Kendama Europe’s Aqua Series brings back, in a short run, some of the best-known designs from its Record series. This is the Record Plus Flow, with the brand’s large shape and MC lacquer.

• BrandKendama Europe
• ModelRecord Plus Flow (Aqua Series)
• WoodBeech (ken and tama)
• FinishMC (Match Clear), tacky clear lacquer
• StringEight fingers, with micro bearing
• IncludesLong spare string, bead, threader, illustrated trick guide and stickers

The Record Plus shape

A kendama has three parts: the ken (the handle ending in a spike), the sarado (the crosspiece with the two side cups) and the tama (the ball with a hole). The Record Plus, a reissue of the classic Record, is slightly larger than a standard kendama. The sarado is chunky in the middle with very large cups; the small cup has a wider rim than the big cup, which helps with balance tricks. A cut-out in the base cup shifts the weight towards the centre, designed for the lunar (the ken balanced on the tama). The tama is slightly larger than usual, with a wider hole and a large bevel that makes the spike (sticking the ball onto the point) easier.

Materials and finish

Both ken and tama are made of beech, a hard, durable wood. The tama is finished in MC (Match Clear), Kendama Europe’s newest clear lacquer and the stickiest of its three finishes (natural, Grip and MC): it holds the ball in stalls, the tricks in which it rests still on the ken. The string is long, eight fingers, and a micro bearing stops it from tangling. Recommended age: 7 and up.