With the 5 Stripe, Sweets Kendamas reinterprets the classic striped kendama by adding up to five coloured bands to the tama. It is a model from the Prime series, the brand’s entry-level range, in the Slushy colourway.

• BrandSweets Kendamas
• SeriesPrime, 5 Stripe Slushy
• ShapeBOOST, designed by Christian Fraser
• TamaFive stripes with a white base, Sticky Clear lacquer
• IncludesMatching spare string and Prime stickers

Design

A kendama has three parts: the ken (the handle with the spike), the sarado (the crosspiece with the side cups) and the tama (the ball). The tama combines five coloured stripes with a lower half painted white. That light background surrounds the hole and makes it easier to locate, which helps you land the spike, the trick of sticking the ball onto the point of the ken. The tama is finished in Sticky Clear, Sweets’ clear, glossy lacquer: slightly tacky, it gives grip for balance tricks while still leaving room to adjust the ball’s position.

Shape and level

The ken is the BOOST shape, created by long-time Sweets player Christian Fraser as an evolution of the old Prime: slightly larger cups, more pronounced ledges for stalls (the ball resting still on the ken) and a balance bevel on the base cup that makes the lunar (the ken balanced on the ball) easier. It belongs to Sweets’ entry-level range, although experienced players use the BOOST too. The string matches the tama, and the box includes a spare one plus Prime series stickers.