In this Thread i would like to introduce you to a new kendama company and also invite you to discuss everything around this product. so.. !!Attention!! Kendama-Players, Shredders, Cup Clackers, Collectors, Bird-Lovers, Lunar Landers, Lighthouse Keepers, Juggle-Tappers, Basecup Chippers and Bevel Lickers! Today I’m here to introduce to you a project I’ve been working on. I have set myself the task to create an All-In-One Kendama. A Kendama that you can triple sling to lunar and back. Hit birds, rings and handles right after that. Put Stilts over the valley to lighthouse and late kenflip tradespike it right out of the box... You may say that's impossible, but shall I tell you what I did: I started playing in early 2014 where I found and experienced a way of playing with slippy paint, decent sized cups and endless tries to get the right balance point for a lunar. I went through many different wood types and bought almost every new product that seemed to have a new shape in order to get to the point of finally understanding why some tricks are easier with a specific Kendama/shape and why the same Kendama sucked on so many other tricks. By changing and mixing different parts together I figured out that the weight distribution of a Kendama (ken, sarado and tama) plays a huge part in modern play. Most experienced players will confirm that. So I started to develop a shape; the shape of my dreams; A Kendama that is able to smash anything. Something you hold in your hands and you know that everything is possible. Also a shape that doesn’t stop you from achieving your goals just because its manufactured in a way that keeps you away from trying certain tricks because it sucks on that dama. feel me? The Research and Development was real and what I pulled out of the Ether was something that left international Players including myself with a facial expression of excitement, astonishment and joy. This is what I call DA O. However, this shape does not include humongous Cups. In order to keep every trick on the same level I couldn't afford large cups but they are sure big enough to hit a small cup lunar and whip slings at the same time. About the shape: This Shape was developed step by step with love and care for every little detail. All the Edges and stall points are developed to fit the bevel perfectly. The bevel itself is custom sized with sharp edges to guarantee a wonderful break in process. ____________________________________________________________________________________ In order to be able to provide an All-In-One Kendama there needs to be one thing. BALANCE Assembling: Every part of this Kendama is hand picked, weighed and strung up by experienced Kendama players. Sarado and Ken are matching within 1 gram to guarantee a fully balanced setup. We like to keep the Tama a little heavier than the Ken. Dead On or weight matched setups aren’t something special to us it is considered as a standard. Tamas: Our tamas go with the Japanese classic standard of 60mm diameter and the custom sized tama hole designed to be self-explanatory when you stick the first bird or stilt. Edges: The rims of the big cup and small cup were created to change the stall game on a Kendama. This leads to birds sitting on a windowsill instead of a branch of a tree. The combination of the bevel and the rims gives you more control on birds, leaving the door open to concentrate on other things. Same thing applies to underbirds even though I never saw one fly away or sitting down somewhere... Basecup/Handle: If you take a closer look at the basecup you’ll notice the distinctive handlestall and ringstall which seem to be very bulky at first but very comfortable to hold. They stall like never before and you’ll notice that the ring is called slip stop for a reason. Needless to say they are also designed to hug the bevel. The shape features a slim handle for a comfy grip and overall balance for Lunars. It also provides a better placement for axe’s/cliffhangers to lock in. The symbol sticks out a mile when held out but can be sophisticated and discrete in its placement. Spike: Last but not least our Pointy Bullet Tip. Designed to be as durable as a bullet. But also a Bullet will get dents when the time is right. If you break in the Tip you can either go with it like it is or you sand it a little with sandpaper to refresh that spike. Sandpaper is included in the box, so no worries. Basically that is how I treat my spikes. We are shipping worldwide with the possibility to track your parcel all over the globe. DA\O is going to be launching with Beech Natties along with a few customs to start with. There are going to be a lot of low quantity customs and one off’s available at first because that is a thing we’ve really missed during the last few years. DA\O is going to bring back classics as well as new hardwood combinations. This means you don’t have to buy 2 kendamas to create the setup of your dreams. Come find us at: dao-ken.eu IG: @dao.fficial Thanks you all for your time! Eric Wöss CEO DA\O
Been following Dao for a while on the gram, and I have to say these ‘damas look really nice. I especially love the logo placement. Really want to grab one at some point, when the budget allows. Keep up the good work @OEZ
Love this! Really appreciate all the hard work and R&D you put into the development of this shape. It's something not often seen in smaller companies, who seem to be mostly going with the trend of bigger cups and stickier paint. Wish you all the best, and I hope to cop one day ^_^
These look really cool! Would love to cop one eventually. I'd love to hear more about the process of building a relationship with a manufacturer.
thank you very much Stuart. I will! Even when the cups do not seem that big, the balance is still there because of the width of the sarado. we at DA\O like to keep it classic, thats what its all about! i hope i will send one your way, one day
building the relationship is a big learning process on both sides. some things seem so easy to do but really are not. there are a lot of things you have to keep in mind. wether it's production, wood quality or millimeters you change and fuck up a whole batch by that. It's been a long way and I'm really happy with the outcome. There really is no other Kendama that stalls like this one. (even when it's fresh) that's how imagined it since day one when i started drawing the shape on a piece of paper with a pencil. i gotta be honest: right now I can only offer really shitty shipping rates to the united states. mainly because I'm based in Central Europe but the rate will change in the next 10 days. stay posted
@htimSxelA my guess was the chinese taoism/daoism idea? methodology? religion? or maybe dank ass object
DA\O means 'the origins' O also symbolizes the facial expression everybody involved in the process and I had when we first saw the finished prototype. :O DA\O is pronounced like 'Tha Oh' @maxdesu you are giving me a hard time here. might change it all to dank ass object! hah
They look awesome, can't wait to try one of these beauties! And finally someone located in Europe, can't be happier about it, I can't afford to cover a shipping from the US and knowing we are on the same continent is awesome!
Very interested, but will hold out til slightly better shipping rates, until then i will keep my eyes on these
For those who are wondering, everything said on the first post is true, this is one of the best shape currently on the market and in comparison with new shape it feels much more satisfying. Go support DA O.