Nice video, but the one I was referring to is shown in their videos: @0:25 @2:15 It's fine to use on when stringing the Ken, but I hate it so much on the tama side.
Ah, OK. I'd knot (hehe) seen those. Looks like the same knot tied 2 different ways. Usually I can get away with a really small slip knot under the sarado. Why don't you like stringing the tama? One thing they don't mention in either video is a lighter to melt the string make it pointy. I don't use a "stringing tool" of mono-filament like they do since it you can't always get a doubled over bit of string through a hole like the bead which is often kind of small.
I love stringing tamas! I just hate how Sweets does this semi permanent knot as if they were dictating the desired length. I'm much more a fan of sending a tama unstrung (RWB, Terra, Yancy, PNW) for the user to adjust "proper" length. Even so, once I've strung something up, I might want to change something around in the future, so slip knots have become second nature to me. And yes!!! ALWAYS MELT STRING TIPS!!! They may (k)not mention fire+string+tiny fingers in the videos as the product is listed for ages 9+. Too risky of an audience?
Guess Cub Scouts/Boy Scouts and camping are as popular as when I was younger. Fire was just another tool with which you had to exercise caution like a pocket knife or saw. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
So I've been working on doing some flows ... mostly a series of beginner and low intermediate stuff -- and sometimes during my tricks holding the tama, the bead along with a length of the string will pop out. It's usually not a big deal, and it will pop back down during the next couple of tricks. BUT - if I can just quickly pull the string back downward with a non-dominant finger so that the bead returns to the tama the following tricks are usually easier. Is this considered ok to do? ...in a game of Ken for example? I know we're not supposed to unwrap the ken if it gets tangled with the string - but that's not what's happening here; it's just the bead extending up out of the tama ...which has the effect of shortening the string and making a j-stick, for example, pretty close to impossible. I saw this post about how to reduce this happening: https://www.downspike.com/threads/bead-keeps-popping-out.2233/ ... but I mostly like the way my string feels on my kendama and don't particularly want to change the knot or the bead. (Though the metal bead does sting occasionally when it comes out and whips my hand! And I'll modify it if the consensus is that this shouldn't be happening.) This is only happening with my newest Sweets boost kendama (which I really love working with).
@Spartanicus Since we already had the related thread mentioned in your post your question has been merged here. As mentioned above some players trap the string near the tama string hole to keep the bead in the tama. If I understand your other question correctly about the 'legality' of adjustments I'd say probably not since many competitions only allow you to blow the string into a different position with a puff of air. Manually adjusting anything with your off-hand is usually frowned upon generally. On the other hand beads that easily pop out of the tama are good for things like this.
Thanks much for the reply! The no touching makes sense. (It also makes sense to move the question here - thanks!) I reflected on some of the comments about about lightly touching the string on the backside of the tama with my ring or little finger ... and it seems like doing that just for when this is happening has already made things much better. It was particularly frustrating during lunars, because the string would pop out making the lunar that much harder to land. With this little trick, it's been easier to land those. (And when I say a light touch, I mean really light - just enough to stop it from popping up and really just on the point of pull up.) It's great getting to understand the little nuances as skills improve. And fwiw, I've been having fun with the snake bite - I haven't made it clean yet, but so close! Thanks for the tip!!