Sengoku Kenshin Review
Sengoku have really been on a roll since their beginning, making some of the highest quality bimetals (and even a trimetal). Julio has not been afraid to stake his company firmly on innovation; particularly in the use of new alloys not previously utilised by other yoyo companies. The Kenshin continues in the same vein, being the first yoyo made of 7068 and is also Julio’s first monometal.
In keeping with the tradition of naming his yoyos after powerful figures in Japan’s Sengoku period, it is named after Uesugi Kenshin. He was one of the most powerful lords and is chiefly remembered for his prowess on the battlefield but also for his honourable conduct, his military expertise and his long-standing rivalry with Takeda Shingen.
Specs:
Weight 63.7g
Diameter 56mm
Width 43mm
Gap Width: enough (not sure)
The design of the Kenshin is intentionally minimalistic. It is a no-nonsense V shape with thick rims and a stright transition down to a flat hub. Julio designs his yoyos to take full advantage of whatever alloy he uses and never compromises performance for aesthetics, so there aren’t any unnecessary steps, no IRG and no secondary floor.
Despite its sacrifice of fancy design for performance, the the richness of the colour is really deep and impressive. The laser engravings also pop out boldly and look very clean. For such a hard material, 7068 appears to anodise as well as 6061, at least with solids. As well as solid colours, it will be released in some very cool acidwash and splash colorways.
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The 7068 alloy used is the hardest aluminium alloy avaliable. Its properties even exceed some steels. Julio has taken advantage of this alloy by giving the Kenshin very thick rims and thin walls. It stands up very, very well to hits from the floor or other objects. I love my yoyos to have this kind of durability.
The Kenshin has a center trac bearing installed with Sengoku’s own Katana pad. A reliable combination, although the bearing has the typical gritty sound that I find all of my center tracs have. It doesn’t bother me at all though.
The performance is top notch. It moves quickly with a lot of control, stays stable under stress and has a decent spin despite it being under 64g. It hand grinds exceptionally well, but h-grinds don’t last a particularly long time due to the generous engravings. It isn’t a yoyo that I’d describe as having much of a 'soulful ’ feeling, however you interpret it. In my opinion, 6061 has a kind of soft, elastic feeling on a throw, whereas this feels more cold and clinical. I realise that evaluation of this kind is very subjective, and as I said earlier, it performs very, very well. The Kenshin gives an overall impression that it is a tool created for maximum monometal performance. I like it a lot.
Sengoku’s Kenshin is another fine effort from Julio and will be a very attractive offering among high end monometals. I look forward to seeing what other yoyos Julio will produce from this exceptional alloy.
The Kenshin will be released mid April. Solid colours $98 and acid wash or splash $118.
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Anyways which one do u like better?