New releases from Turning Point - The RADIX and MIID-Y!

YoYoExpert Releases and Restocks
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RADIX:

Turning Point is proud to release their second full Magnesium yoyo - The Radix!

When it comes to yoyos Magnesium is a very interesting material, and not one we see used often due to the difficulty in machining and finishing. When comparing it to the other popular material options - Polycarbonate (the most common plastic used for yoyos) has a specific gravity of about 1.2, 6061 aluminum (also very common for yoyos) has a specific gravity of about 2.7. But Magnesium on the other hand has a specific gravity of about 1.7, which gives it a special feeling that is almost more like plastic than metal.

The Radix weighs in at 66g, but still offers a pleasantly light and fast feeling play with impressive maneuverability and control. And even though it plays somewhat light, itā€™s not lacking in power in any way. The thick rims of the Radix give it a powerful spin and an ease of acceleration that will effortlessly push through your longest combos.

It features a textured finish that is almost slightly chalky or papery feeling in the hand, a unique tactile feel that ties in perfectly with this unique material so rarely used in yoyo design!

Releasing Saturday, 11/20 @ 8PM EST.

MIID-Y:

New release from Turning Point - The MIID-Y is the signature model for 5A pro Hiroyasu Ishihara!

The MIID-Y is modeled after the TP2, just slightly larger, with an undersized diameter and a wide stepped profile that offers excellent performance in both 1A and 5A. It has a good amount of rim weight to improve stability and spin time, and weighing in at 66g the MIID-Y offers a powerful presence on the string with an excellent level of control in play.

The MIID-Y comes fitted with Turning Pointā€™s new center-lock Ti axle to prevent stripping and ensure a smooth spin, as well as optional side caps to adjust the weight and look of the yoyo.

Online now!

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Just my 2cents but the Radix is a fantastic throw and incredibly smooth. I will say the coating is pretty smooth but still goes through strings. Itā€™s not as bad as a heavy blast but I would watch your strings. Also the coating gets pretty dirty but it easy to clean off with some water.

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Sounds pretty amazingā€¦

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I canā€™t fathom what advantage magnesium has over 6061 AL in a yoyo. On paper, AL outperforms it. Is it simply the ā€˜chalky feelā€™? Itā€™s density is very close to some of the plastics I use. So it seems you pay a lot for an exotic yoyo material with plastic performance. I understand combining it with SS rims, but not as a monometal at this price. Maybe thereā€™s something Iā€™m missing.

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Why do people spend $100 on tequilla bottles when hand sanitizer does the job as well?

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Maybe not an advantage but it has a very unique feel. Itā€™s different than anything else I own and also plays really well so thatā€™s a bonus. I love supporting creative new projects that push the limits for yoyos!

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Glensā€™ response is not unique and very easy to understand.

Glen would Never buy a yoyo at that price to start with.

It is easy to discount any possible positive aspects of something ā€˜he doesnā€™t understandā€™.

On paper, 6061 plays better? On paperā€¦ā€¦ā€¦ā€¦and?

An exotic metal that possibly plays no better than some plastics he cuts up? Who cares?

Doubtful words coming from a guy that makes his own yo-yos. And has good experience understanding that even some woods are harder to deal with than others. Yet, wonā€™t entertain the reality that it not only takes special expensive metal, but top shelf machinery and time consuming machining skills to produce the end product.

The final root costs to produce the final yoyo(even without standard markups) would logically result in a higher priceā€¦

Is it fair or reasonable for an actual yoyo makerā€™ to undermine to possible positives of buying, owning or playing a Magnesium yoyo, by taking the position of a ā€˜doubting Thomasā€™, because of an unwillingness to understand the motivations of the Maker and/or the potential of the product.

Kentaro Kimura is a Mastermind of a yoyo designer/maker and player. He has never made a bad yoyo. He does not even need to have others field test his various yoyo models. When he releases a new design, just by nature of it being up for sale, is already proof that it is a very good product, regardless of price point.

To question the integrity of the Radix is to question the Integrity of Kentaro.

Better thinking before speaking leads to better questionsā€¦

Kentaro created Turning Point to provide yoyo adventures. To create products that put smiles on faces as you go down the road. No 2 yoyo designs exactly alike, but all sharing a common factor; high performance.

There will always be some of us that canā€™t pay the price of admission, regardless of the potential performance of a product. Turning Point has addressed this by providing yo-yos at various price points.

For those that can afford new adventures, the options are provided. For those unwilling or unable to ā€˜bounceā€™ for the new best thing, there are other optionsā€™.

But, the least effective option is doubting the quality and/or price of something you wouldnā€™t buy in the first place.

PSā€¦. Worth noting>

In 2004, Duncan released the Freehand MG. It retailed for $400 to $450. Came in a wooden box with caps and counterweights, etc. $400ā€¦. Almost 18 years ago. Now, here we are 18 years later with a design that can eat the MG for breakfast for $369.

