Pulsefire Ti - A case for simplicity in design

[center]Pulsefire Ti

It has been nearly 2 months since I unpackaged this yoyo and threw it for the first time. Since then, I’ve barely even thrown the rest of my collection. Even among other super premiums like the Draupnir, the Anglam, and the Palpitation, the Pulsefire Ti manages to stand out.

Intro

The Pulsefire line of yoyos is one that pushes a single design philosophy: no nonsense performance. The designer, Tyler Hsieh, wanted to make a yoyo that could handle anything without featuring anything extra. There is no fancy anodizing, there isn’t an eccentric design, there is no art on the box… there isn’t even a box! They come in a small velvet pouch. Everything that goes into these yoyos is there to make the yoyo perform and thats it. With tweaks for a new material, the Pulsefire Ti manages to improve upon the past design while sticking to the core of what the Pulsefire is.

Specifications

Diameter: 55.5mm
Width: 44mm
Gap Width: 4.75mm
Weight: 64 grams
Response System: IrPads, YoyoRecreation size
Bearing: Trifecta Stainless Steel


Construction

The Pulsefire Ti is, as its name would suggest, made of titanium. The machining is surprisingly high quality and the vibe is comparable to a new YoyoRecreation. It isn’t as smooth as say, a new Turning Point, but I don’t think anyone would claim it has vibe. Smooth as silk. As far as the material use, titanium is excellent and provides a lot of advantages over aluminum. Durability being my favorite. Things that may result in dings on an aluminum yoyo often result in nothing on a titanium and the yoyo will continue to work like new for a very long time. On the downside, most titanium yoyos (like this one) are going to be released raw. This can result in “raw marks”, micro scratching, and some tarnishing over time. All of this is easily remedied with a polishing compound but it is added maintenance.


Play

This yoyo plays phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. Its 64 gram weight is on the lower end of most yoyos released these days, but is not at all detrimental to spin time. It is light on the string, easily sped up or slowed down, and very responsive to user input. This yoyo has a very powerful spin and even after long combos provides tight, reassuring binds that rocket back to your hand. It is more stable than it has any right to be at 64 grams and can handle anything you decide to throw at it with ease… often mocking your decision to bind with a hard return. As far as an objective spin time goes, here is my first test with a stock bearing.


…okay

Aesthetics

The Pulsefire Ti is not a gorgeous yoyo. There isn’t fancy lasering, there isn’t titanium rainbow anodizing, the design isn’t at all eye catching. Its just a yoyo. If you’re okay with your yoyo not being pretty, you’ll love this thing. If you’re not, it probably isn’t for you. I find character in its simplicity and it appeals to me. Others may not enjoy it.


Conclusions

If you’d like a yoyo that can outplay you for the rest of your life, be on the market for the Pulsefire Ti. If you want something pretty, maybe you should ignore it. Either way, this is a competition beast that I think everyone should have the pleasure of throwing at least once.

I think it is beautiful. It has an “industrial” look if you ask me.

Beautiful review!! I enjoyed it very much, and the yoyo sounds like an amazing feat. Too bad you didn’t mention any sort of price, but that’s probably a good thing since it would make most people’s wallets have a heart attack. And a 10 min sleeper is also amazing, what bearing did it come with? Or was it just some stock Japanese bearing?

I don’t actually know what the retail run will be priced at otherwise I would have included it. If past yoyos from the Pulsefire line are any indication, it should be priced very fairly. I mean the original was 7075 aluminum, blasted, anodized, and had the same bearing and irpads… for $55. So it definitely won’t be anything crazy.

I guess that’s true, they might be able to pull of a cheap ti yoyo. But when I hear “Titanium” it usually means mega dollars. YYR’s new ti (600$!!) :stuck_out_tongue: , and Oxy’s not cheap yoyo’s are what I think of when I hear “Titanium”.

I asked. The price should be about $200-215. Expensive… but not mega dollars.

step 1: make a v shape yoyo with low total weight and high rim weight
step 2: profit

Dude, this isnt all that simple…
I have a 7075 one, and also own a draupnir; sometime I hesitate to pick up the Draupnir, and throw the pulsefire instead :slight_smile: