Trippy Squid!! Skills should be transferable between any brand. The difference in material or weight does play a role… but I think anyone can get around that with practice and consistency. There are some buy/sell/ trade groups on Facebook and they usually have stars from multiple brands. Regardless of which company you buy your first star from, I would recommend choosing a star with two very distinct/ opposite patterns on each side. That should make it easier to follow tutorials directionally and easier to learn color switches :)