I’ve had an idea in mind for the past month or so: a side-by-side comparison of certain modern iterations and evolutions of the CLYW Peak. This idea interests me largely because of the mystique surrounding the Peak that I remember (which, as I recall, was primarily evident when the 2nd run was nothing more than a rumor), and the unique attributes that the Peak supposedly possessed, as well as those it actually delivered on: floaty play (the Peak was the first yoyo that I saw described using this adjective that our community has more or less claimed at this point), an extremely comfortable O profile, and proven high-level performance in competition. It also interests me because I think the organic market has become rather saturated with yoyos that are borderline clones with a modernized response area, as well as brilliant modifications that have changed the string feel and playability in a way that I would not have expected. There are a lot of great yoyos clearly inspired by this classic design out there, as well as some that just aren’t really doing anything new (which you may or may not consider a good thing).
To conduct any sort of comparison I think I need a baseline definition of what constitutes an “evolution” or “iteration” of the Peak in particular. My own definition is as follows at present:
A comfortable O-shape or modified O-shape that has
a diameter of 54.5mm-58.5mm and
a width of 42mm-46mm, as well as
a 4.15+mm gap, and is
a monometal with
a neutral or center bias in weight distribution.
My numbers could be flexed a bit, and one could argue that diameter to width ratio should be specified.
I’ve started collecting recent (post-2017 I believe) releases that fall under this definition to compare side by side at some undetermined point in the future, and I’ve been compiling a list of yoyos that I’d like to acquire for a larger sample size. So far the list consists of:
GWAY Saboteur
OD Overture
TS Sistine + Sistine Thief edn.
RSO Bowl 7068
MK1 Contact
CLYW Peak 2
Atmos Cloudberry
F&FB Elysium
a-RT Grail
yoyofriends Koi
General-Yo Essence
I’m sure that I’m missing some notable yoyos here and I’d much appreciate suggestions. Generally speaking, I’d like the price limit to be set at roughly the 2nd run’s MSRP - I recall paying somewhere in the $90-110 range for mine. a-RT might be the one exception as I am intrigued to see where Jensen took this design.
This might be something else to consider when specifically comparing to the OG peak, but looking at the wall. With a lot of modern organics, including the Peak 2, they usually have a small step around the response that makes them play like they have low walls.
The Atmos Cloudberry is one of the handful I’ve played, and the step is big enough that it doesn’t even play like an organic in my mind, I’d classify it more as a soft-H/step-round shape before organic. Yoyos with those big response steps to create low walls feel like they only have the hand feel of an organic, but they play more like a low walled modern yoyo. Maybe it’s just me, but high/mid walls feel like the most defining trait of organics in play. I think it’s interesting that with luftverk’s Ti Peak they retained the mid wall instead of opting for the response step like the Peak 2 has. I’d imagine this makes the Ti Peak feel a lot closer to an OG Peak.
IIRC, the Koi from YYfriends is organic without that step Mable is talking about. YYF KO sort of too, though it’s a bi-metal and kind of a different somewhat organic shape. Not trying to start the waterfall of info you don’t need btw.
Yeah, this is a great point and something I’ve noted about a lot of newer organic designs, and part of what I’d like to directly compare here. The three workarounds to achieve a more “modernized” response that I’ve observed are: retaining high walls and adding a schmoove (Saboteur); eschewing walls in favor of a stepped design (like the Cloudberry does, as you noted - the Sistine does this as well, but it’s less extreme); or just turning a big chunk of the wall into a natural curvature that extends to the rim (a la Overture). I agree that the Cloudberry’s shape is extreme enough that it might justify exclusion.
When Chris Mikulin and Paul Wallace were designing the return top, they wanted to combine the elements of some of their favorite models, such as the YoYoJam Hitman and the YoYoFactory F.A.S.T. 401k, with the addition of a recessed flowable silicone response system.
Went ahead and edited to Peak 2, good catch! Still worthy to note the similarities.
Their has to be a mono metal high wall with similar dimensions, weight and shape that came out prior to the OG Peak. I could be wrong, but surely there is something out there remotely similar.
