Can tail seeds be played with? The truth about Rudraksha (large) tail-end stock. When buying a mala (prayer beads), you may come across strings made from tail seeds or tail-end stock at a cheap price, and you start to wonder whether they're worth playing with. Can tail seeds be played with? To be honest, yes, but it depends on the quality of the tail-end stock—let me tell you straight.

What are tail seeds

What are tail seeds: tail seeds are the ones left over after sorting a batch—the ones nobody picked. Vendors bundle them up and sell them cheap, calling them tail-end stock. Tail seeds aren't bad seeds; they're just average in appearance and size, or mixed with some flawed seeds, which is why they're cheap.

Can tail seeds be played with

Can tail seeds be played with: yes. The skin and density of tail seeds aren't necessarily poor—many tail seeds develop a nice result after breaking-in (patina process). Tail seeds are cheap and offer great value, making them good for practice. But tail seeds contain many flaws—broken teeth, cracked seeds, and color differences are common—so you need to know how to pick. If you can pick out the ones with good skin, they're worth playing with.

How to pick tail seeds

How to pick tail seeds: choose ones with good skin and density and few flaws. When a string of tail seeds arrives, inspect it first; if there are many broken teeth or cracked seeds, contact the seller promptly. Buying tail seeds for practice is a good deal, but don't buy tail-end stock if you're after top quality. Can tail seeds be played with? Yes—the skin of tail seeds isn't necessarily poor and the price is cheap, so picking out the good ones for practice is the best value.

Tail seeds aren't bad seeds; they're a value choice. If you know how to pick, you can even find treasures among tail seeds—perfect for practice. Don't shake your head the moment you hear "tail-end stock."