Hello DS, for my next dama, I'm looking for a natty since i'm a super sweaty player and I make every painted tama slicker than glass. I've been looking at the new Kaizen 2.0 Natty Bamboo and I was wondering: How does it break in for Lunars and Stalls? How tacky does it become after a good period of breaking it in? I appreciate any comment, thanks.
#sweatyplayerproblems I actually don't have any bamboo damas so I can't help you, but I'm sure @htimSxelA or @KendamaUSA can tell you more. That said I'm not sure how to answer "how tacky for lunars?" 80% tacky? tackier than a bad Christmas tie? how do you judge that?
Well, you're right that's really general but I don't know how to put it in a different way. Just wanted to know if it gets decently tacky or stays pretty slippery. Can't really judge it, as you said
I had a KROM bamboo and I jammed it for a good half-year, It was my go-to for ages... but, like ash it chips along the grain a lot easier than most hardwoods. I can't say for the Kaizens, but my experience with Bamboo was mixed
The only bamboo kendama I have is a bamboo Shenzu strung up to a KenCo red stripe, the newest formula. It's not that broken in yet, so I can't really speak on it. However, I think the bamboo kaizen 2.0 is a good choice. The 2.0 shape is pretty awesome, a good balance of lunars and slingers but a little better for lunars. Idk if you already have one, but getting a GT with a raw ash tama would be awesome since you're a sweaty player. Getting sweat on a raw ash tama pretty much eliminates the need for any kind of sticky paint. A local homie who I play with has really sweaty hands, and you can do pretty much any trick on his kendamas because they're so broken in. I recommend a birch GT with a raw ash tama, definitely another good choice for a natty.
GT is definitely on my radar as the sweaty player I am, but ordering from them isn't the nicest thing since I'm from Israel; I'll have to pay $15 shipping (which I'm fine with) but I'll have to pay another 17% tax on the package(+shipping) when it arrives and the total price comes down to a bit too much for me. This is why I'm looking for some cheaper alternatives. Thank you for your comment!
Bamboo is fairly unique, its kind of a stalky/grassy species, super porous. Players usually consider it really good for stilts and bird type tricks, the porous nature of the wood helps with those sorta tricks.
Great for stalls absolutely but unless you really hone in that big cup it probably won't be amazing for lunars just because it is natty. Such great sound though. I highly recommend it, you won't regret trying it.
I have an old OG bamboo ken Co from 2014 and I'm looking into getting a new bamboo setup! What are the best options? How's the Kaizen vs Play? Are there any other brands that do bamboo? What do you like about bamboo?
I've been playing a Bahama Kendama natty bamboo laminate for a while and really like it. The sound is great and the ken is pretty slim which helps me with slingers. It's also held up really well. Bahama has a number of versions including translucent painted tama and glow in the dark but I haven't played them yet.
Kaizen 2.0 (and BrayMod) are quite good. KUSA's most updated shape that seems to play great for everything. I would highly recommend.
Su Lab has a bamboo natty complete up on their website. I think they also offer clear coats, but I'm not sure, so check them out.(Just search up Su Lab kendama on Google.)
I had a Shenzu x red stripe (new paint) set up that was super nice. Makes me want to get another bamboo set up. I liked how the spike was durable as well as the sounds it makes when you do cup flow or spike. It was also pretty durable, at least in my experience
I would love a bamboo setup - I don't have one in the collection yet! My #1 pick would be the new Kaizen 2.0 - it looks very clean and has the classic bamboo aesthetic. And if you want a tacky tama, you can pair it with a Sweets tama or something like that!