No wooden boxā€¦ā€¦. Who cares, lolā€¦

How many things are better 18 years later, yet cost less?

Funny stuff when you put it in perspectiveā€¦

.

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I have actually bought more than one yoyo around the $400 mark and I may again. I understand that there are a whole lot of thoughts, intentions and just plain curiosity in making yoyos out of unusual exotic materials. I suppose this one is not so much as a performance model as it is simply something cool and fun to throw aroundā€¦Thatā€™s fine, the world needs these kinds of yoyos.

Itā€™s just hard to swallow paying titanium prices for something that more or less competes with plastic from a materials standpoint.

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I donā€™t think Glen was questioning the quality of the yoyo, only the choice of material.

Itā€™s kinda like having a yoyo made of gold. Would I want one? Yes. Would I be willing to pay more than itā€™s intrinsic value if I could get the same or superior performance from a cheaper aluminum yoyo? Nah, I donā€™t have the money for novelties like that.

Exotic metal yoyos are cool and novel, but theyā€™re not for everyone. It doesnā€™t seem to me that Glen was dissing the product itself.

Ivan

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Could you explain the appeal of magnesium? Even their marketing says it plays like plastic. Id rather get a plastic then?

Im sure it plays well but with the hassle of maintenance with keeping the coating intact otherwise you have a bunch of corrosion just makes this seem like a case queen.

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I know it makes a sweet green flash when you shoot it with jacketed 5.56 rounds.

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The appeal of magnesium does not have to be ā€˜explainedā€™.

Restaurants provide menus because every customer does not necessarily: like, want or desire the same thing to eat or drink. They also provide options at various prices.

Turning Point also provides a revolving menu because people donā€™t necessarily want to get the exact same thing.

Motivation to be drawn to any particular material/shape/size/weight/etc. is not necessarily based on justification of performance, price or rarity/collectibility.

Itā€™s more about what a person wants with no compelling reason needed.

I would not buy a yoyo just because it is made from Magnesium. At the same time, if I canā€™t or donā€™t want to spend the money to buy a Magnesium yoyo, I will not entertain reasons why I should not buy a yoyo ā€˜becauseā€™ it is made from Magnesium.

Simple reallyā€¦

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If I have the money I canā€™t just buy a magnesium yo-yo cuz I think itā€™s unique and different? :grimacing:

Especially nowadays with such a flooded market and so many similar designs that the targeted audience for this has probably already tried/has an abundance of

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Did anyone actually get a Radix? I put in basket as soon as it showed and was checking out bam, unavailable. How many were there like two. No big deal that has happened other times on other sites. Never had a magnesium throw but I love Turning Point so went for it.

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I saw three, when they popped up and snagged one since I was logged in, those flew by in under 2 mins.

And again, @Glenacius_K , if you can spend $400 just for the walls to be thinner, as opposed to just turning your own potential competition screamer for next to nothing (always ignore the tool costs :wink: ) then why not opt for the latter option everytime?

I got an mgska too, and have been using it a few times a week during my sessions, and the coating is no more difficult to ā€œtake care ofā€ than a nickel throw, and in any way we all protect the anno of coveted throws by throwing over carpet or keeping the string shorter (those of us who care about condition anyways). It doesnā€™t cut strings, and it plays like the nicest modded freehand youve tried with sph mod and orings.

You can justify a $400 ti freehand, a $450 ti freehand with side effects and a schmoove (gravity), hell even those $900 sOMETHING apogees, but not a $370 yoyo with a radixally different design and material from a coveted brand?

How do you justify $100 for a wooden fixie when an imperial costs $5?

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:thinking:ā€¦

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Ok, so imagine you are at a yo-yo meetup and you pull out your old, trusty plastic. Then some random person pulls their best 6061 throw. Then, some other guy pulls out his 7075; while yet-another pulls her titanium and stainless.

Now what? Where can you go? ā€¦ Magnesium.

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My 2 cent.
Magnesium is such a rare and noble metal that ā€¦ every chainsaw machine body produced from the late 60s to today, from hobbyists of the past years (today they are made of plastic) to semi-pro and professional ā€¦ is made in ā€¦ magnesium.
It is a metal that requires an external treatment as if left raw it corrodes easily and in contact with the humidity of the air
it is a metal that, due to its specific weight, and its low hardness, limits a lot in the design of a yoyo which cannot have small thicknesses and to obtain a final weight that makes it playable it obliges or to squat shapes (see General-Yo Magnum) or bi-metal construction.
Often the price of magnesium objects is offered at a very high price due to the known problems and dangers in the processing phase (high flammability) ā€¦ this is true ā€¦ but relatively, this is a video that demonstrates how even a hobbyist, with hobbyist machinery, you can safely work it without the slightest risk.

