The POP LOL is the entry-level kendama from Krom, the Copenhagen brand founded by freestyle world champion Thorkild May. It revises the original POP, one of the brand’s best-selling models, and this one has a lime green tama.

• BrandKrom Kendama
• ModelPOP LOL
• ShapeCK
• WoodBeech (ken and tama)
• Tama61 mm, clear LOL lacquer
• ColourLime green

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 POP LOL is built on Krom’s CK shape, versatile and sturdy, with large side cups that give you some margin when catching the ball. The spike is slim and the tama’s hole wide, which makes the spike, sticking the ball onto the point, easier. The base cup has a hole that helps with balance tricks, and the tama has a Krom reference line so you can see where the hole is.

Materials and level

Both ken and tama are made of beech, a hard wood that copes well with the knocks of early attempts. The tama measures 61 mm and is finished in LOL, a very grippy clear lacquer from Krom: it holds the ball in balance tricks and helps your first tricks land sooner. It is designed for beginners, although experienced players use it too. The box includes a bearing at the string attachment, which stops the string from twisting, a spare string and stickers.