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Breaking in a kendama

Discussion in 'The Sesh' started by Giulian Tena, Dec 20, 2016.

  1. Giulian Tena

    Giulian Tena Honed Member

    Joined:
    Nov 25, 2016
    So I got a f3 cushion clear taffy fade for my birthday(which was in November) and it's really fun to use but I'm paranoid about the paint and I'm scared that it'll chip. I really wanna break this kendama in so it will play like a beast but idk how to. I just get scared when playing with it. Any tips?
     
    Dec 20, 2016
  2. Nick Lectura

    Nick Lectura Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2016
    Location:
    Santa Cruz, CA
    You can't break in a kendama without chipping the paint (natties don't count). When the paint starts chipping away from the bevel or just around the tama itself, that's how you know you're breaking it in. Plus the exposed bevel will help for stall tricks and whatnot. I know that the taffy fade looks super nice when its fresh, but it plays even better when its jammed. Plus its cushion clear, so it will definitely play better the more you play it. Just jam it man, no need to be scared about paint chipping off. Kind of a silly thing to be scared about anyway ;)
     
    Dec 20, 2016
  3. rTTn

    rTTn Slayer

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2016
    Location:
    Denver, CO
    As @htimSxelA would say "Destroy All Damas!".

    Take a picture of it while its fresh so you can remember how purty it used to be. Paint chipping is almost unavoidable. The only painted tama i have that the paint is still 100% there is a Girr. The tama is dingy & beat to hell though now.
     
    Dec 20, 2016
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  4. htimSxelA

    htimSxelA Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2016
    Location:
    Vancouver
    If you play a kendama, it will show. Wood vs wood, something's gotta give.

    Enjoy the journey, I promise you'll get more out of it through playing with it than through looking at it on the shelf.
     
    Dec 21, 2016
  5. lategreat808

    lategreat808 DS Legend

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2016
    Location:
    Eau Claire, Wisconsin
    Just let it chip. Don't be too worried if it gets a little banged up, wear and tear is what Marka your progression. I actually like looking back on a kendama and being like, damn that thing laced show good lines. Just let the natural course of its life take place.

    You can't break in a kendama without chipping it so there is that.
     
    Last edited: Dec 21, 2016
    Dec 21, 2016
    sambarboo likes this.
  6. RyanArthurWalker

    RyanArthurWalker Slayer

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2016
    Location:
    Washington, DC
    I've been taking your words to heart lately Alex. I have a bad habit of shelving damas. But now I am going back through and showing each of them some proper love.

    On topic, the dama is going to get chipped and beat up. I call it progress, especially when you are learning a lot of new tricks. It's satisfying to tink about all the crazy things you have learned on a dama and absolutely beat it up and got the most out of it.
     
    Dec 21, 2016
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  7. Ryalkid20

    Ryalkid20 Honed Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2016
  8. Ryalkid20

    Ryalkid20 Honed Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2016
    Check out this video by jake Wiens it's good and funny and absolutely true :p
     
    Dec 21, 2016
  9. Instagrom3

    Instagrom3 Honed Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2016
    Location:
    Vancouver
    It's true the more you beat up a Kendama the better it will get, I have a tk16 natty that ive had for maybe 4 years and it is prime for basically everything
     
    Dec 21, 2016
  10. Chad Covington

    Chad Covington Slayer

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2016
    Location:
    Lexington, KY
    One good way to break in a kendama properly is to do a lot of cupping, kenflips, and make sure you're playing it evenly. Don't do a trillion lighthouse flips, because the bottom cup and tama hole will get beat up quickly. Do some birds, stalls, lunars, and try to incorporate the small cup into more tricks! I find that missed spike often damage a dama more than cup marks. Also avoid dropping the kendama on hard surfaces. Especially pavement and concrete. That will destroy your kendama too quickly and definitely isn't the best way to break in a kendama.
     
    Dec 21, 2016
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  11. htimSxelA

    htimSxelA Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2016
    Location:
    Vancouver
    Ohh Jake :rolleyes:
    Though honestly, I expected this video to be more gooby. Its not bad, probably insightful for some kids haha

    @RyanArthurWalker right on! Thats the basis of the Destroy idea: its not about needless destruction. Its about actually jamming damas, to get the most out of them! I've had kids come up to me and be all

    "Destroy all damas! hahahaha" *YANK SPIKE YANK SPIKE YANK SPIKE*

    Then they're all confused when I tell them to stop because they don't get it o_O
     
    Dec 21, 2016
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  12. Ben Lowe

    Ben Lowe Slayer

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2016
    Location:
    Port Angeles, WA
    Okay Alex come on now. You can't just say that without expounding a bit. You clearly have thoughts there that you're not sharing... ;)
     
    Dec 21, 2016
  13. Alex Hirota

    Alex Hirota Member

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2016
    Location:
    Orange County
    To break in a Kendama, just simply play with it. Don't worry about the paint. Sweets has really done some SERIOUS work to make the paint last for as long as it possibly can, and to make sure the durability is at its max.

    Just keep on jamming it and it'll be a masterpiece of slay in no time! :)
     
    Dec 21, 2016
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  14. Aloysius_hung_

    Aloysius_hung_ Honed Member

    Joined:
    Dec 8, 2016
    Location:
    Earth
    Taffy s are really difficult to break in
     
    Dec 29, 2016
  15. Sbermea22

    Sbermea22 Member

    Joined:
    Oct 31, 2016
    I know jakes tutorial on "How to Break in a Kendama" wasn't 100% serious and it's a lot of no shit points that he makes but the licking of the tama hole really works pretty well haha. Especially on ash tamas. In case anyone saw it and thought he was being silly. He probably was but it helps with stilt and birds.
     
    Dec 29, 2016
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  16. Nick Lectura

    Nick Lectura Moderator Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 12, 2016
    Location:
    Santa Cruz, CA
    I think it just sounds silly to lick your kendama to make it good for tricks lol. But with ash (especially raw ash) tamas, getting sweat and moisture into it works. He straight up put a kendama on the ground in the rain tama side up at KG Tuesday one time to get that moisture in lol
     
    Dec 29, 2016
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  17. Lynse_sng

    Lynse_sng n00b

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2016
    Location:
    Singapore
    i don't know if it's just me but i have troubles breaking in a kendama eg i have seen kroms where the paint is all gone and only the primer coat on the tama and the bevels completely natty but when i try to sesh my damas they nvr get to such an extent or maybe not even breaking in. What types of tricks are the best for breaking in and what weather condition do y'all play in?
     
    Sep 12, 2017
  18. Eric H

    Eric H Honed Member

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2017
    Location:
    Wisconsin
    Maybe glue your spikes. That helps them keep on making big dents.
     
    Sep 12, 2017
  19. Lynse_sng

    Lynse_sng n00b

    Joined:
    Dec 7, 2016
    Location:
    Singapore
    most of my damas have glued spikes but some spikes come out of the box not as sharp a i wanted them to be eg my beech select is not as sharp as my wyatt champ mod
     
    Sep 12, 2017
  20. Sirwillcode

    Sirwillcode Slayer

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2017
    Location:
    Atlanta, GA
    You just gotta jam em man. Downspike hard spike hard Insta all that stuff. And I have learned that if you really want the paint and chipping and such playing over concrete or asphalt will do the job. Used and abused in no time. But I take my time. They will break in eventually.
     
    Sep 12, 2017
    nayoshi12 and Eric H like this.