# How One Drop got it’s name… **URL:** \ **Category:** General Yo-Yo\ **Created:** [June 22, 2023, 11:31pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478 "2023-06-22T23:31:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChrisFrancz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/chrisfrancz/32/48992_2.png) [@ChrisFrancz](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/ChrisFrancz)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 11:31pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/1 "2023-06-22T23:31:32Z")
One Drop Design was started in 2001 by Shawn Nelson and David Metz as a contracting machine shop with the eventual goal of having their own product line. They knew that when you own a machine shop, you get ideas pitched to you all the time and you need to be ready to move when the right idea walks through the door. The right idea might not be obvious so they kept their eyes and minds open. In 2002 they briefly considered making yoyos after David saw some of the early metal bearing yo-yos at a kite shop on the Oregon coast. Having been into yo-yos as a child, metal yoyos was an exciting prospect, but ultimately the idea was rejected because at that time One Drop Design only owned a CNC Mill which is not the ideal machine for making a yo-yo… Full story here: > **[Museum of Yo-Yo History](http://www.yoyomuseum.com/museum_view.php?action=profiles&subaction=company&company=onedrop)** > > You have found the most comprehensive archive of yo-yo images, historical memorabilia, and information in the world. Whether you're a long-time yo-yo collector, or just looking for that long lost treasure from your childhood, this is the place. In... Edit: this just covers how/why they started making yoyos, not the actual meaning of the name. I will email them right now. ---
**Author:** ![Jerrod](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jerrod/32/367145_2.png) [@Jerrod](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Jerrod)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2023, 11:42pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/2 "2023-06-22T23:42:31Z")
[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/d/4/c/d4ceb812390a7dc18b6699ba7c8af6291e34e78a.jpeg "One Drop (1979) - Bob Marley & The Wailers") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8n_14AsBKs) ---
**Author:** ![Orion22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/71e660/32.png) [@Orion22](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Orion22)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 12:39am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/3 "2023-06-23T00:39:15Z")
Yeah Novus containers were originally for “smokeless tobacco”. The song One Drop is named after the one drop rhythm commonly used in reggae. > **[One drop rhythm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_drop_rhythm)** > > One drop rhythm is a reggae style drum beat. > Popularized by Carlton Barrett, long-time drummer of Bob Marley and the Wailers, the creator is disputed, and it has been attributed to drummers including Barrett, and his brother Aston, and Winston Grennan. > The backbeat is characterized by the dominant snare drum stroke (usually a click produced by cross-sticking) and bass drum both sounding on the third beat of every four, while beat one is left empty. Thus, the expected hit on beat one is "droppe... So whether they named after the song or the beat, we know Bob Marley was involved somehow in the early days of one drop. Legend. ---
**Author:** ![Jerrod](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/jerrod/32/367145_2.png) [@Jerrod](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Jerrod)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 12:51am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/4 "2023-06-23T00:51:25Z")
Yeah their name comes from the one drop drum beat. Here is a quote from David: “A One Drop is a roots reggae drum beat. The beat is technically simple, but very difficult to play with the right feel. That emphasis on feel was the inspiration for us. We wanted to put the right feel into our business. We also love reggae and played in reggae bands in the past. The original/parent name of the company is One Drop Design. We also liked that the acronym is ODD.” ---
**Author:** ![sparhawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@sparhawk](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/sparhawk)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 12:52am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/5 "2023-06-23T00:52:25Z")
I like how it just calls Collin a student. The guy who designed the project later started the yoyo company tmbr. ---
**Author:** ![YoyoGeezer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/yoyogeezer/32/755_2.png) [@YoyoGeezer](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/YoyoGeezer)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 12:59am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/6 "2023-06-23T00:59:21Z")
I would like to hear more about the mysterious student that approached OneDrop to make a yo-yo. Did he have a name? What happened to that partnership? Why is this initial inspiration and design contribution glossed-over? It appears that student played a big part in OneDrop becoming a yo-yo producer. ---
**Author:** ![Big](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/big/32/81788_2.png) [@Big](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Big)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 1:26am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/7 "2023-06-23T01:26:10Z")
I am probaby wrong but i thought the mysterious student was Mark Montgomery. ---
**Author:** ![sparhawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@sparhawk](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/sparhawk)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 4:26am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/8 "2023-06-23T04:26:12Z")
The project was inspired by the dv8 Mark Montgomery was previously sponsored by buzzon who created the dv8. It makes sense why he would like the throw but Colin was the original designer. If I remember right the project was a dv8 copy without Dave’s (buzzon owner) approval. Then yoyofactory released the dv888 with Dave’s approval after their beef with onedrop. I always find this funny because people say how great the project is but how terrible the dv888 is when they’re so close in shape. ---
