I have a few questions about fixed axle. I was wanting to work on @edhaponik tutorials on YYE. I have a YYF Legend MA States 2018 Edition. It is the only one that I have as well as a Deep State from One Drop.
So first up, is the deep state capable of the fixed axle techniques and play? It is advertised that way and I love carrying it. I am not a purist in anyway, I know a lot are when it comes to fixed axles. I do like wood and would probably get a nicer one in the future. But bottom line, will the deep state do the tricks?
Next question. Do you need to use cotton string with fixed wooden axles. I don’t have any experience with cotton string aside from what comes on it. What type of cotton if so.
Lastly, the inner walls of the legend seem quite rough. Feels snaggy when I throw it. Is this common or should I gently sand it. I was leading to sanding but having no experience with wooden yoyos, I wasn’t sure if it should be rough.
Thanks ahead of time for all of your assistance and knowledge.
Deep state is definitely capable of most modern fixed axle tricks, but you prolly want to thick lube the bearing. Love my deep state, but there is just something enjoyable about doing cool tricks with a block of wood. My current favorite is the OUT pocket love in red oak… amazing! I like to use the OneDrop Long Cuts instead of cotton. Never had any issues with string melt or breaking and the loops and slacks from the blue long cuts is unmatched. Good Luck!
Yes the Deep State can do modern responsive play. The Legend Wings needs to be broken in with play, the roughness is the response system. To speed up the break in process you can just use the string and saw back and forth in a circular motion. Or you can just play it doing hop the fences, loops and round the worlds. I recommend the later as it helps you get a feel for the yo. The most important thing is to just have fun with your toys and enjoy.
I have a box of Kitty Normal and a box of Fat. Would those work in general then as well. I guess I’ve heard of cotton being required so I was unsure.
I will continue to break in the legend with the cotton and then switch to Kitty Fat when it wears.
I’m gonna have to disagree with previous comments if you’re speaking specifically of Ed’s tutorials. The deep state is not gonna be ideal for those tricks. The legend wing is the better choice of the two you have, but it’s very light even for a wooden fixed axle yoyo, making it more difficult to learn on. That being said, there is such a thing as too much weight when it comes to fixies if you’re wanting to learn those tricks. Too much weight and the yo-yo will return very forcefully which makes stalls hard to control. @Glenacius_K makes great fixed axles as do other manufacturers.
TLDR- stick with wooden fixed axles while learning those tricks. Maybe once you get them down, try them on a bearing responsive
Kitty may not last for long on fixed axle since it’s pure poly. The od long cuts are a nylon poly blend and are crazy strong. Otherwise prolly best to stick with cotton for fixies.
Hi and welcome to the weird, wonderful world of fixed axle.
Deep State can do modern responsive, but it’s not my ideal choice due to its large bearing. I have to reeeeeally grease up that bearing and double the string up to get it the way I like and the weight/profile isn’t my favorite for that style. It’s a cool yo-yo, but I think it’s best suited as a unresponsive or mid-school EDC option. Legend Wing is honestly one of the best pure stall yo-yo’s in the game. Not a versatile fixie if you want to do long sleeper tricks too, but perfect for most of those tutorials.
Again if you are doing short throw stall tricks, you won’t build a lot of friction and it doesn’t matter as much what kind of string you use. I really prefer the feel of cotton w/ wood but mainly just because that’s what I’ve played forever.
You don’t need to sand the Legend if you play it a lot. The string will gradually wear down the walls. You might take a few spare/dead strings and just wind them once or twice around the axle and slowly pull them through, both to make the axle smoother and to wear in those spots on the walls. If you sand, use a very high grit.
Best wishes and hit me up if I can help with anything.
Ed1 has some good points. Not refuting him in any event.
In my own case I really like cotton for fixed axle wood, but also use slick 8 because it plays a lot like 100% cotton, but lasts much longer. As for the Legend Wing roughness, I’ve sanded mine down, just due to personal preference. I’ve done that on a number of fixed axle BC yoyos in the past. To sand them I attach a medium grit paper to a putty knife and have at it for a few strokes.
Couple follow up questions. Thank you all for the input. It is truly appreciated.
@edhaponik when you say double up the string on the deep state, are you referring to a double loop. Like what is done on a transaxle.
Also as far as cotton goes, are there different types. When I searched on YYE, I only found one.
I will definetely keep an eye on @Glenacius_K for some spinworthy in the future. I have always played 1A. At least the short time I’ve been throwing, so I have alot invested in yoyos. After seeing Ed’s tutorials I can’t help but want to try. I already had the Legend from MA States so I will stick with it for a little while. His work is beautiful though.
As @edhaponik said, the Legend wing is a perfect yo-yo to start with for his tutorials here on YYE. I don’t think there are any you couldn’t do on the Deep State, but you shouldn’t start with that. I think you’ll have a way easier time of it with starting with the Legend Wing.
I always wondered how you felt about the Deep State. I actually thought I would feel the same way about it before I got it, and yet I bought one anyway. Then another…
The Deep State is my favorite responsive bearing yo-yo, with the Alleyat 650b a close second. I lube up the bearing in my Deep State. I don’t double loop the string. I just don’t like the way yo-yos play with a double looped string, and the lube has worked fine for me.
Anyway, I think you have 2 great yo-yos to start with! Begin with the Legend Wing and then try on the Deep State. If you want to expand on those yo-yos, I love the Harbinger and Alleycat 650b (hopefully there will be more ACs).
Thanks for the response. I actually tried some trapeze stalls with the deep stat and my fingers were not happy. That’s why I started this thread. I tried this morning with the Legend this morning and landed the first attempt. Not consistent for sure, but a huge improvement. I will say it is hard to get used to the lightweight of the Legend, especially going back and forth with my metal 1A throws.
As far as Deep State, for anything else responsive, I love it. I keep it lubed and put some Kitty Fat on it and love it. This morning I double looped it. I didn’t feel a big difference in it. I wonder when you lube it, do you leave shields on or off.
The Legend Wing is not my absolute favorite fixed axle throw But I’m not sure there’s a better VALUE in fixed axle throws. It’s inexpensive, well balanced with its one piece construction, and as @edhaponik points out, is a ton of fun for stalls and the like. Anyone interested in fixed axle play should pick one up.
I hope to make some one piece fixed axles soon. They will be cheaper than the Harbinger. I just need to get my hands on some long spindle blanks, I hopefully will this Friday.
I like cotton, but if you have poly already and don’t have cotton, you could use that. Just keep in mind that poly can melt on a FA, if you’re really going for intense spin.
