Harudama First Edition Set

Pick 1 color for your Tama (Ball) and 1 color for your set of Cups (Big, Small, Base).

I recommend 2 different colors, distinct but aesthetically complimentary, for maximum visual effect.

Get specific. Get descriptive. Look up some pantone color codes if you want! I can’t guarantee a perfect match. However, I will use my set of pigments to the best of my Art Degree abilities to get as close as I can.

Tamas are available in 2 different densities of urethane foam. I can give specific numbers to the curious, but I like to think of them as: “Marshmallow” and “Gummy Bear”.

“Marshmallow” Tamas are lighter, squishier, and bouncier. They work well with a dynamic and fluid play style since the extra bounce makes it easier to recover a missed trick without pause. “Marshmallows” are strongly recommended for players interested in soccer (football) style foot juggling, neck catches, and body bounces.

“Gummy Bear” Tamas are a little heavier, more durable, and more stable. They are well suited to a more deliberate play style that incorporates stalls, balances, and a variety of spike techniques. “Gummy Bears” will feel closer to the wood kendama players are likely accustomed to.

One Standard Split Handle (with Chibi Extension)

OR

Two Chibi Size No-Split Handles

Standard Handle splits into two pieces that fit nicely in most checked luggage and comes with an extra piece that can attach to the top half in order to use your Harudama in (nearly) Chibi mode.

Chibi Size Handle option is meant for those that have no interest in full length staff style play and would prefer to have an extra handle instead because they intend to do all sorts of wild kendama style flippy stuff. (These handles will also fit in most checked luggages.)

This one is pretty straightforward.

Thick wall aluminum tube. More durable but a little heavier.

Thin wall aluminum tube. Lighter but potentially more susceptible to damage.

(The handle is honestly the easiest component to DIY. So, it would be an easy first choice for experimenting with your own customization projects down the road if you aren’t completely satisfied with the option you choose. I also plan to start selling individual components after I work through the initial batch of harudama orders for people that want to swap out parts.)

What I think is another relatively simple choice.

Pre-Wrapped or Naked Handle.

Because keeping a bunch of different tapes in stock sounds like a logistical and financial headache that I don’t want to deal with for this first edition, I’ll be stocking Newbaum’s cotton bar tape in black as the standard wrap. (It’s used on bikes, aerial circus apparatus, and now Harudamas!) If you want a different color or different type of wrap entirely, there will be the option to have the handle shipped bare, ready for you to apply your preferred wrap. (I’ve heard from flow people that the cotton tape isn’t quite grippy enough for the traditional staff body rolls.)

Information on different types of grip tapes is definitely out there on various forums.

The longterm viability has not yet been researched, but a bunch of stickers on a naked handle can look pretty awesome if you’re into that sort of thing. It helps to know cool people with cool stickers. (If you got a good sticker hook-up, let me know.)

I have found the best overall length for a harudama to be roughly equal to the height from the ground to the sternum of the person that will be using it. Maybe a little extra if you are inclined towards flow staff style tricks or a little less if you think you’ll want to incorporate more haru (ken) flips.

The Standard Split Handle option has a maximum length of 57 inches (145cm). (If you absolutely need one longer than this, send an email to harudama@20tonstudios.com and I’ll see what I can do.)

The 2 Chibi Handle option has a maximum overall length of 33 inches (84cm).