(I originally posted this as a reply to a Dark Magic review and discussion.)
I hope you guys find this helpful or entertainig…
After watching Andre’s tuts, I was going to get a DM, But they were out of stock after christmas. So instead, I opted for the New Breed because the description said,“if you like the Dark Magic, You’ll LOVE the New Breed.” They look similar enough…the main differences I noticed was the gap and the response systems. DM has an o-ring/starburst w/ an adjustable gap. New Breed is silicone w/ a fixed gap. SOO…I also got the Hitman Hybrid SE because the response and gap is set up like the DM. I didn’t however, take into account that the The Hitman is considerably smaller. Though it’s more similar in shape to the DM than the NB. Okay… I hope you followed my logic on my purchase decision. yeah?
They arrived together and the first decision I had to make was which one to throw first. Since the Hitman was smaller than I expected, I raised a curious eyebrow and saved it for 2nd. My first few throws with the New Breed were actually a bit discouraging. Out of the box, it was so unresponsive that I realized I needed to get a little more Jedi training before I came back to it. Now, however, I really dig it. It’s got a nice weight…It’s easy on your throwhand, but not too too floaty. I’ve had it a little over a month and I’m still working on my first set of silicone pads. It might be becoming a little more responsive as they break in. I took one pad off to see if I could deaden it a little more, lets just say it worked. I put it back in. I can sleep it for about 1 min, which is fine for me. I like this yo-yo. It Does what I expected the the DM would do.
As for the Hitman Hybrid. It ate pavement on an early throw. let me explain. It has an adjustable gap like the DM. First throw, very responsive, UFO… no problem. So the first thing I did was widen the gap to see how UNresponsive it could be. I couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t sleep… Thought I had a tangle, so I threw a little harder. It made a weird noise. Threw again, same noise. hmm. On the next throw I figured out that what I was hearing was the bare axle cutting through my string. I know that’s what it was because my new Yo-Yo was then bouncing PING PING PING!! across the warehouse floor on my smoke break. Oh dear, I guess I adjusted the gap a wee bit too wide. Well, they don’t call it the hitman for nothin. It’s a tough little guy…barely a scratch. So, lesson learned. I threw this a bit more and found it to be…Nimble, that’s the word. It’s size makes it really cool for tight squeezes in some tougher string tricks and it’s more or less stable. You gotta be careful though, it’ll bite you if the gap is too narrow and the adjustment makes me nervous. The rim weight distribution would lead me to believe it would have longer spin times than I’m getting. After a few weeks, I pulled out the O-ring and replaced it with Flowable Silicone, Then I sanded down the starburst. It’s still a work in progress, I need some automotive sandpaper to get it smoother. Although, it still has less drag than it did with the burst. That being said, I don’t think I’ve had as much fun with it as I’m going to, once I tidy up the modification.
So, What did I learn? The New Breed meets the expectations that I had for the Dark Magic. It’s a fun yo-yo and I’m not gonna jack with it too much. It’s nice the way it is. The Hitman Hybrid taught me lots. Don’t over-widen your gap, your string will be eaten and you could have a dangerous fly-away on your hands. I don’t like the O-ring/ Starburst situation but I think other yoers will appreciate it’s versatility. I Do like the smaller size and it led me to my next purchase which will be arriving tomorrow… the DV888. booyah!
I don’t know how you guys are getting 2-5 minutes out of anything. But, I’ve got some KonKave Ceramic bearings and some different string types coming tomorrow too. I’m thinking, New Yo-Yo day is going to be dandy!!!
Nice Talkin’ to Y’all
Jonathan