The kumihimo disk, plate or the mini board are very portable and work very well with the plastic EZ bobs as bobbins. The disk, plate or board can be used free hand or can be attached to a stand such as an empty spool to more closely match a maru dai. Personal Note :: The first time I encountered the name 'kumihimo' was in 1978 at a show when a textile specialist exclaimed in front of my exhibit that I was doing kumihimo. The term was completely unknown to me at the time as I had learned my braiding techniques from a book on knots and techniques for sailors. I got a maru dai and bobbins but relegated them to my closet, as I prefer simpler and faster braiding techniques done by hand. The disk or plate held by hand has the advantage of being much more portable than a full maru dai. I have since played around with the disk, mostly for braids for fun. I worked mostly with satin cords at first to learn the patterns, then with C-lon Bead Cord/Nylon #18 and satin cords as a core. I have mostly followed and elaborated on patterns from Roderick Owen's book 'Braids' (published in 1995 by Interweave). I also recommend the small EZ-Bobs to wind your cords and the mini clamps to secure the braids when taking a break.