If it’s dirtier compared to other strings in the same pack it’s your choice to either wash it or change it. I would just keep a pile of dirty strings and wash it in bulk later on.
Another sign like mentioned before is if it’s not holding tension then it does need to be changed. By this I believe it means after 1 or 2 throws the string ends up twisting a lot and you have to adjust the string tension.
One unorthodox thing I do is that I hold the YoYo and the string and pull it hard in opposite directions to see if the string is still holding well. I don’t really recommend this but unless you plan on using strings until it’s absolute end of its durability lifetime.
I do it like Tyler Severence in the end of his old Severe video.
I go through bulk string in a day, more or less of hard throwing. I got a ten pack of plutonium and the first string has been on my endgame for about a month. It’s a little frayed but still has it’s tension and feels fine.
Some people don’t mind frayed, worn string and don’t notice it feeling awful. That’s cool, if they genuinely don’t have a problem with it more power to them. I can only play a bulk string for about an hour of actual play time. For me after 20 minutes or so it’s already noticeably worse. By an hour it’s incredibly gross feeling, has funky tension and is just a completely unpleasant experience.
All the boutique string I’ve tried with the exception of YYSL lasts a lot longer than that, at least 20 times conservatively.
I do this all the time just be careful because you’ll find you can do tricks on a bad string that you don’t do well on a regular string. Makes me want to always switch my string out when it becomes a cord. It also works vice versa .
Some of the fancier string I’ve used seems to get kinda frayed immediately. It kinda depends on what I’m doing. With just regular play, I wait until it starts binding weird or I fear it’s gonna rip and fling my yoyo across the room. If I’m doing a lot of whips or slack stuff stuff I change it sooner, especially if it is bulk string. Their whip abilities don’t last as long.
The only strings I can stand to use now are Markmonts and Airetics. The only things they have in common are cost, great whip performance and longevity.
The Airetic HyperGlo has been amazing. I had similar feelings about nylon until I tried an Airetic and had that “holy crap!” moment. Been using them pretty much exclusively since then.
Have you checked your yoyo? I had a brand new boutique brand mono-metal cut through my stings like mad. Turned out an area near the pad was slicing and dicing the strings up.
Can anyone here compare a Markmont and kitty in terms of softness and playability. I know Markmont lasts a year from the website. But that doesn’t mean it will be a good year… you know what I mean?
Depends on the string, bulk string doesn’t last as long as you would expect. The one thing I have come to realise in the last few months is how mega important string torsion is, keep on top of it and the string WILL last much longer
The cumulus foam is SOFT. Like, seriously. I have the generic string (don’t know if it’s kitty) i use for comparison, and the markmont is much better. It also doesn’t fray as much, and i feel like the binds are easier to do with less effort.
so if I like buy 100 kitty thin this is considered bulk? But the smaller packets of 5 is better quality. Regardless of who you buy from
I love soft strings, only one problem… I keep slipping on “follow” i figure this trick is going to take me a year to learn, but I keep slipping my pinch, and sometimes the string slips off my TH finger … I wonder if a smaller loop for the Slipknot would help /w this
