Washing string cleans off the oils and dirt and any other junk from your hands that got on the string with play. This results in less wear on the string and makes the string feel less stiff.
For economy bulk string the play time before the string is spent is usually shorter than it takes to get it dirty.
For higher quality string washing your string can restore the feel of the string while it’s still completely playable because it has a longer lifespan.
All that to say you won’t notice washing help bulk poly but you will notice a change if you take a well played nylon poly blend and wash it.
Often washing cotton after it’s wore out makes it disintegrate but there are higher quality threads or blends that can be washed and still be playable.
Also not all string fiber is made the same. Not all cotton, poly or nylon thread is the same. Blends and twists affect longevity and feel
So to be clear, a zipline string can or could be washed 5-10 times and still be playable after 30-40 hours of playtime. (By playable I mean not giving serious string burns, slacks being possible, acceptable tension holding, etc.)?
Two string made with the same thread but made differently can and will play and feel different. Tighter twists, more twists, thread count, thread quality, and string dying and conditioning can all affect the string in a way that the same thread does not mean the same end product. I imagine differences in the rig used, how tight the string is pulled while twisting and such can also affect the string outcome.
I am asking just to make sure that by buying a boutique string you actually get a bang for you buck. Would the price difference compared to bulk poly be justified?
Really depends on which string you’re talking about. Zipline has a whole bunch of skews. Like in my experience the slushies don’t last as long. Similarly the alpha line stuff doesn’t feel like it lasts as long.
Prestige, executive, diamond though (potentially others I haven’t tried every zipline string) and other boutique brand strings line A&A and markmont and such can be washed multiple times and retain their feel and play much much longer.
I’ll be honest. Probably not if your calculating it dollar for dollar but for a general preference and feel I enjoy boutique string more it feels nicer and that in my brain justifies the increased cost. However not everyone likes the feel of every string and even so you may decide you enjoy a bulk poly more and that just be your preference. Depends on how you play and what you value in control vs hand feel. For me textures are a big deal I don’t like a rough feeling string and will pay more to get something that feels nice in the hand but if that’s not a concern then you might bot see the extra cost as justified as I do.
I also take what cake says with a grain of salt like I do most reviewers. How cake plays and what they value in a string is very different from what I like in a string and how I play and that’s fine. I haven’t used foxtails but I still want to even after seeing cakes review.
I do see value in reviews like what cake puts out because it creates some expectations and some baselines for which I can compare things and a different view on how the string plays than I have which I enjoy and value.
I am not a fan of boutique strings as I do not see the necessity of it when we have bulk that play over the expectation but… I did enjoy many of the Zipline stuff, my favourites are: Skyline, E.P 20/20 and Accel (more than every type) are great strings very durable and great playability and feels on hand.
The Accel are for sure the greatest, nice wide and open on slacks and quite fast a very powerful and balanced string, nice feeling on the hand and thickness.
I did tried also other brands and type of boutique strings but I never get convinced honestly.
I think at the end of the day it all comes down to personal preference and experience!
Ever since I have tried @MattB YoYoStringLab strings (first tried in 2013/2014), I fell in love, and to this day still strongly recommend them to anyone!
They are consistant, reliable, and have the VARIETY of colors and thicknesses to adhere to your specific needs.
Right now I flip flop between Ka-Pow and Venom! Depending on which yo-yos I pair them up with! (Gap width wise)
Right now, I very much enjoy the thicker formula of Ka-Pow! Because it allows for easy snappy binds, along with holding tension very well for slacks and whips!
The best part of YoYoStringLab is that all their strings are SUPER SOFT so it doesn’t rough up your fingers/hands as much compared to the standard strings.
I’ve also been using the same single string on my Uppercut for about a Month now, and throw that everyday (about an hour or 2 each day) and it still very much holds up!
I didn’t say her opinions were bunk, I said her logic was bunk. She implied all trilobal strings are the same and they’re not. I apologize @theendofcake I didn’t mean to be rude and I was. Please forgive me. I have whack opinions anyways. I’m sorry to derail your thread @TommyBwell .
I play at least one hour per day (usually around two) non stop and I live in Europe. For an order of 25 euros (almost the same as dollars) I got to pay another 25 for shipping + taxes. As you understand, I am a bit reluctant to buy a string at 2 euros a piece.
i see the implication, and i thought it was save to assume that all trilobal poly string kept certain qualities (super fast whips, rough texture) that i wasn’t a fan of. I did not imply they were the same, just that they shared the negative qualities i perceived. apologies if that is not reality
Zipline Skyline III and Executive Lite are my go to! Never been disappointed with anything I’ve gotten from them. I’ve tried several different ones, but those two are my favorite, but the Slushy and the Smoothie are also really nice feeling.
