# Is this a Freehand 1 prototype? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Yo-Yo\ **Created:** [September 3, 2020, 3:21am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597 "2020-09-03T03:21:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Egon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/egon/32/53004_2.png) [@Egon](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Egon)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 3:21am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/1 "2020-09-03T03:21:13Z")
So this yoyo came in a lot of 5 Freehand’s and an autographed Steve Brown counterweight set so this came from someone who was serious about the hobby at some point. I didn’t look twice at it over the weeks that I’ve had it because one of the caps is cracked and I have plenty of FHZ’s so why bother. I picked up and tossed it today and was surprised by how it was unresponsive but binded very well. I unscrewed it to find that it’s been siliconed. **But on top of that, I think it’s a FH1** can someone help me confirm? The FHZ’s have a lip like a guide rail to line up the friction stickers. This one doesn’t have that lip and I measured to check that it wasn’t modified right on top of that lip. What do you think? ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/3/a/e/3aec078610fea9971f160db68039779849594af4.jpeg) The diameter of the lip is 2.3 cm the silicone is inside of that so the lip would still be there. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/5/5/6/55629167dc12db54f068eecb1a529fa68529bba5.jpeg) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/9/5/6/956c6cb3aa73716c66c18c05e523a6791a730158.jpeg) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/f/6/4/f64e190457deb721154034c70558f5363665467a.jpeg) Edit - oh wow the caps also glow! ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/9/6/b/96b016531b4035b025cc4e7d3d7b5a105a71eeb9.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![AaronW](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/aaronw/32/49251_2.png) [@AaronW](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/AaronW)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 3:29am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/2 "2020-09-03T03:29:24Z")
I think it may be a FH prototype, I’ve got a black one as well. Is the bolt and nut standard to what a FH1/Z would have? ---
**Author:** ![Egon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/egon/32/53004_2.png) [@Egon](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Egon)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 3:36am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/3 "2020-09-03T03:36:34Z")
Seems to be the same bolt to me. Also, here’s a picture of the FH1, 2, Z (left to right. This makes me sure this isn’t a FHZ do to the mold marks and lip ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/1/b/8/1b822549e4e671eb93c78e6f27a19912d0c603fb.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Grunt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/grunt/32/679117_2.png) [@Grunt](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Grunt)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 3:41am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/4 "2020-09-03T03:41:08Z")
Can you check the diameter? The rim doesn’t look thick enough to me. This could be an image perspective issue though. ---
**Author:** ![Egon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/egon/32/53004_2.png) [@Egon](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Egon)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 3:45am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/5 "2020-09-03T03:45:28Z")
The diameter of the entire yoyo or of the silicone groove? The picture I put is meant to show were the lip would have started and ended. I just found some prototype pictures from Doc Pop’s blog. And the FH1 protos are black… they tested a few different response systems. I’m feeling like I may have struck gold… ---
**Author:** ![Grunt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/grunt/32/679117_2.png) [@Grunt](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Grunt)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 3:52am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/6 "2020-09-03T03:52:42Z")
I meant the whole yoyo, sorry for being unclear. But it looks like you have quite the find there. ---
**Author:** ![rumstove](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/rumstove/32/94501_2.png) [@rumstove](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/rumstove)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 3:53am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/7 "2020-09-03T03:53:52Z")
This is exciting. Yeah doesn’t look like an FHZ since it doesn’t have the sticker guide. The wiki page doesn’t list black as a color, for regular colors or special editions. ---
**Author:** ![Egon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/egon/32/53004_2.png) [@Egon](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Egon)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 4:05am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/8 "2020-09-03T04:05:21Z")
I just put it next to a FHZ and it’s exactly the same, shape and size. Around 5.6cm diameter @unklesteve can you clear this up? Is this a FH1 proto? ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/d/3/9/d3967a0e9dc7e554bd34b6f80b56f9badca75c82.jpeg) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/0/b/e/0be420df17cac6aea48d6c53c85440df5b441054.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Grendel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/grendel/32/92975_2.png) [@Grendel](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Grendel)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 5:14am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/9 "2020-09-03T05:14:18Z")
Has anyone asked @unklesteve? ---
**Author:** ![vegabomb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/vegabomb/32/199_2.png) [@vegabomb](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/vegabomb)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 11:13am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/10 "2020-09-03T11:13:04Z")
Most of the people that did silicone mods also removed the sticker lip. Not sure if that clears anything up. 🤷🏻‍♂️ ---
