So last night there was a steal of a deal on an SB-2 on eBay. I was trying to wait till the last minute to drop in my bid, however… I fell asleep with only 15min left on the auction. The winner walked away with it for $26. Anywho, now I’m back on the hunt, and just curious how people like theirs and what they think about it.
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I’m keeping my 95 but I’ve got a mint 96 I’d let go. I found out you don’t really need more than a couple. They are great for there age. I like the sound actually more so than other metals.
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Ed has been showing off pics of a new SBX on Instagram and other places. I don’t own an SB-2 but I’m personally going to wait for this one instead:
https://www.reddit.com/r/tomkuhn/comments/194ff4u/cool_to_get_the_heads_up_to_this_place_def_a_tk/
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When the SB-2 was released it was a big step forward for yo-yo technology. The adjustable gap and the bearing allowed for longer spin times and more room for complex, multi-layered string tricks. Despite all these advances, the SB-2 isn’t ideal for modern, unresponsive yo-yo tricks.
I like the SB-2, but I don’t play with the SB-2 as much as I do my original Silver Bullet. If I want a bearing yo-yo I have hundreds of choices that are more fun than the SB-2 (the Ti-SB or the SB-4 for example). If I want a slim-line yo-yo with more spin than my No Jives, I’ll play the original Silver Bullet.
Having said all this, I’m excited to try the SB-X (SB-10?) that Ed’s been showing off. It looks like a lot of fun.
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It does look cool, there’s just something so classic and appealing about the etching in the original SB2. Especially once they get really worn.
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What differentiates the SB from the SB-2?
The Silver Bullet has a wood axle. It’s a metal fixie.
The SB-2 has a bearing and an adjustable gap.
The SB-3 has a click-adjustable gap (you don’t have to unscrew it to change the gap).
The SB-4 has a bearing and response pads and is more like a modern unresponsive yo-yo.
The Ti-SB is made of titanium and can be set up with multiple types of response/gaps.
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I kick myself all the time for missing the end of an auction. I was planning on bidding for this one too. I want a dingy SB-2 to test laser cleaning on. That one looked perfect for it, and at $26 it was a steal.
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an absolute classic! still love mine to death and it plays like butter.
(also, lest we forget… the tortoise version was the first splash anodized yo-yo!)
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Love how worn yours looks. What style of play do you think it excels at?
@chrismacg In my mind I’m imaging it to be similar to a Deep State, just with a more classic look. Would you say I’m close?
i like mine on the less-responsive side. still tug responsive, but not aggressive. honestly i don’t like lubing bearings, so i have a pair of worn kentaro pads in there which are like a decade old at least and a medium/wide gap. low maintenance and works perfect. i don’t think it’s as good a slimline modern responsive as a deep state/alleycat/weekender, but it comes from a different era and wasn’t intended to be. i like that i can hit such a variety of stuff on it. very satisfying player.
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Interesting, this is a great review! So it plays more like a predecessor to a slim modern responsive. Which makes sense seeing as how that’s pretty much what it is. I think it’s looks are 75% of the appeal to me.
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Same here it’s not the playability that makes me want an sb2 I’m sure I have better yo-yos in my collection but it’s both the fact I couldn’t ever afford one when I originally was playing a raider and ogling at the pretty metal yoyo and the fact it is a stunning yoyo.
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I agree that the original SB has the best feeling, combining the weight and control of aluminum on the wood axle. It’s a shame Brad has not rereleased these. The SB2 was groundbreaking and made all the better as SB2.2 with the linen response discs. Pre-response they were a bit unpredictable on return. There are now so many versions/colors of the SB2, I haven’t picked up any of the recent engravings - has anything actually changed?
For me, the SB3 didn’t improve the play at all - I rarely fiddled with the gap once set on an SB2 and the SB3 was more a novelty.
I totally skipped the SB4. I know, shocking for a TK collector. Wasn’t a fan of the shape, the pad printing looked cheap. At that point, it felt like there was little investment in the brand and the cache and mystique had gone. I am a little irked to have a hole in the collection through.
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It is such a cool yoyo and the Original Modern Responsive IMO, blasted rim edition 
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Love the look of the blasted rims been meaning to pick one up. Similar to what others have said the SB2 has a special place in yoyo history. It really started a lot of design elements that are almost taken for granted in modern play
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Oh wow didn’t know there was a TK subreddit I’ve been missing out
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When was the blasted rim - I’ve only seen the brushed rims and this looks far better!
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Is there any more info avail on SBX?