Hello folks! Some of you might know me from my involvement with OPYoyos, others might know the Instagram and its photos and videos. Recently I’ve had an itch I’ve been craving to scratch, making a yoyo. Luckily with the help of Alex Hattori that was possible.
Introducing the Reflection.
The Reflection is a personal examination into design traits which have made an impact on the yo-yo’s which I pick up.
Design insight and inspiration:
Rounded wide rims, inverted catch zone, and a center “button” style hub were all key design aspects I wanted to incorporate. A 47mm width draws inspiration from the SF movement, a key and influential yo-yo. While the 67g weight looks toward the heavier standard set by Japanese designs, paired with a conventional 56mm diameter we have all learned to love. All to say, these specs were not completely random. However unlike most modern throws that pack a ton of ring weight, and “min, max” the weight distribution, I wanted to pull inspiration from some older Turning Point’s such as the Anubis. This meant trying to strike a balance between the distribution of center weight and rim weight, opting for more center weight and less ring weight, allowing for the 6061 to help fill the gap of overall rim weight. What was achieved was a less fatiguing play that might be associated to a similar design with a higher “min, max” styled weight bias.
Initial Process:
When you start a design you are met with a blank canvas. Originally this design was a bit of a crazy late night idea with titanium rings. After getting a quote for the prototyping cost the decision was made that it would be too expensive to continue as the first prototype made, as well as unfair to those who were offering to help order the run by purchasing the left overs. So a step back had to be taken and a small redesign had to happen, this time using SS rings but staying true to the original ring weight constraint as before.
initial Ti Ring render
Final SS Ring render
Manufacturing:
Manufacturing is taken care of by FPM. This is primarily because of the lower run count but I am happy to have them working on this project due to their high quality workmanship.
A Note:
This would not be possible without Alex Hattori who stepped in to assist with the CAD for this yoyo, as well as the 3 other folks who picked up one of the 3 remaining prototypes. Thank you David, Matt and Adrian.
Specs:
Diameter - 56 mm
Width - 47 mm
Weight - 67g
Materials - 6061 + SS rings
Thank you checking out this side project of mine! If you have any questions feel free to reach out on https://www.instagram.com/editionyoyo/
