The Tensei, Kendama Europe’s latest high-end kendama, is also made in bamboo. This version from the Naturals line leaves the material with no lacquer and no graphics.

• BrandKendama Europe
• ModelTensei natural bamboo
• WoodBamboo (ken and tama)
• FinishNatural, unlacquered
• Tama62 mm, 23.7 mm bevel
• StringEight fingers

The Tensei 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). Tensei (“rebirth”, according to the brand) builds on the Record series and has been refined using 3D modelling and a study of how weight is distributed across each part. The cups are large with reinforced rims, and the big and small cups are clearly different in size. The inside of the sarado is cut away to control throws, and the hole in the base cup balances the ken in the lunar (the ken balanced on the tama). A micro bearing stops the string from tangling.

Materials and finish

Both ken and tama are made of bamboo, an alternative to the beech used for most kendamas. The finish is natural, with no lacquer: what you feel is the wood itself. The same shape is available with MC lacquer (clear and tacky) and with GG (a matte grip coating). The tama measures 62 mm and its bevel (the rim of the hole) is “deformable”: it gives slightly under the impact of the spike and beds in sooner, so the spike (sticking the ball onto the point) feels more secure. The string is long, eight fingers (the number that fit between the base cup and the bead). Recommended age: 7 and up.