Tama only kendama options are back and better than ever! Now, every kaizen kendama style can be found as a tama only option. Starting at just $9.99 there is a tama for every ken, style, and budget. Or build your own complete setup by choosing both ken and tama.
We’ve been serving the kendama community for over 15 years and one of the ways we succeed in that is by providing the highest quality at the lowest prices that we can. Tamas come in tons of different styles, paints, and sizes, each bringing its own unique tracking points and advantages to the table. We offer professionally designed tamas for any ken and playstyle, our tamas range in size from 61 to 62mm.
Choose your tama from top brands like Kaizen or Craft and choose from silk rubberized or super stick paints, we are sure that there is a tama that will fit your style and help your land more tricks.
For more information on replacement tamas for your kendama check out our products here, or contact our knowledgeable customer service staff.
The Haley Bishoff Pro Model Kendama now features the Nova shape and is available in both silk or super stick paint options. The colorway and packaging around Haley’s new pro model mirrors the changes she saw in her environment when she moved from Oregon to Nevada, forest to desert. This pro model kendama captures the essence and beautiful hues seen in the Nevada sunsets. A UV topographical map of null wraps around the packaging and art. On the back of the box, you can visually climb one of Haley’s favorite routes in the park called Moonlight Buttress. On the Kendama, there are cacti under the slip stop, a drilled base cup for better balance. Custom engravings include Haley’s signature along with the ken, and gold SHCL tribute to a Kendama pioneer who positively changed the lives of many around the world; Dave Mateo. Spike Hard Catch Low Forever.
“There’s something uniquely special about the desert. It brings a certain kind of appreciation to how something so simple can be so vast. As of now, the desert is home. There are not many other places in the world that bring such rich reds and deep oranges. The desert always provides.” – Haley Bishoff
What’s good everyone! null here from Honed Media bringing you another kendama review. This time I want to especially thank Sharif from Kendama USA for allowing me to guest write for the KUSA blog. Without further ado, let’s talk about Zach Magnuson’s Pro Model #MAGSMOD.
I’d like to frame my article around “what makes a pro model” – because the first impression I get when opening the box and feeling the kendama is that THIS IS A PRO MODEL. From a tama design that no one can come close to imitating to the custom stickers and even the orange string – everything about the experience screams unique.
People who have followed Zach Magnuson aka null on social know that he is a talented photographer from Detroit and I personally enjoyed how elements of his passion for photography are designed into his other passion. Passion-ception.
Even the box feels high quality. The material is hard with textured prints and would stand out on any shelf. But enough about the aesthetics, we’re here to talk about how the kendama plays.
Let’s start with the shape – we have a modified Shift introducing the Kaizen Base Cup Hole and let’s just say it’s what the doctor ordered. I’ve been a fan of Kaizen for many years and have played a range from 1.0, 2.0, Slim, and Shift. I will admit that lunars were a challenge with the Shift because the wider base cup results in an increased weight shifted there. It made the kendama a ken-flip machine, but the trade-off was lunars.
With the balance hole available on Mag’s mod, the lunar balance has improved significantly without much compromise to the ken-flip capability. It feels like one of the most complete kendamas that I’ve played out of the box. Complete in part as well because the spike comes glued – something that I do for all my kendamas. When it comes to the paint, I personally prefer jamming sticky tamas, but something about KUSA’s silk paint slaps different. It seems to be rougher out of the box and allows for a nice adjustment when playing your balance tricks.
To each his own, however, I’d say that both paints will not let you down and it’s really a matter of personal preference which paint to use. I had an easier time with landing lunars on the sticky paint, while catching and adjusting lighthouses felt better on the silk paint.
What about durability?
Part of this review involved a 2-week test doing cup tricks, ken tricks, and tama tricks. Let me be upfront – I miss the spike a lot. Despite that, there were only minor chips after 2 weeks, mostly around the bevel making it a relatively durable kendama. This could be in part that the weight of the tama was heavier (80+) and therefore the wood would have been harder and denser.
What might be more important to note was that I did not feel the tackiness of the respective paints change much – something you do not see often.
In the playability section, I test the smoothness and ease of landing tricks in the 4 criteria, Lunar, Stalls, Slings, and Ken Flips.
A difficulty rating out of 10 (1 being easier than usual, 5 being no difference and 10 is much harder than usual) will be given to each category at discretion.
Lunar
Stall
Sling
Kenflip
Pull-up Bird
3
Pull-up Sling
4
Kenflip Spike
2
Lunar
3
Bird Over The V
3
Pull-up Double-Sling Spike
4
Double Whirlwind
3
Double Lunar Flip
4
Handlestall – Ring
4
Pull-up Sling, Late Sling
4
Kenflip-
ken flip Spike
4
What does this compare to?
