Ball and Stick Co is a new company created by the owner of Analog kendamas http://ballandstickco.bigcartel.com The kendamas are made near the homegrown factory. This is all I know.
I highly recommend the kendama.cz owned company, Trojka. The 'Ultimate' has become one of my go to kendamas. The maple ken is very well designed and pairs well with the 70/30 tama. I would put these on the same level as Slaydawgs / Sweets Pro mod shape. Also Mirek and Albert are cool people so support them. https://kendama.cz/en/kendama-shop/trojka-kendama/
We all know gt's, homegrown, slay Dawgs, etc freaking slay. But what about the less appreciated kendamas? There's tons of kendama brands out there, what are some of your favorites that are slightly less loved? I'd love everyone's input on this!
@Dylan Hulett We already had a similar thread as @Jasper B. pointed out, so they've been merged so everyone may see the previous replies.
recently I've been trying to find out about new brands and buy a dama or two to test them out. any recommendations?
Trying new shapes/designs is one of my favorite parts of kendama! If you haven’t already, you should check out some of the European companies. Kendama France has Nativ, Fortress’s Tower shape out of italy has one of my favorite shapes but I’m not sure if they are done or on hiatus. Teepee from Spain has some unique kens. DaO from Austria has an amazing shape. Depending on where you are though shipping gets pricey! Japan also has a bunch of kendama brands with unique shapes as well. Jac, Sanga, Legaxis which are on gloken but again pricey shipping. There are certainly smaller companies out there but just so you’re aware there a few standard shapes that the Chinese manufacturers offer to someone looking to start a company without having to designing a shape. Which I’m assuming allows people to create a brand without having to start from the ground up and pour money into design. Doesn’t mean they are bad by any means and I can’t say a lot of people are using them but I have seen really small startups using the same shape. When I think of more I’ll post them in more of a list form!
Lotus Kendamas and Quill kendamas are two new ones in the US that just started up. Quill offers a custom burns which is a cool feature.
I just picked up the Lotus kendamas ken and i really like it, super pretty tama and the shape is very boosted up, its got huge cups so it really jams balance tricks and slingers are great. It feels a little cheaty using it for a game of ken but its a unique shape and I definitely reccomend picking one up if they are still available
Not sure if they are still in stock but the Ball and Stick Co. has some really cool damas, the shape isn't the greatest but they are beautiful kendamas
The new Gloken Legaxis shape is unreal, highly recommended. Another new Japanese kendama brand that you should look for is ALL Kendama. It’s owned by JAC Kendama however they’re manufactured in Ozora’s factory. It’s the same shape associated with JAC (amazing slip stop design) but produced on a larger scale which makes them way more affordable. I picked one up at NAKO for $45 and I’m blown away. The silk paint is perfect, the cups are boosted, it’s well balanced for great overall playability, and slays everything from Lunars to Slingers.
@AlecMayhugh We had a similar thread going so yours has been merged. Also welcome to the boards, I see you joined today. There's a ton of info out there just hit the search function to find more. Also check out these related threads for more info: European Kendama Companies Fresh Kendama Companies Thoughts on smaller kendama companies
Cascade kendamas are a pretty legit Canadian company. Super small scale and not a lot of new stock but what they have is great!