**Author:** ![Big](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/big/32/81788_2.png) [@Big](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Big)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 4:32am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/9 "2023-06-23T04:32:21Z")
I have never played a project. I didn’t have much yoyo funds at the time ot originally came out. I always thought the same thing about the similarities in the two. I was never a big fan of the dv888 but idont think it was as bad as everyone made it out to be either. ---
**Author:** ![sparhawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@sparhawk](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/sparhawk)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 4:43am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/10 "2023-06-23T04:43:43Z")
The main problem with the dv888 was the refreshing they did so it would fit normal pads and could be played responsive. It used to have a bigger gap and much wider pads which I enjoyed. Especially the hardcoat edition. ---
**Author:** ![sparhawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@sparhawk](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/sparhawk)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 4:55am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/12 "2023-06-23T04:55:14Z")
Don’t forget he also designed the original civility as well ---
**Author:** ![The\_Machinist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a4c791/32.png) [@The\_Machinist](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/The_Machinist)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 5:06am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/13 "2023-06-23T05:06:42Z")
The original project design was a collaboration between Colin and I and we have the contract that we signed to prove it. His major contribution at that time was to inform us about the recent history and current state of the art (at that time) of modern yoyo. Because of my experience in aerospace machining where you never directly thread into aluminum, I insisted that we use a nut capture. When I proposed this idea Colin asked:'how do you drill a hexagonal hole?!". I will say though that the little rubber nubs were all him, and they really led to the Project’s iconic look. He also came up with the original name although it was meant to be:“Project, to cast forward, ie: to project a beam of light” The original nut capture went through several changes, and eventually evolved into SideEffects. We paid Colin to work at the shop before we paid ourselves and in the end I think we paid him just shy of $20k. We automatically extended our contractual agreement to include the M1 and the P2. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Machinist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a4c791/32.png) [@The\_Machinist](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/The_Machinist)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2023, 5:37am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/15 "2023-06-23T05:37:42Z")
You would have seen the first Project prototypes at Nationals in Chico in 2007. ---
**Author:** ![YoyoGeezer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/yoyogeezer/32/755_2.png) [@YoyoGeezer](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/YoyoGeezer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2023, 2:09am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/16 "2023-06-25T02:09:19Z")
Was that Colin Leyland? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Machinist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a4c791/32.png) [@The\_Machinist](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/The_Machinist)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2023, 11:38pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/17 "2023-06-25T23:38:36Z")
That is a disingenuous question, and misspelled at that. ---
**Author:** ![YoyoGeezer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/yoyogeezer/32/755_2.png) [@YoyoGeezer](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/YoyoGeezer)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2023, 12:21am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/18 "2023-06-26T00:21:02Z")
I did not see a full name. Not sure why. Why not use his full name? Please feel free to either correct my spelling; or continue to be evasive. Odd you do mention contracts… Things that make you go hmmm. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Machinist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a4c791/32.png) [@The\_Machinist](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/The_Machinist)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2023, 12:36am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/19 "2023-06-26T00:36:14Z")
More disingenuous comments Matt? And at least spell the kid’s name right. And please, since you have some kind of conspiratorial inside information, let’s have it. ---
**Author:** ![da5id](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/da5id/32/48214_2.png) [@da5id](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/da5id)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2023, 6:51pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/20 "2023-06-26T18:51:14Z")
The Project was not a copy of the DV8. ---
**Author:** ![da5id](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/da5id/32/48214_2.png) [@da5id](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/da5id)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2023, 6:51pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/21 "2023-06-26T18:51:48Z")
[Project - One Drop YoYos](https://onedropyoyos.com/yoyos/project/) His full name has been here since the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![ChrisFrancz](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/chrisfrancz/32/48992_2.png) [@ChrisFrancz](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/ChrisFrancz)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2023, 7:41pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478/22 "2023-06-26T19:41:32Z")
The reggae drum beat, One Drop, is where they got the name from. I just got an email from One Drop. Have fun throwing ya’ll! I didn’t think there would be an arguement about anything… [Next page](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/how-one-drop-got-it-s-name/378478.md?page=2)