You know when you’re headed out of home for a short bit and want to grab a kendama off the shelf you can just walk and jam without worry? This is it. Despite being a pro mod with an extensive and complex aesthetic design, it still plays like a daily jammer – and that is one of my favorite things about it.
I play a lot of kendamas and found it easy to rotate in and out of the #MAGSMOD which makes it and really worthy investment.
At $40, this is one of the most value-for-money kendamas out there. The level of design on the tama, sticker pack, and packaging indicates that it must have been relatively expensive to produce – yet Kendama USA prices it comparable to other kendamas in the market with a less complex design.
As a plus point, each #MAGSMOD purchased goes to supporting Zach’s kendama journey – a win-win situation if I ever saw one.
Bonus: To show that this dama is for the everyday average player like me – I shot a three trick fix with different balance and stall tricks to show how player-friendly it was out-of-box. Enjoy!
Meet July Player of the Month Colin Hislop, from Sandpoint, Idaho. Slaying since the 8th grade, the first kendama he put his hands on was a friend’s.
“I was instantly hooked! Soon after, (June, 2012) I visited the @sportscreel in Spokane, WA and picked up my first dama: a Purple Shenzhu! I love simple tricks with spicy tech thrown in. Late goons, grip trades, and fast hands all get me juiced. My favorite setup is whatever feels good! Currently,I am loving the null.”
He’s currently working on a year-long project, filming a trick every day. Over 200 tricks deep, Colin believes it will likely release on January 1st, 2021! We can’t wait to see it!
“I’m so incredibly grateful for this tool and everywhere it has brought me. It’s been an unforgettable 8 years, and I can’t see myself ever stopping.
The shout-out list is endless, but to start: the day one homie @_samcannon_, @asapcrvst, @mikey_schelling, and the sensei @benherald. From friendship, to motivation, to tutoring, these dudes have inspired me more than I can put into words.
Love to Kendama USA, the community, & everyone pushing to help it grow.”
The Haley Bishoff Pro Model Kendama has a new look and updates that are sure to help you progress. The new colorway and packaging around Haley’s new pro model mirror the changes she sees in her environment; moving from Oregon to Nevada, forest to desert.
Custom artwork captures the essence of the desert and the beautiful hues seen in the sunsets there. A UV topographical map of null wraps around the packaging and art. On the back of the box, you can visually climb one of Haley’s favorite routes in the park called Moonlight Buttress. On the Kendama, there are cacti under the slip stop, an engraved OG Tribute logo on the base cup, Haley’s engraved signature along with the ken, and gold engraved SHCL tribute to a Kendama pioneer who positively changed the lives of many around the world: Dave Mateo. Spike Hard Catch Low Forever.
“There’s something uniquely special about the desert. It brings a certain kind of appreciation to how something so simple can be so vast. As of now, the desert is home. There are not many other places in the world that bring such rich reds and deep oranges. The desert always provides.” – Haley Bishoff
Watch the unboxing to learn more about the #BISHMOD and an in-depth comparison to the v1.
Follow null and the Girls Kendama Collective.
Just looking at this kendama will get you excited to play it. The “just-right” bright yellow against those soft and bubbly blue waves will make this the only Kendama you’ll want to play. The entire kendama is now completely made of maple and is adorned with a 360 wave engraving for a classic look and some added grip on the ken. We’ve kept the top dot at the apex of the tama, the stark contrast between the tama hole and the white top dot makes it easier to keep track of tama position and decide your next move.
Nobu Nori’s pro model Kendama has been updated and restocked! Inspiration for the model comes from one of Nobu’s favorite beverages and its crisp high energy vibes. The #NOBUMOD Kendama still has all the original features like the shift shape, refined silk paint plus a few updates we know you’ll love.
The Nobu Pro Model Kendama is a high-vis playable art piece with a clean design that is easy on the eyes, easy to play, and easy to track.
Grab one today, limited quantities available.
Nobu’s love for the sport and drive to excel himself and others in Kendama is inspiring. See more of Nobu’s mind-blowing trick combinations and and more null
It’s been almost 3 years since Josh Kim picked up his first Kendama. Since then, Josh’s passion & determination to lace Kendama tricks has fast-tracked his skill progression and he is now on Kendama USA’s Tribe Team! Josh’s play style is fast & technical, so try not to blink when watching this edit. With trick combinations including but not limited to boarders balances, 123 variations, & even tightropes, Josh’s gravity-defying lines will definitely blow your mind.
Back when I used to yo-yo around 2013, I would always learn tricks from yoyoexpert.com. I saw they were selling Kendamas, so I watched my first Kendama video on the site, which was the Kendama USA 2012 Japan Tour. Still one of my favorite videos to this day. However, I did not get a Kendama until 2015 where just kept it on my desk, and did not start playing until February of 2016. My first Kendama USA dama was a black silk Kaizen Kendama. My current favorite setup is a Watermelon Slim X Dwesty Ken; throws absolute face melters.
