CLYW Cliff

Yo-Yo Reviews
1

I recently received my CLYW Cliff. First off, I will give some information on the yoyo directly from the YoYoExpert site.

Description(taken from YoYoExpert):

That feeling you get when you start a new adventure… It’s something hard to describe in words but we all know it. It’s the same feeling you get from a huge accomplishment whether it is climbing a mountain or learning that new trick. Holding and throwing a CLIFF for the first time you get the sense that this was created with these ideas in mind. Designed by Caribou Chris and the amazing Petr Kavka from Czech republic get ready for the next big thing.

The Cliff was designed collaboratively at the World Yo-Yo Contest. Petr had a vision for what he wanted his signature throw to look like and the first attempt at it came out dead perfect. In Chris’ own words “I’m really proud of what we came up with.”

The Cliff is the largest return top that CLYW have made to date! But don’t let its size fool you! Rim weight is strategically placed near the undercut, which makes the Cliff play quite feathery for its size. This is the kind of yo-yo you will pick up because it is that much fun and different.

Superb for advanced tricks and exceptionally fun to play with. Available in the ever amazing assortment of signature Caribou Lodge colors and made with pride in Canada.

CLYW Cliff Stats(taken from YoYoExpert):

Diameter: 59.5 mm / 2.34 inches
Width: 44.8 mm / 1.76 inches
Weight: 67.9 grams
Bearing Size: Size C (.250 x .500 x .187) Center Trac Bearing
Response: CLYW Snow Tires
Axle: CLYW Axle
Made in: Canada

Review:
The first thing that greeted me was the absolutely beautiful art work on the box by Jason Week, who does the majority of CLYW art that many enjoy.

Pulling the slip cover off the box, and opening the box I see my amazing Petr Edition Cliff. I observed the yo-yo, opening it up to check the yo-yo for any damages to the beautiful paint, and check if the already included Center Trac Bearing spins freely. Once everything was checked off my list, I immediately cut the string to my desired length, and played with it.

The one thing that immediately stood out for me when I did my usual tricks, is that the Cliff is a little larger than my three favourite throws at the moment, CLYW Avalanche(Red Oak Moss), CLYW Puffin(Blizzard), and YYF Supernova(Orange w/ Red Splash). With the size of the yo-yo, I also noticed that it feels heavier than my other throws in my collection. However, even with the weight it plays very floaty(Is that even a word…?) and quick. I have a feeling that it will become one of my favourite throws for a long time.

Pros and Cons :

Pros :
-For the weight, it plays fast.
-Great for Horizontal Play.
-Yo-Yo rarely tilts due to the weight distribution

Cons:
-A price of $165 will hurt your wallet.
-Finger Grinds will be difficult for large hands.
-Thumb Grinds aren’t possible due to the undercut weight distribution.
-A large throw, will NOT suit individuals who like undersized yo-yos.

Conclusion
Overall, I love this yo-yo. For the price of $165, I think it is definitely worth the price. While it may lean to the more expensive spectrum price of yo-yos, the flawless and smooth Cliff makes it well worth it. While not being about to do a lot of grinds, it makes up for it in the fast play and it’s amazing weight distribution which really gets the yo-yo centered.

http://i.imgur.com/yhYmKs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/CIypgs.jpg http://i.imgur.com/ZOvvVs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Slctas.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/3WLKDs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/4SRlys.jpg

I have two words for you : BUY IT!

Thanks for reading! This is my first review, so please give my tips, and possibly some feedback!

-Mastersage

2

This throw defines “floaty”. If that was just a nebulous buzzword that we all threw around before which had very little actual meaning, the Cliff has changed things. We can now define it.

You look at this big thing, hold this big thing, and your brain says “this is a really big thing”. Then, you throw it, and it feels as if you have a helium filled Mylar balloon at the end of your string. It’s so strangely light and “floaty” that it almost seems like magic. It barely just kisses the string when it comes in contact, and allows very, very fluid type play (which I personally love). I could see Jensen winning Worlds with this again someday.

This quality, imo, makes it one of the must buys of the year for players who really want to experience all sorts of yoyos and are willing to pay for the privelege. Nothing else you own feels quite like this and it’s a blast to toy around with because of it. And of course, it’s got the now standard CLYW dead-smoothness, and is quite stable to boot, so it’s just an outright quality player regardless of the floaty sensation.

My summary: Strange and unique…but all the more satisfying for it.

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One thing that I think a review of a 6061 (regular AL alloy) yoyo,made by OneDrop(?) that most charge $100 for should include a value judgement also. Since CLYW is asking so much more for their product than others, I would like to see the Cliff compared with other yo-yos in the same price range. If you are going to ask such high prices, I think you should be held accountable for delivering a higher value. Did the Cliff deliver $165 of value?

