New to kendama

I got a kendama USA tribute 2 Christmases ago and finally decided to pick it up and learn some stuff. Is the tribute good? Do you need to buy replacement strings like yoyos? I’m considering the catchy air, unless the tribute is better and I don’t need to get another one. What do you guys think?

The Tributes are great to learn on so I wouldn’t worry about getting another kendama yet, unless you really want to see how the different tama finishes play (painted vs natural vs tacky).

And changing the string is more cosmetic for kendamas. A new string won’t really effect play unless you’re changing to a different type of string, and even then it’s minimal. I just change mine when they look a little dirty or I want to change the color.