A-RT Triptych (A-grade and B-grade)
Triptych Specs (A-RT official site)
Diameter: 56.2 mm
Weight: 62.1 g
Width: 43.1 mm
Gap width: 3.9 mm
Bearing: NSK Gold (A-grade), DS Bearing (B-grade)
Okay, first, I purchased Triptych from A-RT drop. The Triptych, sadly A-RT guys also mentioned that this was the only drop of Triptych. There are only 20 A-grade (Clear-Teal) and 80 B-grade (Purble, Jungle, Villain). And I have to say, the hype for Triptych drop was REAL! The A-grade sold out in 1 minute and the B-grade sold out in less than 3 minutes. You’ve got many fans out there, dudes!
First look, the shape of Trip is just like other A-RT throws, O-shape with concave groove near the pads. It has a not so deep undercut IRG. Unfortunately, I found that the A-Grade Trip I got this time has very small defects on the side rim (which is quite sad when you spend $150 for one); while the B-grade purple has a small anno imperfection inside the cup (which A-RT mentioned before) and a very small defect near the concave groove. The unique feature of Triptych is the inlay filled with paint in the outer rim. I really, really love the beautiful combination of purple with pink colored inlay. IMO, it’s a fresh, great idea, but also makes me wonder how they make sure the filling is constant for each halves (if you watch A-RT instagram, Jens filled it manually using syringe). Will it affect the smoothness?
On the string: (compared to A-RT Grail and A-RTxG2 Life)
These boys spin very smoothly. The NSK bearing is so quiet compared to regular DS bearing. It feels so light on the string (as expected of 62 g ish yoyo). The Triptych is easier to be off axis and tilt compared to Grail and Life, maybe because of the light weight with extreme weight in the rim. It’s not as powerful as Grail or Life, but I think it’s good enough to handle your string tricks. The 3.9 gap is not snaggy at all, but if you worry about it, you can always change to thinner string. The gap is just perfect for regeneration tricks.
Compared to the A-grade, the B-grade used regular DS bearing. There was no fingernail vibe at all on this boy. So, it’s mostly B-grade only because of anno imperfection. And while it has a slight different feel on the play, I have to say that the bearing was not make a significant differences. XD Later, I also change the DS bearing into my spare NSK Gold. Actually, I want to put NSK Platinum into it. However, the bearing seat is a little bit too tight for the platinum, so I decided not to use it rather than damaging the bearing seat. And voila, it perfectly fit with the NSK Gold. And yes, now it plays reaaally similar to the A-grade one. LOL
In conclusion, I have to say that Triptych is a very nice yoyo. This yoyo is able to represent the A-RT philosophy of fun or casual play. I believe organic lover out there will love this. Both grades play really well, but I didn’t find any significant difference of A-grade and B-grade on how they play, so I believe the $100 tag for the B-grade was a steal (than the $150 A-grade). Of course you can always change the bearing into NSK gold by yourself, and you’ll still be able to save 30 bucks. Overall, I prefer the Grail, but Triptych has this kind of unique feel that makes it different than other A-RT throws. So, if you get a chance to get Triptych in the future, you better don’t miss it.
PS: I have been yoyoing for almost 10 years, but this is my first review. If you got comments, please feel free to tell me. Thanks! 