Hey guys been learning 5a after doing 1a for a long while, It’s been fun and refreshing. But I was wondering how a good counterweight would be that should last me a while while I learn.
I have Duncan dice (good weight), but kinda painful when it hits my hand, assuming cause the square shape.
I also have a Porykon Saturn i recently bought, but it’s already got pretty beaten, so worry it won’t last much longer, also don’t want a counterweight that I will need to replace the O-ring I’ve learned.
So if anyone has any recommendations from Porykon or something like that I’d appreciate it, probably around the same weight as the Duncan dice. I was considering the Freesia though. And heavily considering Takeshi Dice.
I use a Saturn and a Jupiter. The Saturn comes with extra o-rings if they somehow break. And they’ll take standard o-rings of the same size. They’re there for comfort. The Jupiter doesn’t have an o-ring, has a similar shape as Saturn, but flares out so it can round the largest circumference for comfort. It’s machined so it’s smooth. I also use an R2FG Reactor since it’s easy to put on and take off.
If you’re hitting your hand a lot and can’t take it then maybe you want something softer than solid plastic. There’s Fairy Crystal Lab but they’re somewhat expensive, and hard to get since they’re individually hand made. More accessible are the Gummy Weights and the gummy counterweights from Throw-Yo.
Perhaps the CLYW Log. It’s relatively light wood and bounces off. I put that on a wood fixie.
My Saturn (as I mentioned i got one) did not come with extra O-rings, so I’d have to buy them..
Not sure if the Jupiter is in stock I’ll have to look for it . It’s not that I’m hitting my hand a lot per say, it’s more so when I do the shape and I think because the cold weather causes it to hurt more than usually .
Also I fear the same issue I have with the Porykon Saturn would happen with Fairy Crystal Lab, I was looking at em a while back, but I don’t wanna damage it so fast like my Saturn, I want it to last me a good bit
I may be misremembering but someone explained to me recently that they are not quite as hard as say a pro gummyweight, but are closer to it than one of the soft gummyweights.
Momiji is my favorite counterweight by far and away. For a cube-shape it’s extremely comfortable. Porykon generally makes good counterweights so you can’t really go wrong although saturn is actually my least favorite. I also really enjoy the Jupiter, also by Porykon.
The bottom half is hard resin and the upper half is soft. The upper half a fair bit harder than the material of the o-ring on the Saturn, but harder than most soft counterweights. Car tire soft is how I’d describe it. If durability is a concern for you then they’re definitely not the play. The resin of the bottom is more brittle and prone to large gouges and cracks than the PC used in the Saturn, and the softer resin is much easier to put gashes in or split.
The unfortunate reality is just that counterweights don’t last forever. Hard impacts against the yoyo on snags especially just take their toll with enough play. This is only exacerbated with softer or more brittle materials.
If longest lifespan is your biggest desire, then Freesia is by far the best of the options you listed. Machined PC handles hard impacts better than 3D prints. This isn’t to say that 3D printed PLA or resin aren’t good material choices for counterweights, just that machined PC will be by far the winner for durability over months/years worth of heavy play.
I have, the T-cube is sick. I haven’t used an un-cube personally but a few of my friends swear by them. The string coming off the corner of the cube like that helps it pull free from getting twisted on the string so easily. I really really wish more cube counterweights did that, I feel like there’s a reason you see so many great players using these.
That’s actually where all my criticism of 3D print durability comes from though. I’d say expect to get like a year of heavy play out of it before replacing for a new one. Hard snags of the cw slamming back into the yoyo at warp speed really are just brutal for the cw.
Many 5a players I’ve been watching are on BSF, I was like woah, maybe this is what I need? But they’re pretty sold out around. I was looking at the A-cuRve
. It’s not that I’m hitting my hand a lot per say, it’s more so when I do the shape and I think because the cold weather causes it to hurt more than usually 
.
