Hey guys, As my last post stated I am a beginner but totally into playing, very addicting. I'm seeing all around that the slaydawg is the "best" kendama around. Would you recommend it for a beginner? What makes them so much better than anything else? Which model slaydawg would you recommend? Thanks in advance!
I'd say any kendama is good for a beginner. It's all about how much you want to pay for one. Seeing that the slaydawg is on the more expensive side (60) it may not be the best price wise for a beginner. It has an amazing clear coat that is just the right amount of tack. It does break in and become somewhat slick. I have the 3D Don it's maple so it really durable but if you want to support your favorite Krom pro pick up one of their pro mods! Peace!
Honestly...for a beginner I would just buy a Sol Pioneer. It will be way cheaper and for a beginner it will give you a lot of the same advantages of a Slaydawg without being too pricey. I also want to add that as a beginner you should check out kendamasyndicate.com KS has some really good kendamas for very cheap, like $15 AFTER SHIPPING! I recommend the Shin Fuji Rokurosen, the TK16, or the natty BLK OG's. The Shin Fuji would be good for a beginner because they break in nice and fast. And also the TK16 is a standard high gloss so it's great for learning around style tricks. If you do get a Slaydawg though I would recommend the Birthday model for a beginner because it's INSANE for learning lunars. I didn't learn lunars on one but when I got it I started being able to bust them out of nowhere.
@zaktrials As above people said, honestly a beginner won't notice the difference that the extra $40 makes. The tacky paint helps with lunars and lighthouses, and the oversize may help with slingers, but absolutely no reason to get it for a first kendama. A tk-16 is the best first kendama in my opinion. So classic. But all of the kendama companies have solid entry models. Just pick a color you like.
No reason to over spend if you are still a beginner. Those slaydawgs are really good for lighthouse and lunar tricks so if you aren't there yet then you would never notice the difference in the extra $$$
As recommended above, go for a Sol Pioneer. The paint is essentially the same on the Pioneers as the Lol Clear on Slaydawgs and you get it for a far cheaper price. If you're looking for a tacky setup, the Pioneers are the way to go. Slaydawgs really are every bit as good as the hype makes them out to be, but like @Cheech_Sander said, you wont notice a difference between a Slaydawg and other higher end kendamas as opposed to more 'entry' level ones when you're a beginner.
Thanks for the advice. I had money burning in my paypal account so last night I splurged on these two just cause I liked the looks of them.
Just to give all of you guys a heads up they have KenCo Girrs on kendamasyndicate.com for $10...in case you were looking. And no, I am not being paid to say this. Just thought it was awesome...they have Raw green stripes too.
Ohh yeah! These two are great choices! They look great, they clack great, they break in wonderfully too!