idk anything about them and broke so want to spend less then 20 (probably impossible) what makes name brand different from cheap ones on eb*y other than look would they get the job done?
Quality of wood used. Quality of paint used. Precision in the manufacturing. Shape of the ken (handle). Durability. Weight balance.
$20-$30 will get you a fantastic kendama.
21 bucks plus shipping gets what you want.
I don’t have a kendama yet, but I want to weigh in with a thought:
Let’s say you’re not sure if even $21 is worth it to you for a Kendama. So you buy one for $6 off eBay. You throw it for a day and are like “dang, I suck, that was boring, that was sucky.” and give it up.
Who’s to say you wouldn’t have had more success and fun with a standard-weight higher-quality kendama? Maybe it would’ve been a pretty cool day and you would have discovered a new skill toy to learn?
It’s worth the $21 to me to know that if I really didn’t like it, it’s because of me and not the equipment.
Besides, just like name-brand yoyos, you can probably get rid of a name-brand kendama on a BST for about 2/3 of your spend, meaning you’d only be out $7 to have learned that you don’t like it much.
(I’ve been playing kendama ~3-4 years, just getting into yoyo now)
DO NOT go for one of the cheap ebay kendamas. They will not be balanced correctly, or play well. Even the relatively cheap toysmith/yomega brand kendamas are crap. If you want to try it out, spend the $20 on the solid kendama, it will be worth it. For about $20-22 (+shipping), you can get one of the best kendamas made (I recommend starting with a red TK16 - its a classic). Check out www.kendamausa.com, they have an amazing selection, and great customer service!
(disclaimer: I play on their team, but I still stand behind what I said. There is a reason they’re America’s longest running kendama supplier!)
I’ve been thinking about getting into Kendama, and have been thinking about getting a Tribute. Is this a good choice? If you could reply that would be great.