Kendama Europe also makes its Tensei, the brand’s latest high-end kendama, in bamboo. This version from the Naturals line, with no graphics, has the matte GG finish.

• BrandKendama Europe
• ModelTensei bamboo GG
• WoodBamboo (ken and tama)
• FinishGG (Ghost Grip), matte grip coating
• 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 GG finish (Ghost Grip, which the brand also calls Anti-Skid 2.0) is an ultra-thin, very matte coating that gives grip without shine on catches and in stalls (tricks in which the tama or the ken rests still in balance). 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.