C3YoYo Design Sceptre Review
C3YoYo Design is Hong Kong’s first pro metal yoyo design company with a single goal in mind: To design the best high end competition yo-yo’s. Although C3YoYo typically works in metal they do offer several delrin yoyo’s of which the Sceptre is the third in the line of successful delrins. Although C3YoYo offers other delrin throws the Sceptre is set apart by being the only throw in their entire line that offers the ability to choose between a C or A size bearing - something that we say way back in the time of Buzz-On Yoyos with the interchangeable SPR systems which allowed a similar set up but required a second SPR to accommodate a different bearing size. I’ll get into this more further in the review.
I received the Sceptre with red hubs and I think that the design, although simple, is eye-catching and during play the aluminum hub catches the light perfectly.
C3YoYo Design Sceptre Specs:
68.3 grams
57.56mm diameter
42.38mm width
Gap width with C bearing 4.27mm
Gap width with A bearing 3.65mm
C3YoYo Design Silicone Pad response system
The Sceptre is only offered in all black but for a bit of variety the central hub is offered in blue, red, green or gold.
In the Box:
C3YoYo Design Sceptre in black delrin with your choice of 4 aluminum hub colors
Standard C size bearing (.250 x .500 x .187)
1 poly string
1 set of response pads to fit the reverse side of the Duplex Bearing System
NOTE:
Before going further I must mention that due to the design of this throw my review mentions the bearing system in several sections as it literally is inseparable from both the build and bearing system. By this I mean that due to the way the Duplex Bearing System fits into the throw it not only holds the bearing but is part of the inner weight, wall and holds the response. So this being said I made my best attempt to include the bearing system into each section as applicable.
Build:
The delrin halves of the Sceptre are a butterfly shape with slightly rounded rims that transition to a three step catch zone that leads to the wall. The Duplex Bearing System (DBS) is where this throw gets interesting. The wall is actually a composite wall that combines the delrin body and the aluminum DBS which means that the wall will actually be larger with the smaller A size bearing (naturally) should you choose to use one instead of the included C size bearing. This design effectively changes the play a bit; although nothing insane it is noticeable but also offers an interesting variety to play. The DBS is an interesting design and the halves of the DBS fit nicely into the halves of the throw with incredible precision that makes them flush to the wall. When I broke out my micrometer I measured the delrin section of the wall to be around 1.13mm which increased to 2.37mm with the C bearing side of the DBS in place and 3.36mm with an A size bearing in place. As you can see, not a huge difference but as we all know, the slightest difference can mean a major change in how a throw will play and spin. When I first took the Sceptre out of its box the first thing that came to mind was “Heavy.” I mean this throw carries some weight to it at just over 68 grams which is a tad heavier than many of the metal throws out there with similar dimensions. The Sceptre offers no IGR nor hub spike so its play is limited to standard string play and grinds. The delrin halves really do have that high quality feel but at a price that you can’t beat for delrin. The black though, as with the majority of black delrins, marks easily with regular handling and as you can see in some of my pictures, the slightest bit of dust is always visible on the body. Not major issues since most of the time it will be seen in motion but something I felt important to mention. The delrin body as expected has that nice “soapy” feel to it making it smooth to the touch much like a well anodized and blasted metal throw.
On a Throw:
As I mentioned, the Sceptre feels heavy in the hand but I have noticed that delrin has an interesting quality of carrying heft while nearly flying off your hand like a lighter throw. The Sceptre is heavy but on a throw it seems to shed some of this weight and at the end of the string you quickly forget that this thing weighs in at 68.3 grams. Upon my first throw I was incredibly pleased with the smooth, stable play the Sceptre offered without seeming as though it were all dead weight. I have always been amazed at how well delrin mimics the dynamics and play of a metal throw and the Sceptre definitely holds up in this aspect. The Sceptre handles the string well and the delrin, 3 step catch zone feels great in the hand. The DBS with the C size bearing in place is a pleasure to throw and I will admit that considering the design of this particular throw I really was expecting it to be a complete mess at the end of the string warbling and vibing so bad I tossed it into oncoming traffic…but I have no such report. This thing has no vibe. I repeat NO VIBE. Which is a feat of design in itself considering that yoyo’s are best kept simple to avoid negative repercussions of a complex design. In most throws we have the two halves, an axle and a bearing as far as parts to disassemble. In the Sceptre we have the same parts but the additional parts of the Duplex Bearing System which means the response groove and part of the wall actually come out of the yoyo halves. So its understandable when people, myself included, expect this thing to literally pulse at the end of the string. The design though is so exact that you have a throw that is stable, smooth and vibe free and weighted well enough to handle complex tricks. As with many other delrins the surface of the Sceptre is grind friendly due to that almost self lubircating texture of a delrin throw. I did play with an A size bearing in place for several days straight and loved the idea that I could switch back and forth between bearings and get a different feel to my play. The A size bearing, which you will have to buy separately (yes I too think this is an oversight as far as this throw goes) plays well in this throw and you get the same smooth feel, the same stable play and that same grin on your face as with the C size. The only issue I have with the Sceptre, and its not a huge one, is that while I enjoy a smooth, steady rhythmic play when I wanted to push this throw faster it seemed as though I was getting ahead of the throw. It gave me that unpleasant sensation that rather than moving it through my play or pushing it through the moves I was pulling it if that makes sense. It seemed as though it wanted to maintain a medium pace while I was literally dragging it and begging it to move faster. But like I said, a minor drawback really and in a way a good factor since this type of throw can make you slow down to work on technical details of a routine rather than just powering through and missing a beat.
