This deck belongs to the series that Blackriver, the German fingerboard maker, released together with the Danish kendama brand Krom, with graphics by Funeral French. It is a deck only: the wooden base onto which you then mount the trucks (the metal axles) and the wheels.

• BrandBlackriver
• CollaborationKrom Kendama × Funeral French
• SizeX-Wide, 33.3 mm wide
• MaterialLaminated wood
• ManufacturingHandmade in Germany
• FormatDeck only, no trucks or wheels

Design

The collection brought together two worlds that share an audience: kendama and fingerboarding. Krom contributed its branding and Funeral French the illustrations, which were printed on a range of Blackriver decks and completes in different motifs and colours. The X-Wide size, at 33.3 mm, is one of the widest in the brand’s range: it gives your fingers more surface to work with and tends to suit people with larger hands or anyone who prefers a more stable feel for technical tricks.

Materials and manufacturing

Blackriver presses its decks in Germany from thin layers of glued wood veneer, just like a scaled-down skateboard deck. This handcrafted process is what gives the deck its pop (the response when you strike the tail) and its durability. To set it up you need trucks compatible with the 33.3 mm width and some riptape, the non-slip adhesive sheet that is stuck onto the top surface.