What are your guys is thoughts on smaller kendama companies such as analog kendama, northern kendama , fujin kendamas ... etc
As long as they make good original damas for a good price and don't copy bigger companies I like them. Personally I like what Analog is doing they have some sick original stuff but as far as Northern Kendamas and Fujin I think they are trying too hard to be like KUSA.
I'd love for smaller brands to do well! With the except of Norweigh and Kraes kendama, I have not supported them much though. I like to stick to what I know which is mostly KROM, Ozora and TK-16. Whenever I want something else, it is because I want something fancy, and then I pay a bunch extra and get something like an RWB or even a GT. My money rarely goes towards small brands to be honest, unless a certain product gets me SUPER hyped.
I like rooting for the underdog. Sometimes the smaller company can innovate faster than the larger ones. Smaller company, fewer moving parts, people that love Kendama and come up with a great idea (@Steezdiaz ). But occasionally quality control, bankruptcy, and marketing undermine their growth. The bigger companies you don't have to worry as much about quality control, bankruptcy (which sucks cuz my favorite dama... r.i.p., tear). And they can innovate in ways that go beyond one idea, and can almost crowd source a new dama (kaizen 2.0, slaydawg). Most big and little companies get customer service right. So I'm for the smaller companies, but I do like the bigger ones too. As long as it's balanced.
My homies down south, Cereal Kendama! Great brand run by two blokes, affordable prices, awesome quality.
Im all about variety so i always try new companies, woods etc. I will say many of the ken shapes are not extremely different (which is ok), but every company has some competitive advantage (some more than others) and if they give back to the community they're worth supporting IMO.
Smaller companies are great! My favorite of the smaller ones happens to be Bonzai, they just slay so hard! To be honest though, companies like Northern Kendama are just blatantly ripping of companies like KUSA, and those ones I don't support whatsoever. Atlantic Kendamas is also an insanely good smaller company as well, I would definitely recommend checking them out too! Roots, Pineapple, and Analog are all good smaller companies too.
Northern literally copied KUSA's og kaizen shape, and stole a lot of their colorways as well. No hate towards them though, they seem like nice guys who run the company
Most of the 'small' kendama companies get their damas from the exact same factory, have the same shape, and same paint. Not saying this to hate. A few small peeps are killing the game as well. But you gotta be aware that you aren't trying something 'new' just because it comes with a different logo
It's definitely appreciatable to see the effort that these smaller companies put into their work. Especially if it's a company that actually has a love for Kendama and isn't just trying to get some money on the side. If they are putting innovative and creative things on the table, then we should gladly support them
From what I understand there are manufacturers in China, Taiwan, Vietnam that make kendama for a fairly large number of kendama companies out there and it's not just the smaller companies producing overseas. We've been approached by a number of them asking if we'd like to produce our own "branded" kendama but the catalog they send and the "big companies" for whom they say they produce mean that even if you come up with something new your new idea becomes available to everyone else in the manufacturer's customer base. The companies who actually manufacture can easily make a few extras for the smaller companies to keep their people and machines busy. However if you want something special, different than what they already produce, it will cost so most small companies usually can't afford to innovate too much if at all. Even if the smaller companies have great intentions it's hard to be different when your manufacturer is the same as 10-20 other companies. I guess the question becomes, if you can't easily innovate the kendama itself then what can your company offer to distinguish itself from the competition. In some cases it's price point, or local availability, customer support, or community support, maybe a combination of things. There has to be a reason for the customer to purchase from company A vs company B. Not all small companies have the resources, monetary or personnel, to manage to differentiate themselves and so end up with a bunch of generic kendama and a dream that is hard to catch.