I understand the meaning of a yoyo being smooth if it has no vibe, but I’ve heard a lot of people using this term a lot. I feel like any yoyo I buy is perfectly smooth, so I’m not sure if there is another meaning to it now.
3 Likes
The yoyo that set the smoothness bar for me was the SK. I literally could not feel it spinning on the end of the string. Zero ‘fingernail vibe’ and zero string vibe. It blew my mind man, no joke. I could do a power throw and couldn’t feel it spinning at all. I could hear it, but often times I’d misjudge the power still left on the throw and when I would bind, it would come shooting back to my hand at lightning speed.
That, to me, defines a [perfectly] smooth yoyo
6 Likes
No, that’s a smoooove yoyo.
3 Likes
Seems reasonable. Do you factor sound into this as well? That is, a completely quiet yoyo when spinning?
2 Likes
It made a quiet whisper, like the whisper of a properly lubed yoyo.
I wouldn’t count sound as a qualitative factor of smoothness, no. Some yoyos are just louder than others, and vice versa
4 Likes
I think most of the yoyos made today are ridiculously smooth, at least the ones that make it to market. There was a time not too many years ago though that they were not. Sometimes different runs of the same yoyo would have different levels of smoothness. I’m not sure what’s changed but that seems to never happen in the current yoyo era. Maybe more are rejected in quality control?
4 Likes
Chinese manufacturing got really, really good in the last 8 years.
6 Likes
I agree with @codinghorror c3yoyodesign, magic yo-yo, Yoyoofficer are the best examples of them.
1 Like
As my overall throwing improves my yoyos seem to get better…it could be that my cussing and yelling at them causes them to fear me, hence less vibe. Amazing.
5 Likes
I think I’d narrow it down to the last 2-3 years. They advanced a ton compared to when I had protos made in 2013.
3 Likes
Give the yo-yo a hard throw. Place your fingernail on the rim, that’s how I do my testing. Most all yo-yos will feel smooth on the string or on a slower throw. But a good hard throw will separate the “smooth” imposters
6 Likes
Why couldn’t an American shop do the same quality? The best quality should be your goal but it’s sad you had to go overseas. It’s great that you will only put your name on the best quality you can find. Maybe a better American shop will come about.
2 Likes
I’m not sure if it’s the design adjustments as players learn toward wider, and more aggressive weight distribution, but the shops I’ve been using since 2012/13 haven’t been able to produce the same results anymore.
3 Likes