I have something special (to me) for the Mk1 four-year anniversary in October. The third version of the Diffraction. I first announced Mk1 on October 30th, 2018:
I guess the name has simplified a bit since then! This year, I decided to make a Diffraction v3 because I was feeling nostalgic for my first manufactured yoyo design, to get some more cool fades out there, and make a few small tweaks to the design - notably, it’s been adjusted to use a 10mm axle. Almost everything else about the design is identical - 7075, 56x46mm, identical profile shape.
I’ll probably post all the colorways next month, but I’m always really excited to get new stuff in the mail so I’m the #1 mk1 news leaker, once again.
This cup design came from the development of the original Mk1 Diffraction (left) in 2018. I was struggling with how to design a yoyo cup that stood out without being too busy - flat seemed boring, and a variety of nubs and bumps didn’t seem quite as fun as being able to have a neat fingerspin area. Yoyos are also something to touch - even if it’s just in your pocket, it’s neat if there’s a fun texture or shape in there. Regarding fingerspins, the “Diffraction Hub” is a sort of cross between a flat cup and a centering cup. There’s three tiers of where you can land your finger, ranging from mostly out-of-control spinning at the outer ring, down to something resembling a lock-in area in the middle, though the finger will actually orbit in small circles, rather than locking in. With the correct hand motions you can land anywhere and move your finger into the center. Sort of a mini-game within the toy.
I was originally going to use this cup design as a signature design element for future Mk1 yoyos. Mostly that hasn’t been the case, the only completely new production model to use it was the Mk1 Spyglass (top). There’s also a cool prototype with that hub (right), but the next version and eventual production model will have something new there, instead.
The third version of the Diffraction (bottom) has a slightly shallower fingerspin dimple, adjusted just so to allow the 8mm->10mm axle length increase. Fingerspins are slightly more difficult to keep in the center, since even very tiny adjustments in that area of the design can have big effects. It’s still very possible and of course, quite rewarding. If you don’t fingerspin, the higher durability of the longer axle will still be easy to appreciate.
I hope to make more yoyos with this hub design in the future.
I’m no scientist I’m just the ideas guy! Also no idea how a full metal fixie actually works, or if it does. I just saw a Fidalgo for sale a few days ago and it’s been on my brain since.
It’s incredibly smooth. It makes me wonder if it is still spinning it is so smooth.
Hoping someone who will truly appreciate it will buy it. I don’t have the skills for fixed axel. It is hardly used. Still has the original string on it.
If you have a recent Mk1 release (other than collabs) you may have seen this blueprint pattern on the inside of the boxes. This is the technical drawing for the original Diffraction v1, first released in 2018. The pattern for the box was drawn much later, using the current Mk1 logo, specifically for the box print.
This colorway has become the Mk1 company colors since then, appearing in all but one of our releases. I’m happy to keep making it, because it gets me two colors in one! And it looks neat!
The previous iteration, the Diffraction v2, was picked up by YoyoExpert in 2019, making this whole venture feel official. I’m really grateful for that, because it’s had a big impact in the number of people I’m able to get yoyos out to. I really like being able to support André in this way (though he’s supporting me even more, I suppose), and I love the forums here and the ability to have regular long-form discussion.
Anyhow, this is probably the yoyo to have if you want to understand my yoyo design goals from start to finish.
These two work especially well because the colors are close to each other while still being different hues. This helps make them actually look like a fade instead of a two-tone design.
Getting my whitebox photos out there before Yoyoexpert’s even better ones show up!
These highlight the shape and why I really like this yoyo - and why it was the first one I produced. The “ski jump” clearly separates the two sections of the yoyo, acting as an inflection point for both aesthetics and purpose.
The inside of the profile is “inverse round”, pulling away from a theoretical straight line in a curve, starting at the slight response bump and ending at the ski jump. This section does three things:
Keeps string contact with the yoyo body very low
Allows for good finger grinds
Acts as a counterpart for the shape of the cup
The outside of the profile rounds out to the edge, improving comfort and rim weight compared to a theoretical straight line from the ski jump to the rim edge. Because it’s steeper closer to the center, it still pretty readily pushes the string in the correct direction.
A fun exercise for the budding designer is to draw a similar shape, but with the inflection point moved. There’s lots to discover with this type of shape, from the subtle to the surprising.
