Cavemen Go Imperial by @vegabomb with Rain City Retro Gamer for scale.
I contracted a butterfly from Vegabomb a month ago. On a whim, asked if he would make me an imperial. He did. Let’s preface this little mini fixed axle review with the fact that I’m not a pro 0a player by any stretch… I just throw stalls a thousand times a day. Just an old guy that likes what he likes!
Specs:
- 61g, 53mm diam, 30mm width, hole response system.
- Pau Rosa wood with a Gaboon ebony laminated stripe. Slight concavity in the center on both sides.
Holed Response:
- I’m not that big of a fan of hole responses personally. I find that once string tension gets up there, these holed response systems (not pointing any fingers) seem to suck in the string and never want to let go when it snags. Happens with about 50% of my favorite holed response throws from the various boutique makers. A catastrophic snag has only happened ONCE with this guy in a month of throwing constantly. That being said, it’s pretty good in that department. Response is very predictable and consistent.
Handling:
- She moves very fast, but somehow very controlled. I think the density of the wood and the smaller profile have come together in a strange way that allows for this. It’s not ripping off any of my fingers on return… yet.
Break in:
- I was so enthralled that I broke this baby in within the first few days. Even burned through the first string in the same period. I audibly gasped as the little black hole on a string roled all the way across the hardwood flooring and behind the refrigerator. The wood didn’t even have a scratch on it!
Fit and Finish:
- Beautiful choice of wood and enough polish to be shiny yet not slippery or glossy.
- Concavity slightly uneven on the outside, but slightly noticeable.
Feels:
- This little guy is dense as all hell, and zips around the string in an unbelievably controlled manner. Doesn’t feel like a rock on a string miraculously.
- Returning and feel in hand are as perfect as you get. That’s why we play with imperials right?
Final thoughts: I really like @vegabomb’s interpretation of the imperial with this one and I’m 100% gonna have him do something like this again if he’s open to it. This has been my #1 go to imperial throw for the last month and will always have a special place in my daily rotation EDC. It looks good, feels good, and throws even gooder.