Thoughts on Silicone Band Tamas? (Sweets MKO Dama)

Just browsing Sweets website and realized they put up their 2018 MKO Damas for sale and I was surprised to see the tama had the MKO Silicone band around the middle of the tama. I have yet to see this personally, although I see they credit it to Yumu for creating it with their Saturn damas. What are your guys' thoughts? I actually think I might have to scoop one up because I have nothing else like that in my collection. Does it make playability better or worse? More of a cosmetic thing? Also, I absolutely love the idea of there being Pro Clear on the top half, and Cushion Clear on the bottom. Super unique. Might have to cop.... what do you think?

 

The band itself is def just novelty. But when Yumu dropped the idea a few years back, it was something I knew I wanted right away. It is awesome to have that texture on the equator so you know where your fingers are when grabbing the tama without looking.
Also, taking the band out makes for some interesting play using the groove as a new stall point.
I'd say give it a try! Even if you don't use it all the time it is a great collection dama.

 

I figured it was more novelty than anything. I really dig the look though and I'm sure it's super unique when it comes to the feel and whatnot of it.

Damn, never thought of taking the band off for even more possibilities... super rad! Definitely something I am gonna try to snag for the collection

Thanks for the response!

 

I didn’t see the ones with the bands but I did see the lucky jade 5 stripe and had the option of cushion clear or pro clear. I have Tamas with cushion clear, prime clear, and just got an ATack the other day so I figured adding a pro clear would be a god choice..

 

Friend of mine still has the Folken One. Gotta grab a picture when I'm at his house next time!

And I do think I read that Folken is Part of yumu now.

 

I got mine at MKO and I love how the top is proclear and the bottom is cushion, but i wish there are competition allowed tamas like that w/o band

 

hmm, are there rules against it for comp? Like, theoretically if there was a dama on the market with the split paints, would it not be allowed? Not sure how that works exactly, I've never competed or anything of the sorts haha

 

Folken (2013/14)

 

AFAIK, the only requirements for a number of kendama competitions is that the ken fits in the KWC box (KWC, MKO, if anyone knows of anymore comps that use the box go ahead and list them too). I'm not aware of any rules or restrictions against the tama and the paints used. Again, AFAIK this is the first, if not one of the only damas that is painted with 2 different, separate coatings, one on each half so there hasn't had to be any sort of issue or complaint against this (as opposed to early cushion cleared tamas that had I believe aTack coating underneath it, which is different than having one half just cushion clear and the other half just aTack).
Personally, I don't see any issue with anyone wanting to use this in competition, a few number of players I saw at MKO used this in competition and I myself registered my first dama using this tama (on a maple Next Gen HG ken) and there was no sort of issue from the people in charge of registering people's comp damas (then again, most of them were volunteers). The paints don't give any sort of extra advantage over single coated damas, it's more of a novelty just like the silicone bands are.

 

Ya I figured there couldn't have been too much of a rule considering there are very little on the market in the first place. Thanks for the response! Also, I want one of those cush tamas with aTack underneath... sounds like it was slayyyyyy haha

 

I believe Folken was the designer and Yumu was the producer. They were always hand-in-hand.

 

I meant that the tamas with bands aren’t allowed not the split paint

 

I’m pretty sure Li Ho Cheung and Chris Do used the Folken with the band at the original 2014 KWC and possibly 2015 too.
@htimSxelA do you recall?