I enjoy going back to the classics, and was wondering what your guys views are on the differences between tk16s and ozoras. I havent had a tk16 and am interested to hear what you guys have to say to them in comparison to ozora (basic paint). Would you recommend it also for non beginners?
I guess both are great beginner kendamas for slightly different reasons. Ozora is great, because the paint breaks in pretty well and gets nice and tacky. The bevel is also a very decent size and helps beginners spike more. TK's are super icy (they do get way better, it takes a while though), have a pretty small bevel and lasts forever. Ozora is basically more "user friendly" and easier to land lighthouse and stuff on, but if you can land your tricks on a TK however, you can probably land them on most kendamas. Ultimately, a Ozora tama on a TK ken would be nice, since I think the TK tama is a little TOO hard on beginners. I recommend Ozora for fresh players always always. I think TK is worth more for experienced players, since most of us has extra tamas laying around. Throw your favorite tama on a TK ken and you won't really NEED anything better than that.
This is way oversimplified but Ozoras play better for the first 6 months, TK plays better after a year (or 10). The infamous "Waxdama" from this edit is still honed, allbeit with a flat tip
@Chad Covington Do you think threads about specific damas belong in The Lumber Yard? I kind of felt that way initially, but then I thought maybe leave The Lumber Yard for the shop and actual manufacturing discussions, and let brand discussion live in the sesh. @htimSxelA @Ben Lowe what do you guys think?
Hmm. Yeah, I would think that it belongs in the Sesh. If you moved things like this to the lumber yard, you'd need to redefine the Lumber Yard from what it currently is, and then you'd not really have a place to specifically "talk shop." Not sure if I'm making sense or not, but my gut is to keep it in the sesh. Unless we make a new board dedicated to brands and brand discussion? *little shrug thing that Alex posts* (can't find it right now) Edit: Here we are: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hmmm, the Ozora has such awesome paint and kens. TKs are downright indestructible. Having said that, i'd pair a red TK tama with a maple Oz ken. Slay for daysss
TK is really nice, its similar to the KUSA classic shape if you can imagine it being like that. Plus TKs are cheaper then Ozora's. But in my experience the tama is a lot heavier then the ken on TK-16s. Ozora is really well rounded and the paint is insane. I personally love my green premium ozora and would recommend that to anyone as well.
If you can get your hands on Ozoras or TKs that were made 2+ years ago, they're way better than the stuff that I've gotten recently. Two things contribute to this... 1. TK changed their shape and dropped something new. Same indestructible paint and a ken that is more like the OG Mugen/Kaizen v1... IMHO the OG TK shape played better. 2. Ozora used to have the most perfectly round tamas. But all the ones I've bought in the past 2 years have ranged from "a little egg shaped" to "WTF"
All i know is the paint on KUSAs first kaizen line seems to get sticky, then more slick with age. Ive been putting in 3hrs/day in on it and the paint on the dama is like ice.
ozoras are way better IMHO but the weights on a lot of them lately have been way way too light for me
My first dama was a Tk (although it turns out it was one of the mutant ones) and I loved it, although it was like ice for learning lighthouse on (a mixture of the slick gloss paint and tight birch grain I guess). They are good first damas simply bucause they are built like tanks. When I got my first couple of Ozora though, a standard dark blue and premium white there was no going back! The shape, how the regular paint and the beech ken break in and how the premium paint has the perfect tack to slip out the box. Personaly its no contest. Ozora all day every day!^ The Ozora beech cant take the beating that the birch Tk can, but what the hey. Also the premium woods are awsome too.
I see so many posts saying that TK's are indestructible but my TK broke after a year. The ken snapped.. However, my 2 year old ozora still slays!