I am not sure that I “am willing to pay for the privilege” of dropping $165 on “Strange and unique”. Since when is buying a yoyo from anyone a privilege anyway? There are so many other throws out there that could use my $165 more wisely.

  "it's got the now standard CLYW dead-smoothness"

CLYW; Dead-smooth? What has the world come to?
I miss that old CLYW vibe.

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From that I immediately thought of the YYR Overdrive and just looked at the specs… they have the same (almost exactly!) diameter and width but the Cliff is a few grams heavier.

I’d be really curious to see a comparison between the play of the Cliff and Overdrive.

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In one word, my friend!
And that is

Better.

7

Needs more words, haha.

8

Stookie, don’t mind Geezer; he bashes anything and everything CLYW.

I like my Cliff. Stook’ nailed it when he said it defines ‘floaty’. And the stability is off the charts. Though It’s not the most comfortable yoyo to hold, and its size is a bit daunting. Overall I don’t think it’s worth the $165 I paid for it, but I’m happy with it.

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Similar string presence

But more power, and is more stable due to the undercut

has a strong, powerful feel.

has a ridiculousness (in a good way!) to it that just gives it this personality
That is super fun, yet super competition

if it was a bit more comfortable, it would be the most perfect throw out there.

It Leaves a lot of yoyos in the dust for me.

i could keep going but, there isnt a need

10

[/quote]
LOL, I was “quoting” from your reply; not being condescending. I used quotes around your words. How is that being pedantic? It is a normal literary tool for illustrating my response to your words. Without quoting, I am plagiarizing. Your misunderstanding speaks louder than your words.

As for the dead-smooth comment - how long have you been buying CLYW? How many “dead-smooth” Peaks are around? …(Oooops, is that being pedantic - or too meticulous - to note that these are YOUR words to describe CLYW throws not mine?)

Anyway, glad to hear you are in that elite group of yoyo players that can afford to buy yo-yos just to experience how different they feel. Even if that feeling is not the best - you must bask in the glory of just knowing that you are experiencing what others can only speculate on. I envy you sir.

11

The geez gettin cray cray again ugh

12

Your tone is plenty clear, so you don’t need to play innocent now. You mixed those quotes into your own argument in an attempt to make what I said sound trivial, and on top of it, you had to completely mischaracterize what I actually said to accomplish it. Even now, after I’ve pointed that out, you’re attempting to twist it into some declaration of arrogance on my part, the irony of which is not lost on me.

The only reason I would reply at all, knowing full well that you go around the entire board trashing CLYW and implying that everyone who buys them is falling for their trap, is because I think doing that in a review thread is outright trolling. You can hide behind “your opinion” in general discussion, but your comments here are both not necessary, nor warranted. You don’t own the product, you’re not in the market for the product, and you don’t have questions about the product. It’s annoying, and what you say is often quite insulting to both the companies and the buyers.

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[quote=“YoyoGeezer,post:10,topic:46744”]
How many “dead-smooth” Peaks are around?

I have one. So at least the one.

14

Finally! An honest statement without bias one way or the other that doesn’t insult me or the company. RIGHT ON!

However, I personally don’t believe ANY yoyo is worth so much money, but in the end, I’m only renting it anyway. If my feedback isn’t enough indication, I like to try LOTS of yoyos! And then I sell or trade them after a while. Which is why Chris is selling them for $165. WE (that’s everyone selling CLYW on their BST) drove the price up because Chris isn’t going to sell them to us for $100 only to see them scalped for more on the boards. So he raised the price to match that price point. Now, to sell a CLYW on your BST, people want the $100 price. So that extra $65 that used to go to us, now goes to Chris. Probably should, anyway. But, people were willing to pay the $165 price already. Chris raised his prices AFTER that fact. And I’m not making excuses for CLYW. I actually don’t like any of their throws besides the Gnarwhal. I’ve tried them all, and that was the only one for me. It’s one of my favorites in my collection. So let’s all take a deep breath and enjoy what we can while we’re still around to do so. Life is short - yoyo a lot.

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I got a Ninja Hurdles in the mail today.I seldom jump to any quick conclusions, but this yoyo makes it easy. It is a Keeper! Super fun and 1st Class machinework. Top shelf functionality and Smoooooth.

Only thing I don’t care much for is the way the inner edges of the rims SMACK the sides of my middle finger if ‘I don’t catch it just right’. I am sure that various hand sizes will experience different results. Smaller hands/and/or a thinner middle finger joint, may fall right into the gap. And larger hands may allow the yoyos’ rims to more comfortably contact the palm of the hand before the middle finger ‘gets bit’.

On some fast/hard comebacks, my middle finger(center joint) got whacked pretty good. No tragedy, though. I just made a few adjustments like keeping my hand a little more ‘cupped’ so the rims touch down first and keep my middle finger out of the landing zone, so to speak.

