Do they have the same loose bearing seat as the original or is it a more standard size?
2 Likes
Nice 
7 Likes
Wow! Haven’t seen this phenomenon in a while… and it’s also evidence that A-RT needs to do another run of real Grails…
18 Likes
Fo real
I was just thinking that…
1 Like
A bit of an update for anyone following along! Seller thankfully refunded the money, which was a very stand up move (and the right one), and I’ve been talking with him to trace back to the original source. Turns out, there are 3 purple ones in existence. I have one, the seller has one, and another guy has one, and it looks like we’re all gonna hang onto them so they don’t get out into circulation again, preventing people from getting burned. However, there are likely MORE out there but they are NOT purple. They are actually raw/clear, as we’ve come to find out that these purple ones were anodized by a separate third party that has nothing to do with the original manufacturer of these fake ones. So, if you come across a fake one, it’s likely going to be raw/clear or re-anodized, not matching OD’s original pyramatte finish. Basically, be aware of any non-original finishes.
As for the origins, it turns out they were being sold on the down low at a contest in China. Three were bought for $250 (
) and those three were anodized purple. There are likely more in existence, but like I said, they will be raw/clear or re-anodized. Going to see if I can trace back any further, but for right now I can confirm they are from China and there are multiple in existence. (@Exmime @Roy_Dodge @JWaugh @Myk_Myk hope this can clear up any doubts in the previous discussion)
Here’s some more comparison pics. As you can see, the interior of the cup area is definitely smaller.
Great question. It’s looser like the Grail but not AS loose. You can still take if off with your finger, but with just a little more effort. Not quite “fall off the bone” like the real Grail but no problem at all getting it off with just your fingers. Definitely not like tight YYF bearing seats where you feel like you’re gonna destroy the thing getting it off lmao
16 Likes
Thanks for highlighting this.
How do I identify a One Drop Pyramatte finish?
so it would seem these would have to have been made quite some time ago, as there hasn’t been contests in a while because of covid… am i correct? did this person attend the contest, or receive them from an attendee?
1 Like
It’s a tumbled finish so it doesn’t look completely uniform, it’s almost reminiscent of galvanized steel. Here’s a comparison of pyramatte and blasted finishes I just took for another thread:
(Pyramatte on the left)
9 Likes
It’s hard to explain over text, and someone could probably explain it better than I could, but basically you can kinda see the raw aluminum “specks” if you look closely at the finish, and this can be more easily seen under light. It kinda looks like those metal light poles that hold up streetlights lmao. Here are two yoyos with this finish, Grail and Kuntosh.
And in this pic, the Grail on the left has the pyramatte, and the M10 on the right has a blast. You’ll notice it’s more of a “matte” finish on the M10, and you can’t see the raw aluminum underneath like you can on the Grail.
Yessir, you are correct. This person received them AT the contest, where they were being sold. Gonna get some more info on this.
7 Likes
There was a purple grail run before… and the color also pretty similar 
i guess the pyramatte and the cut are the best way to tell the originality.
And i have to say that the fake work is pretty clean… the cut, finish, anno. That’s crazy 
6 Likes
Gee, they came from China. Who’d a thunk it.
9 Likes
They wouldn’t come from anywhere else.
9 Likes
Not sure why people are so surprised at the relative quality? I know it’s often the case that not much care is taken when something is bootlegged, but quality cheap yoyos from China has been a thing for quite a while, as has been copying things.
7 Likes
Yep.
1 Like
I’m still thinking knockoff…
3 Likes
Looks to be an AR-T Grill
For real though, If I bought this I would have never known better or even thought twice about its authenticity.
Thanks for the info and detective work @SR1
5 Likes
Oh for SURE, you realistically can’t look at these in person and with a serious face try to claim otherwise. Especially considering the fact that these came with fake A-RT packaging (which I don’t have, but the seller claims to have gotten).
Yup! If I didn’t have a real Grail to compare it to I would’ve never realized until I had one to compare it to. And of course!
2 Likes
I somehow wouldn’t be surprised if the hunt for the infamous Frails created a demand that drove the price of the knockoff above the original.
But like, that would never actually happen right?..right?
6 Likes
the seller’s story seems sus’:
-
they bought 3 raw/clear grails for $250 at a contest in china (had to have been a year or more ago)
-
they were sold ‘on the down low’, but all came with art. why both?
-
the seller had them anodized and sold 2 of
them, never retained the artwork in this time (feasible, i guess)
the seller knows enough about yoyos, a-rt and contests to travel to china over a year ago, pick up three underpriced grails at a contest, bring them to the US, find an anodizer to have them anodized - plain purple - and then sell
them
unwittingly as real grails - but never mention any of the happenings… even prior to the sale…
neat story for sure
7 Likes