the gallaghers, and liad who have really long strings for they're new gen heavy styles. On the other end, there are guys like @htimSxelA who use the string more and do more techy stalls and pullups and stuff who go shorter.
If you’re still in need of decent string, check out the twine on our store. Not been able to use anything else since. https://www.kendamalondon.com
I just picked up both lollibeads and lovely knots string on Amazon and am planning on doing a detailed comparison post. Just reread through pretty much this entire thread and I have to say this thread alone is a pretty cool thing. It basically chronicles the shift to longer strings over the past couple years and gives a TON of great information. The fact that Sweets offer their SixFinger strings now speaks volumes to me about where kendama is heading at the moment and that the bangers era isn't going away anytime soon. I'm gonna go watch "Vibes" by Jake Wiens to clear my head after all this haha.
I have big fingers so I prefer about 3 and a half equals out to about 4 and a half but Ken length is also a variable
lovely knots has a 20 dollar shipping rate for me so it really isnt worth it. hows the lollibeads string?
I was at a jam the other day and we were playing this game where we were in a circle and it was like KEN, but every time someone laced something, we passed the damas, so pretty much everyone had to use everyone else's damas. Whenever people got mine, they'd make comments about how short my string is and how they couldn't do anything with a string that short. My string was 5 fingers
Everyone needs a solid excuse for those bad days. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I'm still waiting for the auto-retracting-3-meter-spool kendama.
My string length keeps going up lmao. in 2015 to 2016 (when I first started playing), I felt like 2-3 was enough Later through progression, I wouldn't play less than 3, and would play up to a 4 finger string Now, I play four or more fingers! I havent really liked playing more than 6, but yeah, long strings really help with newer tricks.
Hi everyone ive playing my sweets some time now and the string tanggles all the time between the cups and the tama i have a bearing inside so frustrated. So I changed to a Krom string that at the end of the day was too small for the holes and the bearing went off string hit me tama fell down and my kids found the bearing with a flashlight.... Made a double knot didnt behave well. So i had to put my sweets stiff string again. I washed it with lots of water and straighned it hopping it softens a bit now it stays stiff but doesn't tanggle. Any thoughts on how to brake in strings or what. Before i buy and try some other. Usakendama say is good. I also have a spare ozora white do you think i should change to that. I like to play 3fingers+ not 4