That potentially uncomfortable aspect is easier to overlook considering this Cliff yoyo is all good otherwise.

Is it worth the money? I don’t get into the financial dynamics like some guys do. I think in some cases, it is like going to a Carnival;not always but many times the better rides are More expensive. We all already know that there are many yo-yos currently, that are Excellent players for a lot less money. But more than likely, if you are looking to possibly buy a Cliff, you already have several good playing, less expensive yo-yos.

The simple Reality is that in some instances the price of admission can be justified if the Show is first rate.

The Cliff is one Badd boy.

The weight placement is superb. Stability is amazing. The yoyo does not feel ‘heavy on the string’. Mine is soo smooth, I can’t even get it to vibrate; lol. I can’t say they are all this smooth, obviously. But this sucker is Dead flat smooth.

Also recognize that my view of this yoyo is coming from the guy that designed the: Motrix, the Mini Motu and the Micro Mo. I am ‘not’ much on larger throws… At all.

I guess exceptions can be made as in this case.

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16

It is amazing that you have such insight into the contents of my bag. Hmmm. Actually looking at it I see: 2 x Chief, 2 x Canvas, 2 x BvM, 2 X Gnarwhal, Sasquatch, Peak, Avalanche, Glacier Express, Arctic Circle, Puffin and Cliff. I guess I have no clue what I am talking about. Sorry, I guess if I had the Marmot - I might know something about CLYW.

I find it interesting that any negative comments are read as insulting. I have all of the yo-yos who’s value I question. I have posted no reviews because I have been interested in seeing whether others would be honest or not. My curiosity has been sated. Because you keep insulting me, I find the need to reply to a thread I find as useless as the Cliff.

Your comments about my grammar constructs or literary merit are your opinion and of no value to this discussion. That you find the points not to your liking is most unfortunate. I am curious as to what words of yours I cited to mis-characterize your comments? I am sorry if a second reading of your words is uncomfortable for you. Perhaps if you proof-read them before posting they would not be so easily mis-construed?

“Though It’s not the most comfortable yoyo to hold, and its size is a bit daunting. Overall I don’t think it’s worth the $165 I paid for it, but I’m happy with it.”

What a shining review. Happy with it; why? You cite negatives in your summation and then conclude with a positive. I think you are rationalizing a purchase that has not yielded the value hoped for.

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I wasn’t making a review. I was just commenting about my experience with my Cliff thus far. I’m not rationalizing ■■■■. Stop being such a scrooge and try to have fun. I know the concept of ‘fun’ and ‘joy’ may be foreign to you, since I assume you spend much of your time whining on internet forums about people not adequately describing their feelings about things which you already hate yet continue to bash.

Go throw the yoyos you like, which apparently is few and far between. Or you could stay on YYE and keep annoying people with your ‘only my opinions are valid’ attitude. In fact I think the handle ‘YoyoMiser’ is still available, you should considering changing your name.

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Guys, when it comes to Geezer you need to follow one simple rule:

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He has his biases, especially when it comes to yo-yo alloy. He thinks there is a common Aluminum alloy but in reality there are many. He has no problem paying the import tax on Japanese throws but finds the cost of a Canadian imported yo-yo to be astronomical. Whoever said it hit it on the head, he is also quite insulting to manufacturers, including ones that he says he “likes”. In layman’s terms, “He is loony as a toon”.

Now staying on topic… I would like to try a Cliff now just to see if I would have the same issues YoYoDoc has with it hitting my middle finger in awkward uncomfortable ways. I have large hands so i have a feeling I may be in for bruised fingers.

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Both of these statements are true regarding my experience with The Cliff as well. I do not have large hands by any means, but I definitely have larger knuckles my middle knuckle on my throw-hand middle finger definitely got whacked a few times.

My Cliff is also dead smooth. It’s like General Yo smooth. I’ve never thrown a CLYW throw with this smoothness. I’m not saying that smoothness is necessary or company defining by any means. I love CLYW, I never really have experienced that old “vibe” everyone was terrified of, but The Cliff is quite the buttery, smooth as glass throw. At least mine is.

20

Whoa, whoa, whoa…

I read the Geez’s responses, and stookies, and everyone elses around three times. I think he was rather calm and rational in his first response, from which it seems like he was walked all over for pointing something out. I’m not going to get into it and baby walk you through exactly what his intentions were, but you really should go back and read it again… without assuming such harsh undertones.

I’m just not seeing how your guys’ responses were warranted, and in no way did he bash CLYW. Infact, from what I got of it, he likes CLYW (a lot probably), considering he probably has more CLYW than all of us.

And to the guy who called him “Looney”… riiiiight… he came off the most intelligent and unbiased to me. I think you guys are Looney lol.