MOD MODE: @KenWave I merged your thread with a similar old one. Check out some of the older replies if you're interested, as well as the poll
Are the slims still good for Lunars? I really want to get a Craft but don’t know if I should wait for shift to be back in stock or get the slim before it’s gone. I really like stall tricks, balance, and slingers.
I 100% like the slim more than the shift. The slim can completely SLAP lunars, and DESTROY slings. Shift is just as amazing for lunars but really is not great at slings.
Hey guys. Updated the poll (since the OP hasn't been on for 2 years). Wenge wasn't getting any love, 0 votes, so it's been replaced with Bamboo so let's get some votes up there for Bamboo.
It's a maple-y, maple-y world. I remember a time when beech was still the standard, and maple was considered a premium wood; now, it seems companies are offering maple kens as a standard to mid-level option. A caveat, though; it might just be me, but maple completes, at least from my experience, tend to be ken heavy. This is why i like maple kens with beech tamas for more consistent weight.
I'm of the opinion that maple is the best wood for your money by far. I used to think beech was the best wood because maple takes too long to break in, but maple will last much longer than any beech ken, assuming one treats both with the same degree of care. In other words, the beech ken will likely break before the maple ken is "broken in."
Finally a likeminded person lol I dislike maple over any other wood (stallability, weights, sound) 1) Birch & Oak 2) Ash & Hick 3) Keyaki & Beech
I was lucky enough to get an Ash/Hickory from RWB a while back and I like it but the Red Elm (Keyaki related) from them ended up being played more. I think part was that I like stalls and it broke in the ken as well as the tama faster. Hickory is a pretty tough wood.
That's why i love Hickory. Its like Maple durability X Ash stalls cause of the grain. I'd love to try out red elm one day
This little chat has convinced me to grab the two RWBs and head outside for a bit. I've not played them for a while as I've been concentrating on braking in a stubborn chunk of Maple.
I love ash wood for its grain and grip. I have my first Red Elm on the way. Bamboo has a nice clack.. maple is def durable.
Most of my kens are maple due to everyone saying it’s the best wood, and i love it too. But, I recently got a hickory squab tama on a mystery kendama i ordered from Kendama OC, and it was amazing. After that I received a hickory shift from kusa mystery box ... and it blew my mind. By far my favorite dama because the sound and feel is just perfect. I prefer heavier damas & the durability is just as good as maple. Hickory is definitely a little underrated and try one if you haven’t before!
Gotta say my top is birch. Haven’t played a hickory yet but someday I’ll get one. Not on the list but I have a red elm craft slim on the way so I’m pretty stoked to try that wood. Also just got an old school kaizen padauk today and besides enjoying the throwback to the old shape the wood is absolutely gorgeous and I find the playability is actually quite high as well
@JayPoir Yeah the poll has a 10 option limit so not all woods available would fit. As for Red Elm it's a cousin of Keyaki as I understand it and plays similarly. Did you notice on the Padauk a fine white powdery substance on it when you first opened it? I saw that on a number of them back in the day and always wondered what it was.
I have 2 paduak and it’s a natural oil the wood gives off. that’s how it ages while playing. in the description it says not to place on clothes or sheets or it will stain.
what makes birch your favorite? i’ve never had a birch dama and would want some pros/cons & one to get?
Beech: breaks in fast and well, absorbs sweat good, sounds good, feels good, it's the standard and it's cheap
Walnut is becoming a favorite of mine lately. It's smooth and glassy like maple, but seems to have more grip out of the box, and it breaks in quicker too. I'm not a fan of maple, so walnut is a great alternative. I love the feel of my walnut GT-E1 and recently the Slaydawg 2 headshot models.