Stock Bearing and Response:
So I wanted to give you guys a feel for the Duplex Bearing System C3YoYo Design has created for the Sceptre. Essentially there are two aluminum discs each milled to the specifications of a C size bearing and an A size bearing including special response pads sized for each side of the DBS. So what this means is that basically you have 2 throws in one which results in 2 sets of response pads for one throw and 2 bearing for the same throw as well. Now it is a great design and as I mentioned vibe free so once you have the throw set up you are good to go. The Sceptre comes with a C size bearing but leaves it up to you to purchase the A size while it does include a second set of response pads for the A bearing side of the DBS. I think of this as a slight drawback and as stated earlier an oversight I feel by C3YoYo. In my opinion if you make a yoyo that has the ability to seat a choice of bearings and you provide the necessary response pads for each side I feel you should also include the A size bearing. Call me picky but if you consider the wholesale cost of an A size bearing you are looking at a minimal increase in production cost. By not including the A size bearing you leave it to the customer to spend the additional bucks to run this throw in its alternate setup. But nitpicking aside the DBS is still pretty impressive in this throw but could do with some refining. When switching my bearings I had to manhandle the DBS to pry off the C size bearing. The bearings seat is incredibly tight (on mine at least) and the same goes for the A side of the DBS as well. I would think that a slight modification to the bearing seats could really help make this system easier to manage. I also think that when you really look at this design the bearing seat being tight probably is not helped by the fact that on the Sceptre you are only holding the small DBS plate when doing a bearing removal while on a normal throw you have a bit more leverage and grasp since you’re holding an entire yoyo half. I thought about leaving the DBS in the yoyo half to remove the bearing but thought twice when I considered that this throw is made of delrin and not aluminum. I am sure it could handle the pressure but didn’t want to chance damaging the yoyo. I also noticed that while the two sides of each DBS plate are different in respect to the bearing seat and response groove if you are trying to do a fast bearing change you can easily mix up the sides. It would be nice to see the DBS in different colors to help with this and offer a color coded aspect to the system. I could really see someone not paying attention to this and screwing the two halves of the throw together and marring the delrin in the process as they apply pressure to the incorrectly placed side of the DBS. So in the end all you would have to do is match the colors of each DBS plate and bam, your bearing is seated properly and ready to throw. But hey, its the first run of these things so there is plenty of time to make changes and perfect something that is nearly there.
Here are some additional shots of the Duplex Bearing System:
The DBS fits into each half of the throw effortlessly and surprisingly no vibe is present.
The DBS removed from the halves of the Sceptre with the C size bearing and response pads in place. The bearing in the Sceptre feels like its nearly glued in place. I suggest investing in a bearing tool if you purchase this throw.
The C size side of the DBS (to the left with the response pad in place) and the A size bearing side of the DBS (right with no response in place). If you look closely you can see the difference in the outer perimeter which constitutes the additional area of the wall once in place each half of the throw.
The A size bearing side of the DBS without the response pads in place.
Overall I like the Sceptre. I like the look, the feel and most importantly the play. The option to swap out the bearings is a nice one but honestly I would enjoy this throw if it were only available in a C size bearing seat. It just plays well and is a great throw. While I would have like to see it in white as well I get the feeling that the guys at C3yoyodesign were trying to stray from the white delrin that they have already done in the Halo and the Solar. A little tweaking to the bearing seats and the inclusion of an A size bearing and I think this thing would be a bigger hit.
On a side note:
I am sure we all have noticed that this throw is no longer available here on YYE. Furthermore I am certain that anyone interested in one has read the forums here and elsewhere about the possibility that there are some legal issues involving the Duplex Bearing System. As of yet I have not heard back from C3yoyodesign about this particular issue. Once I find anything out I will update you guys. For now I believe it is offered on other sites should you be interested. A quick Google search and I don’t think you will have an issue finding one.