Hi guys! My local dama shop was able to get some RWB natty completes on stock in both the Classic and OG shapes. How do the shapes play? How are they similar/different? Would you recommend copping one? Thank you!
The RWB site has descriptions on the two shapes. I only have the Classic shape and the RWB pro shape ken (Classic shape ken but with a bullet spike like the OG shape). From what i understand after reading the site description, the OG shape is more optimal for slingers but still good for lunars. The Classic is just a really well rounded ken shape and is very similar to the Kaizen 2.0 shape (almost the same except for the rounded cup rims of the Kaizen 2.0)
I like the classic better than the OG. OG is beefier than the classic, but I think both can hit slings/loons really well. To me the classic feels like playing a shape that is an updated/cleaner ozora.
Definitely recommend getting one (or both lol)! So from my experience, the OG shape was a slinger GOD, but lack of lunar balance. But i did love the bullet tip. It has held up really well with minimum to no flattening. But i gotta say i like the classic shape the most. It slings well, yet has that lunar balance. definitely great for all around play. (and paired with a sweets cushion tama? it was my main jammer for the longest time last year)
Thanks for the info! I'm just asking cause the RWB site's descriptions of the two shapes seems vague for me.
I prefer the classic over the OG shape mainly because it feels familiar. I definitely agree with Joey, it feels like an updated Ozora shape, and Ozora kens are a classic shape. But, I had an OG for a while that was a nice mix between loons and slings. It's not a bad shape.
From and email from RWB I receieved a while back: The easiest way to tell the difference in the two shapes is the spike tips. The original has a more rounded bullet tip, and the classic has a sharper more standard tip. Also, the original is bulkier in the base. In the pic below, the left is original and the right is classic. The left had Bee Kind finishing wax applied hence the color. This is before and after on the Red Elm OG using the Bee Kind.
I have both and prefer the Classic shape. I am a big fan of ozoras and the classic, as @J-Swish says feels and looks like and updated slightly more accentuated ozora shape. A great all rounder. The OG shape has slightly bigger cups and and a little bit of a beefier feel all round. The lunar balance isn't fantastic, but I found that it does slap into lunar well with those biger cups.
I don't like my kendamas to specialize in any way of play because I don't like sacrificing any style of play for the benefit of another. I felt that the classic was an all around solid jammer.
Definitely a good way to look at it for many players. I feel the same way, which is why I prefer the RWB Classics and Kaizen/Craft 2.0 shapes.
How are the stall points? I'm starting to learn handle stall and can't do it on like half of my kens.
Is that dependent on bevel? I can't quite get them, but started giving them a go earlier this week. When I place the tama on the slip stall, it sometimes "see-saws". And some tamas "grab" the base cup rim better than others.
I've got so many kens now that I'm fine if something specializes in a certain trick orientation. What's odd to me is that there are plenty of shapes that favor lunar balance bigtime and are legit hard to pull more than one sling on, and people seem to be pretty ok with this. But a ken that favors slings, and it's like WHOA WHOA stop the car! Haha. That said, the OG is definitely a slinger dama. Yes, it can lunar, but in my experience with it now for quite some time, the OG is just simply a champ at slingers. The only thing that may rival it's sling abilities are things like the tall boy or sol flows. I love that about it though, it makes it easier to learn and land slinger tricks when I wanna go to them.