Really Dumb Problem...

Well, to put it shortly, I can’t tug the ball straight up without the bead and the end of the string coming out. Whether just pulling it up to one of the cups or trying to do a lighthouse, it just comes out and hangs there. I don’t know if there’s something I should do, or it’s just technique, or…?

Also, this didn’t come about until I restrung it. When I did, all this wood pulp come out. I didn’t think much of it then, but I realized later that that was probably what was keeping it down, and I had already just thrown it out. Any ideas on what to do?

http://www.kendama.co.uk/setup.html

read that first part about string

I take a tiny bit of sticky tack and put it under the bead, so it sticks inside the hole, but can still come free when I need to replace it.

When i hold the tama with the hole facing upwards, i just touch the string coming out of the hole on the bottom every so slightly with my pinky. That’s usually more than enough to keep it from coming out.

Quoted because it’s genius…

in the beginning i propped a little piece of paper in the hole, to get stuck the bead,
when you do this , you have to rewind the string more each time to do proper pull ups, you can always get the piece of paper out when you need to,

i did see some japanese players tight a knot in the string just above the ball, this only can making the string more permanent, and sometime the knot can give you a little problem when landing the ball on the cup with the knot in the string,

and like Eastfield said, when play kendama with the tama grip, i use the same technic and hold my pinky on the stringhole so the string can’t get out, works perfect.

good luck