I’m kind of an experimentation junkie… each time I get a new throw, it’s as different from what I already own as I can get it. I’ve tried almost every type of bearing there is. I don’t yap about it so much, but I’ve tried dozens of different kinds of strings from many different manufacturers.
Finally hit Logi up for some Epic Strings, and he sent my order (regular Epic strings… not sure if they have a name beyond that!) and some sort of prototype. I’m going to talk a bit about both, but mainly the production string.
Feel
To the touch, the strings had a rougher texture than I was expecting. I expected them to be sort of like Dragon clones, but they were not. I could tell right away that they would give good binds, but I was a bit worried about snagging. (I need not have worried, but these are first impressions!)
Unlike some people, I actually enjoy white strings, which is part of the reason I ordered these. There’s a paucity of nice white strings out there, and I was hoping to find another style to add to my short list of favourites. The white of these strings is what you would hope for… a nice, bright white.
Between the relatively “rough” texture and the bright whiteness, the strings left me with the pleasant impression of a nice white freshly-starched dress shirt. Freshly starched and pressed dress shirts have a different kind of “luxury” than brushed cotton or silk, but I find them luxurious nonetheless.
In Play
As expected, binds are pretty tight. As I could have predicted from the feel of them, they’re also a little bit on the rough side on the skin during tricks that involve sliding the string along a finger. I wouldn’t want to do a reckless high-speed Sky Bind with these, although if you’re paying any attention at all it’s not like they’re string burn waiting to happen or anything like that. This texture lends itself well to trick binds, including binding from horizontal fingerspins, suicide binds, and laceration binds.
This “texture” also caused a broken expectation, and I mean that in a good way: because of the feel on the skin, I was prepared for these strings to kind of get caught up on themselves during layering. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Although they create friction with the response and a bit with the skin, they somehow don’t create much within layers. Multiple layers of string slide gracefully and easily against one another, providing worry-free play.
They’re denser than standard poly, meaning that whips are fairly fast. Not overly fast like some strings, but sufficiently fast to do tricks like Hook and Brent Stole without throwing a shoulder out. They didn’t open up quite as much for suicides as I expected them to, but on the other hand I’m pretty rotten with suicides. Could just be technique. The “revolutions”-style trick “twirly bird” was easy and showed nice open loops once you landed at the right speed.
Tension
There is always give-and-take with string formulas… I imagine the density of the strings which facilitates whips also serves to give it a pretty mundane tension-management level. They didn’t twist up like mad, but they weren’t as forgiving as some strings I’ve used. Pretty uneventful in this category.
Durability and Consistency
Highly durable. They don’t become fuzzy and ratty, and they seem to be playing the same several hours later as they did when I first put them on. Unlike the starched dress shirt, which starts to show too many wrinkles halfway through the day, these just keep their shape and crispness.
Final thoughts on Epic Strings “Production” String
I liked this string. It brought something different to the game, and if the strengths described above play into your preferences, you should hit Logi up for a pack or two. Or three. If you prefer slippery soft strings, these are probably not for your everyday play. But if you want a string that means business, don’t miss Epic Strings.
The Prototype String
This string is actually what I sort of expected when I first ordered! Very slick to the touch, super smooth both as layer against layer, and also directly on the skin. Thinner but still dense enough for whips. More open on loops than the original string. I mentioned trade-offs before, and the trade-off here was binds; it’s a bit less friction-ey (that’s a word!) on the response, so you might find yourself missing the occasional trick bind. Standard binds are, of course, fine.
At first, the prototype string was what got me pumped up, because it fit my normal preferences a bit more closely. But a bit over a week later and I think I’ve gained an affinity for both! Certainly still enjoying the prototype, and also enjoying the production string.
Getting some soon, interested o see whats what…