# Is this an NSK Center Track? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Yo-Yo\ **Created:** [August 16, 2026, 8:40pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-an-nsk-center-track/451063 "2026-08-16T20:40:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Juiccetin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/juiccetin/32/671353_2.png) [@Juiccetin](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Juiccetin)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 8:40pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-an-nsk-center-track/451063/1 "2026-08-16T20:40:32Z")
Can anyone tell if this is an NSK bearing? It’s an 8-ball and has a pretty distinctive-looking race/retainer. I don’t have another NSK handy to compare it to, and I’m not seeing any markings. Anyone recognize it? ![IMG_5526](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/9/a/8/9a8de2884d33cbf493f405080768f879f792162c.jpeg) ![IMG_5527](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/0/2/6/0260ce6cec818c8cc90800d20dd5bcf32b4fc810.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Tempura](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/tempura/32/246135_2.png) [@Tempura](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Tempura)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 8:45pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-an-nsk-center-track/451063/2 "2026-08-16T20:45:14Z")
Does it feel like an insanely good bearing? ---
**Author:** ![mable](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/mable/32/194074_2.png) [@mable](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mable)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 8:53pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-an-nsk-center-track/451063/3 "2026-08-16T20:53:42Z")
Where did you get it? If it was from the BST then whoever you bought it from should know. And if it was in a yoyo you bought brand new, i’d imagine it would be marketed as including an NSK. The NSK CTs seem to have a pretty narrow flat area compared to a typical CT so that could help you. ![IMG_7927](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/8/4/2/842eae1ffbb87b10f3defd6640f1e2696eb425ca.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Juiccetin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/juiccetin/32/671353_2.png) [@Juiccetin](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Juiccetin)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 8:56pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-an-nsk-center-track/451063/4 "2026-08-16T20:56:12Z")
It does feel exceptionally smooth which is what prompted me to wonder ---
**Author:** ![Juiccetin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/juiccetin/32/671353_2.png) [@Juiccetin](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Juiccetin)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 8:56pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-an-nsk-center-track/451063/5 "2026-08-16T20:56:41Z")
Got it a while back in a trade and it came in the yoyo, so there’s no telling. I will take a look at the center track area now. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![mable](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/mable/32/194074_2.png) [@mable](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mable)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2026, 9:00pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-an-nsk-center-track/451063/6 "2026-08-16T21:00:31Z")
You could DM the person you traded with, because you really have to go out of your way to acquire an NSK CT. I can’t imagine this is something you’d forget buying or accidentally leave in a yoyo you were trading. ---
**Author:** ![Newtypeyoyodesign](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/newtypeyoyodesign/32/657090_2.png) [@Newtypeyoyodesign](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Newtypeyoyodesign)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 2:57am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-an-nsk-center-track/451063/7 "2026-08-17T02:57:17Z")
![1351801](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/1/8/9/18950dc9837aee08099567c9b62afe9561ecdad3.jpeg) Here’s a dead giveaway: my gold NSK bearing doesn’t have an inner groove for the C-clip, while my stock factory bearing does ---
**Author:** ![mable](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/mable/32/194074_2.png) [@mable](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/mable)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 12:02pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-an-nsk-center-track/451063/8 "2026-08-17T12:02:58Z")
This tip is insane, I can’t believe I never noticed this. I’m looking at my NSKs now and yeah all of them are visibly different, having a flat inside with no groove for a c-clip. Every non-NSK bearing I have has a groove. I’ve always just shoved bearings into my Lisianthus to see if they’d fit or not whenever I got them mixed up LOL. ---
**Author:** ![Juiccetin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/juiccetin/32/671353_2.png) [@Juiccetin](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Juiccetin)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 12:26pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-an-nsk-center-track/451063/9 "2026-08-17T12:26:44Z")
Thank you! Don’t know how I didn’t notice this. I’m just still confused because the race looks very similar to NSKs race in the photo and I’ve never seen another that looks like that. :thinking: ---
**Author:** ![Newtypeyoyodesign](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/user_avatar/forums.yoyoexpert.com/newtypeyoyodesign/32/657090_2.png) [@Newtypeyoyodesign](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Newtypeyoyodesign)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 2:22pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/is-this-an-nsk-center-track/451063/10 "2026-08-17T14:22:01Z")
You’re welcome! Most NSK industrial bearings for machinery do have “NSK” printed on the side of the outer ring, but the micro-type bearings don’t have that C-clip feature. Even so, the quality of the bearings is quite good and they run smoothly For more proof, you can look at pictures from other stores and see that they come with a plain outer ring Industrial Type: ![17869762171694111914387771388634](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/b/0/d/b0d0f349854474c4c45b0721a424dbf3bffb4d4d.jpeg) Micro C (Concave): ![17869763699013223440556407426649](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/6/a/1/6a161036b1d532364ab3c2ff11efa7f108642b30.jpeg) Micro C (CTX): ![17869764180517376890965260875998](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/e/b/b/ebbb842a59e76e2e5507234b96dc4f4dd6608efa.jpeg) Micro C (DS): ![17869764745035925487128600154802](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex015/uploads/yoyoexpert1/original/4X/2/2/3/223e6f4b1f217b59d948f9a44e525051230331e2.jpeg) If they told you it was a NSK one, look for this feature first and see if its genuine or fake