In Japan, where braids are traditionally dense and stiff, 100 gram tama are used on the marudai, are recommended for the ayatakedai, and can also be used on the takadai.
Our tama are based on the shape of Japanese tama, hold a lot of thread, and don't easily catch on each other. They are made from hard maple and sealed at both ends. The hard maple has been polished to a fine finish and has been lightly coated with wax.
Braiders should choose the weight of their tama to reflect the type of braids they intend to make. The weight of the tama relates to the number of ends and type of yarn used as well as how the braid will be used. In Japan 100 gram tama are often used on the marudai. Both 100 and 85 gram tama can be used on the marudai and takadai, however the 85 gram tama are recommended for the takadai. The 100 gram tama are standard for the ayatakedai but lighter tama can also be used.
We recommend eight to sixteen tama for your marudai as that is the required range for most published braiding instructions. Takadai braids can be made with as few as nine tama. If you want to make a braid from Rodrick Owen's Making Kumihimo, Japanese Interlaced Braids (which is out of print but can be found at online used bookstores), you will need 42 tama. Our standard takadai will accommodate 84 tama and our extended takadai will hold 162.
As experienced braiders know, and new braiders soon find out, tama can be required in large quantities. We are pleased to offer these exquisite tama at a very reasonable price.
Made in USA by BraidersHand
