Kulture
2011 Split-ply
Deck Review by Xi Jin
About me and this boardI have been fingerboarding for about 10 years on and off although my involvement with the online scene is limited. I am unsponsored with no affiliation to any fingerboard company so this is an unbiased review. This Kulture deck is the 14th out of 15 wooden decks I have owned, not counting multiple decks of the same mold/size. I have been skating this deck set up with Foamy J grip, Ytrucks X3 (originally tuned China wides) and original version Close Up bearing wheels. I have been using the aforementioned board as my main for 2 weeks in order to gain a suitable level of experience with it to give it a fair review. I have only used it indoors but I have shredded the fuck out of it. This is also my fourth fingerboard product review and I hope it is sufficient in detail and interesting to read. I personally prefer text-based reviews as opposed to video reviews as the reader can choose to read it at their own pace instead of being forced to follow the speed of the reviewer and who can often trail-off topic.
Number Fourteen
Company ProfileKulture decks are individually handmade by Matt Ketner from USA (aka 'fb skater' on FFI). He has been making decks for a few years although I do not know exactly how long. Along with blank decks, he has also previously made metal bottom decks. He also fulfills customs and split-ply deck orders. The decks are not mass produced and it makes each deck very special.
Matt liked a previous review I wrote and asked me to review this deck to learn how to improve it. I would have reviewed this anyway as it was a pretty significant deck but I am glad to know he is willing to take in feedback to improve his decks.
Deck StatisticsDeck Length: 99mm aprox
Deck Width: 29.75mm (Billed as 100x29)
Nose and Tail concaves: low/mellow
Rail to rail concave: low
Ply Construction: 5-ply, Top to bottom: wood/dark green/white/dark green/wood
Kicks: medium
Asymmetry: The nose is a bigger than the tail
Kingpin holes: none
Side profile with Miku-chan
Transaction DetailsPrice: $25 US, equivalent to around £15/€17 (Discounted price, splits are normally $32 shipped)
Shipping cost: $2
Time to arrive from US to UK: 1 week
I bought the deck directly from Matt Ketner via FFI Transactions. His split-ply decks are normally a bit more but he needed the money and offered this one at a discounted price. It arrived in a standard bubble mailer with bubble wrap. The price for the deck and shipping was very good value so I am stoked on that.
The one setup, my preciousssss
CraftsmanshipWell after skating it for a day, I didn't notice anything wrong with it at all. However, as a reviewer I checked all the parts of the deck I could think of and there are some very minor issues that I have noticed.
The rails are perfectly perpendicular.
The tail is perfectly shaped but the nose is slightly asymmetrical with the left side more pointy and the right side more rounded.
The lacquer uniformly covers the entire board although it is thin and marks and dents are made very easily once you skate it.
The mounting holes are countersunk, perfectly centered, straight and flawlessly alligned with each other. The minor issue with these is that the holes go right into the concaves of the deck so mounting could be a problem if you have short screws. Once it is mounted though, it's fine.
The bottom is a pretty awesome split-ply design where the pieces fit perfectly and the deck is not warped.
The choice of middle plies is also very good.
Top of deck
PerformanceI'll be honest here, I bought the deck because of its artistic value. Imagine my surprise when finally deciding to set it up and finding this is the greatest wide deck I have ever encountered. I have always been a fan of skinny decks and have been searching for a wide deck that could suit me and this one has hit all of my preferences exactly. In no way am I exagerrating its splendour, this is truly a very well made deck. Although it is 5-plies, it is rather light, much like a 4-ply deck. The medium kicks are very solid and at the perfect height and length for amazing pop. The wheelbase is optimal for the length of deck and the width is very suitable for the many wide trucks there are. I've tested different types of skating with this (flatground, blocks, rails, miniramp, manuals and freestyle) and it performs exceedingly well in every situation. The problems I have with wider decks is that when the widths of the decks and trucks don't match, tricks will be different to flip and railstands/primos won't work. This deck in particular will suit any style and situation you want to skate in. I originally set the board up with some China wides but discovering how good the deck is, I just had to upgrade the setup with some Ytrucks and promote this to one of my favourite boards ever. I definitely recommend Kulture decks as this has brought me so much joy and a much more smooth flowing natural style.
My face when I skate this deck
...and that's the end of the review. I hope it was alright.
You can buy a blank with Foamy J and wides for $24.99 from No Comply Fingerboards. Link:
http://nocomplyfingerboards.com/catalog/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=454You can also buy blanks for $23 from Creekwood FBS. Link:
http://creekwoodfbs.vstore.ca/product_info.php/pName/kulture-wood-bottom-deck/cName/decksAdditionally, customs and split-ply decks may be bought from Matt personally by PMing 'fb skater' on FFI.
I must stress that he is currently moving across town (as of today) and may not be making decks for 1-2 weeks and even then, decks are produced in small quantities so I advise you to ask politely if you do.
You may use this review and pictures, in part or in full, as long as you credit it to me and get permission from me in a PM.