A year later Josh met Wyatt at the 2017 Grand Central Station Jam, where he won a Spike-Off and almost bested Wyatt in a game of Ken. Wyatt saw potential in Josh and sent him a few kendamas after the jam. Since then Josh has helped host a number of events and plans on continuing to throw jams and events in the NYC area.
Kendama for me is just an amazing sport that I love. To be able to receive so much support from the community is phenomenal. Thank you to everyone who has supported me in the past, and special shout out to my day 1′s; my parents. Without them supporting me everyday I play, I never would be where am I today. So grateful to be blessed with this amazing opportunity to play for Kendama USA. Can’t wait for what happens next!
Kendama USA is proud to launch the first series of Kaizen Shifts and Kaizen Slims. The Shift and Slim shape have been extremely popular on our Craft Kendamas, and the Kaizen options now offer you these amazing shapes at a great price. Here is a picture of all the Kaizen’s we recently released. These color options are limited, so grab your favorite style while you can. Also, check out our null feature to share with friends and family.
Kendama USA is proud to release its newest addition to the Craft Colors line; The Black Belt, available now. The black belt encapsulates the best quality and playability perfected for modern play style. The black belt features a new triple split color design distinguished by the thick black stripe on the ball. The top half of the tama is a smooth pastel purple, and the bottom 30% is a fresh minty green. This unique tama is coated with our silk paint.
We’ve added special customization options to our Craft Colors line, giving you the option to pair this tama with our Shift or Slim ken shapes in a variety of wood options. These two popular ken shapes were designed by the Kendama USA team for modern play style, durability, and control. The combination of our silk painted tama with a USA made Craft ken gives you one of the most honed and customizable setups available. null
“Go to the Valley of Fire they said, the dessert is epic they said.. (plot twist) IT WAS!”
The Craft Sandstorm and Graphite Kendamas were inspired by a trip to Nevada’s Valley of Fire! The 2017 Toy Fest West show was going down in Las Vegas and during a free day, Scags and Jero ventured a few hours out of the city lights to the great shifting sand dunes. The landscapes were so perfect it was crazy to comprehend what we were seeing! Pictures, clips, tricks, we had to be Abel to share this experience somehow!
After snapping a few pictures and reassuring ourselves that the views were THIS epic – we had to pay the memory forward and design these colors for tamas!
Pick up a Craft Color from Kendama USA and create your own ventures, memories, and stories to share!
Check out the edit and get lost in the landscapes that the Valley of Fire.
Check out the edit and get lost in the Valley of Fire’s landscapes .
Ozora Kendama of Japan has developed a new shape that features larger cups and a semi 70/30 fade for easy hole tracking. Formally named “Odori REshape” this is the newest shape from Ozora in ten years and is the brain child of Japanese Craftman, Ryoichi Suzuki. The REShape has three meanings;”3R”, RENEW · · · Newly born design RELIABLE · · · Reliable specs and quality REACH · · · reach new possibilities.
Dama Dice gives slayers a new way to enjoy games of KEN. The Dama Dice app, available on iOS, gives you a random Kendama trick in Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty modes. It also helps you learn about new Kendama tricks with the integrated Kendama Tricktionary. Just tap on one of the dice, and you can read about how it’s done or view tutorial videos from the best Kendama pros in the community.
We caught up with the app’s creator whos is also a local Utah slayer; Theodore B., and here’s what he had to say:
“I created Dama Dice because it’s fun to shake things up every now and then. I got started building these apps for snowboarding and skateboarding. My friends and I were always daring each other to try new tricks, so it’s really a product I built to have more fun with them. Dama Dice is great for games of K.E.N. when you don’t know what trick to try.
The app works through a process known as “procedural generation.” That’s fancy computer science talk for lots and lots of random numbers. If the number is “1″, the app gives you a different trick than you’d get if it’s “2″ and so on.
Dama Dice has over a hundred random trick components that it draws from. It puts those components together to make new and interesting combinations of tricks every time you shake your phone.
Dama Dice also has a Combo Mode that combines tricks together in lines of three. It uses the ending grip from the previous trick to figure out which trick to flow into. Combos are natural and fun to try. The app will keep surprising you with the combos it creates. It’s sort of unreal and nothing like the kinds of combos you can think up yourself.
So yeah, enjoy the app. Have fun! Send me your feedback too. I can add in new tricks and move things around. I built the app for the community, and I want it to be something everyone loves to play with.”
“I’ve decided to do a free version so people can try out the app before getting access to all of the advanced tricks and combo mode.”
