Coping with pinpricks

I have a picture of the most soul-crushing #yoyodamage ever, and I’m almost afraid to post it. Seriously, it’s heartbreaking.

Well, lets see it!

Did you ding your peak?

Post it post it!

The Revolver by Shinobu Kon was originally created as a one-off for the World YoYo Contest modding competition. The yoyo is a custom-machined Freehand MG that has been painstakingly hand-covered with leather. It won, easily, and instantly became the stuff of legend.

About a year later, Shinobu-san make a few more and gave them as incredibly special gifts to a very small handful of people. Takahiko Hasegawa, Eric Wolff, myself, and I think one or two more. It is, hands down, the finest yoyo I have ever owned. EVER. It plays beautifully, and feels in the hand exactly as a yoyo should feel to me…the performance of metal, the quality craftsmanship of high-end leather goods, and the unique, organic feel of well-worn leather. The leather was raw when I got it…the color you see in this picture is due to the oils from my hands, and this yoyo traveling everywhere with me for two years.

The damage you can see in the picture is a chunk of leather that tore and actually peeled up. I was able to repair the yoyo back to playable condition by supergluing the leather back down, but when I hit that yoyo on the corner of my old television after a bailed trick went south I just about lost my damn mind.

I asked Shinobu how much it would cost for him to make a dozen of these for me. I believe he quoted me about $1,000 each.

One day, I will own a full batch of custom-built, leather-covered yo-yos. And they’ll be the last yoyos I throw for the rest of my life. Nothing compares to the feel of these. Absolutely nothing.

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I was afraid that was going to be what you posted…

I’m sure there’s a leather worker out there somewhere that could patch that up somehow. It would be a shame for that to be decommissioned.

What makes a leather yoyo cost 1000$? I understand the work and time but 1000$??

Underneath that leather, which takes several days of labor-intensive work to prepare and apply, is a custom machined Freehand MG. The yoyo costs a lot primarily because forging and machining magnesium is difficult, takes a while, and requires specialized machinery that isn’t easily accessible and costs a lot of money to run. Imagine firing up that machinery just for you to make a handful of yoyo halves.

Basically, you are starting with a $400 yoyo…and then putting in another week+ of work just to make ONE piece. It’s a ridiculously labor intensive item.

I just have to say, that is the most beautiful yoyo I have ever seen, regardless of the damage. You sir, are a lucky man.

Oh I thought it was all leather?

It’s a leather-wrapped, custom freehand MG, from what i could gather.

Do u have any videos of you using it?

A leather-covered metal yoyo sounds like a pretty wonderful thing. I’d teach myself some leatherwork if it was possible to do something like that on my own. Sure sounds difficult. Maybe one day…

Still looks great even with the tear.

I’d love to see some pictures or the bearing seat. Can’t imagine how it all attaches and works. The leather looks really thick.

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I about cried when I dinged my Purple Mountain Majesty… Also is it possible to ding a titanium ?

You dinged it? nooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Also, I would love to see pics of the guts of that Leather S.kon. I realize it probably looks like an MG. I just wanna see how the leather stops/looks. :slight_smile:

Yeah some damn lady at Walmart bumped into in the garden center and I dinged it so I ended up selling it to TTYO. I would die if someone had a mint or near mint one for sale.

I don’t even notice pin pricks. So I guess I cope with them by ignoring their existence.

Last night while trying some 5a, the counter weight came off, and my yoyo soared about 20 ft into the air, landing on some pavement. Left a nice little scuff.

Still Plays good to me :wink: