I've had good luck with wood finishers, beeswax, etc. Other than that the standard "play the hell out of it" suggestion also applies.
In my experience bamboo breaks in awesome! However.... i have a buddy that picked up a toysmith bamboo kendama. Both ken and tama are coated with some kind of bullet hard clear coat. It is litterally the slickest kendama i have ever played with. I don't think it will ever break in either because it never dents or scratches. It makes tk16 paint feel sticky lol.
@lategreat808 can you share an experience you've with a bamboo dama? specifically a kaleb pressed bamboo dama
Oh you mean the Kaleb Pressed Bamboo Weapon of Mass Destruction? If you play with that thing for more than five minutes a day for two weeks you will look like Quagmire after he discovered porn. The thing makes Thor's hammer feel like an aerobics weight. I'm not sure where or how this monstrosity was pressed but my guess is the center of the earth or Mount Doom. When it arrived at my home it took twelve UPS carriers, working in shifts, to drag it to my doorstep. They had to fell trees and shit to roll it across the ground like they were building a pyramid or something.
FWIW So people don't get confused about the different types. . . (ignore the logos, lots of brands sell both)
Just to clarify, quagmire didnt discover porn. he discovered INTERNET porn. also love your description of the pressed bamboo dama haha.