As mentioned above, a magnesium yoyo has been produced for almost twenty years ā€¦ since then how many other models have been made? 6 -7? ā€¦ there will be a why!!!
For my opinion and for what has been exposed it is one of the least suitable metals to make yoyo ā€¦ I have never been interested in having one, regardless of the proposed price.

@yoyodoc as for the considerations on Turning Point and Kentaro Kimura, without a shadow of a doubt Kentaro was one of the most representative 3A players, but as for his yoyos, he never stated either the alloys used nor where his yoyos were produced and his proximity to YoyoFactory (he was in their eam before opening his Brand) always made me have some suspicions. I got to play with various yoyos of him, Albino Leviathan, Leviathan, Positron, etc. good yoyos, but nothing that justified their price or made them stand out in any way compared to the then competition ā€¦ and in fact I donā€™t even own a product of him.

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Sure, magnesium is a place to go after those other perfectly suitable materials. Maybe not the best place to go though.

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(WARNINGā€¦the following post is filled with many, many words and my regular poor punctuation. This response may be uncomfortable for some to read. Especially if you already donā€™t like me. Especially if you feel I am deliberately condescending in tone. Especially if you are allergic to books. And most especially if itā€™s just easier for you to complain about others instead of coming up with something constructive. You have been warnedā€¦)

My other 3 centsā€¦.

I never said that magnesium was the best choice or even in the top several choices for making yo-yos.

I never said ā€˜anyā€™ yo-yo is worth what people charge for them.

I never said that only Kentaro makes good yo-yos.

I never said everybody/or even/anybody should get a yo-yo just because it is made of magnesium.

I never said life would be sad if magnesium yo-yos were never produced and everybody didnā€™t dream of owning them.

I never said magnesium was some kind of magical metal ideal for making yo-yos.

I never said my favorite yo-yo or yo-yo of choice or EDC yo-yo was/would be/ or should be made of magnesium.

I never ordained myself to be the spokesman for the metal named magnesium.

ā€¦ā€¦Here is what I did say.>

Turning point in my opinion, has never made a bad yoyo(one that I personally didnā€™t like).

I said I feel Kentaro designs high performance yoyos(in my opinion).

My opinion based on Turning Points history, is that if Kentaro releases a magnesium yo-yo, itā€™s probably a very good playing yoyo(not a quote).

I had 2 Generalyo Magnum yo-yos. I never really liked them and made sure the 2 people I sold them to, understood that I was selling them yo-yos I didnā€™t like.

I have several Duncan MG yo-yos. I had a half dozen of themā€¦ Sold a few. I have 2 used MGā€™s I seldom use. I have 2 new in boxes, in my gun safe for more than 15 years. Most likely I will never use them.

I have 2 KYO Death Robots. I LOVE THEM. I have few yoyos(in my opinion) that have the same amazing feel in: the hand, on the throw down, in play and on the return catch. I am not saying the magnesium part of the construction is responsible for the yo-yosā€™ performance. I donā€™t even care to what percentage magnesium assists in the play of the yo-yo.

I have a Radix. I bought one because I have known Kentaro for many years. His work has never let me down. He is a good guy and I have high regard for his skill set, regardless of how you feel or question his skillsā€¦That is your opinion.

I didnā€™t buy a Radix because it is made from Magnesium. The construction metal was not a prime consideration in my purchase.

The Radix is just another yo-yo playing adventure(at my meager skill level) and my primary decision was based on whether I wanted to pay that much for the yo-yoā€¦ regardless of what it was made from.

3 things I have learned in life>

  1. They wonā€™t let you into Disneyland without buying admission.

  2. They wonā€™t let you get on an Airplane without buying a ticket.

  3. If you want to play with a new yoyo(and nobody you know has one you can try out) you have to pay for admission to give the yo-yo a spin.

If I was over technical about why I purchase what I purchase, I probably wouldnā€™t have 1500 yo-yos.

Persson, I have high respect for your knowledge of yo-yos, yo-yo construction, yo-yo making history, material use/combination considerations for optimal performance potentials, etc. You could give lectures on things yo-yo related.

But that being said, I honestly have the ability and willingness to make my choices in what I use or purchase.

I may decide it is the first Turning Point yoyo I donā€™t like? I donā€™t make instant judgements.

But, if I do decide I donā€™t like the Radix, I doubt I will blame it on itsā€™ magnesium construction.

The buy price certainly isnā€™t peanuts. But then again, I donā€™t have a ā€˜budgetā€™, so another yo-yo purchase ā€˜isā€™ peanuts to me.

Like I already pretty much explained, if you wanna play, you have to pay.

But the truest reality is much simpler >

If you wanna play yoyo, all you need is one good $20 yoyo and string and fun awaits.

Double that if you play 3A

Not one of my yoyos came with tricks included.

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