**Author:** ![Egon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/egon/32/53004_2.png) [@Egon](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Egon)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 11:34am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/11 "2020-09-03T11:34:43Z")
But there’s absolutely no sign of it (machining or sanding marks) I’m thinking of removing the silicone to look if it’s molded or machined but I don’t think that certifies it either. The only black FH I ever owned was a Japanese Hyper Freehand and the caps were fused on it so I don’t think it’s one of those either. ---
**Author:** ![unklesteve](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/unklesteve/32/106934_2.png) [@unklesteve](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/unklesteve)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 1:22pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/12 "2020-09-03T13:22:50Z")
History time! The _actual_ FH1 prototypes were all run in either opaque yellow or dark translucent blue. So unless it’s one of those colors, it’s not technically an FH1 prototype. However. Before that mold was created, I had Duncan run black and white polycarbonate halves from the Duncan Wheels mold, and then sent those halves off to Stan Zygo. He modded a crapton of them for me to use, and that was essentially the first “proof of concept” for what eventually became the Freehand. Those all still just had Wheels caps on them since, well, that’s all we had at the time and that’s what fit those bodies. No idea where those clear glow caps came from, but they seem to be from a later project and had the bulk of the artwork acetone’d off, leaving just the hot dog logo…which was a super common thing for players to do at the time since it generally looked way better than the actual art. The Wheels halves just had starbursts on them, so Stan would usually just smooth them down to take Tom Kuhn Turbo Discs, since this was pre-Friction Stickers. Without holding it myself it’s hard to tell if that plastic is k-resin (Wheels) or polycarbonate (Zygo Wheels). This was a time period when everyone modded the hell out of everything because, well, production yoyos just weren’t very good TBH, so there are any number of things that this _could_ be. But it’s definitely modded, not production or prototype. ---
**Author:** ![Grunt](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/grunt/32/679117_2.png) [@Grunt](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Grunt)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 3:28pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/13 "2020-09-03T15:28:57Z")
The King has spoken. ---
**Author:** ![TheThrowingGnome](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/thethrowinggnome/32/14231_2.png) [@TheThrowingGnome](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/TheThrowingGnome)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2020, 3:34pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/14 "2020-09-03T15:34:42Z")
> [@Egon](#): > > feeling like I may have struck gold… I think you still struck gold with that piece! ---
**Author:** ![sparhawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@sparhawk](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/sparhawk)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 12:54am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/15 "2020-09-04T00:54:14Z")
Those are definitely FHZ caps he has in there so unless someone modded a proto freehand to fit FHZ caps and a sili recess I’m gonna guess it’s just a modded FHZ. the lips were removed and satined so you literally couldn’t tell they were ever there. ---
**Author:** ![kyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@kyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/kyo)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2020, 10:28pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/16 "2020-09-05T22:28:58Z")
Just to second what others have said… It’s a fhz that is modded, with caps from a later custom batch (yyn and escolar both did glow caps I believe) with the logo removed. ---
**Author:** ![Egon](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/egon/32/53004_2.png) [@Egon](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Egon)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 1:07am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/17 "2020-09-06T01:07:26Z")
I took a cap off and the molding marks are just like other FHZ’s I’ve got so yes triple or quadruple confirmed at this point but I tell you I’ve had a lot of modded Z’s go through my hands and this silicone groove is the highest quality I’ve seen by far. Also plays fabulous. I appreciate everyone’s input and always greatful for a TED talk from the 🤴 ---
**Author:** ![unklesteve](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/unklesteve/32/106934_2.png) [@unklesteve](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/unklesteve)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 4:54pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/18 "2020-09-10T16:54:42Z")
I think there was also an Anniversary edition FH Zero that was glow? ---
**Author:** ![kyo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/df705f/32.png) [@kyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/kyo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 5:15pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/19 "2020-09-10T17:15:11Z")
The did a glow for the 75th(?) I think but it was opaque white? I’m really not sure what those caps are from, I think yyn had one very similar to that. ---
**Author:** ![sparhawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@sparhawk](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/sparhawk)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2020, 7:15pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-a-freehand-1-prototype/326597/20 "2020-09-10T19:15:01Z")
Pretty sure this was top team glow caps that were wiped