YYE should be stocking this string shortly, according to reliable sources. As requested, here’s my opinion on the string and why it’s my current go-to.
After trying all kinds of premium string 10-packs and enjoying a great many of them, I decided that overall I wanted to find a string that I could just grab from a was of strings that I could depend on. Having gone through Kitty Normal and Kitty Fat, I wanted to try something “different”. My “boutique” experiences had caused me to start leaning towards a slightly rougher string.
Based on recommendations, I went for the sOMEThING type-2. Here’s how it stacks up, using primarily Kitty string as a comparison tool.
Description from the Cavernous Web:
Construction:
Stiffer and rougher than Kitty, but not so stiff and rough as some of the full-nylon strings I’ve used. This added stiffness makes loops nice and open, and in my opinion gives binds the right amount of “grab”. If you’ve played Kitty 1.5, the roughness level is similar.
Type-2 was marked by one retailer as “100% poly”, but the description above shows that’s probably not true. One fan tells me it’s a special nylon (ie 100% nylon) that has a near-poly feel to it, which makes sense. I’m more inclined to believe that it’s a mix of poly and nylon, but there’s no colour differentiation between individual threads that would lend credibility to that gut feeling. In the absence of other information, I’ll go with the “fan” and say it could be 100% nylon, but one that feels an awful lot like hybrid.
Thickness:
A little bit thicker than normal Kitty. Doesn’t feel particularly “fat”, but it has enough density to it for some decent whips.
String Burn Factor:
Probably slightly more likely to get string burn than with standard poly or Kitty. But it’s nothing to tremble in fear from.
Whips and Slacks:
“Good”? “Bad”? I don’t know how to qualify whips so I won’t bother with those terms. I will say this: I have no problem hitting hooks… people who can already do fast whips easily with normal string will find this gives them a bit of a boost; people who struggle with whips won’t find that this instantly gets them whip speed satisfaction the way a Toxic Base or Epic Lightning Bolts would.
Me, I am more interested in slower and more deliberate slacks than fast whips. Type-2 isn’t as languid as Kitty Normal, but in my opinion they are more easily controlled. Not claiming to have a repertoire of amazing slack tricks, but for example if you want to do a slow, showy and flowy Jade Whip, satisfaction is guaranteed.
Tension:
Truthfully, middle of the road. At first, on the “bad” side, but after a mere 10 combos or so, it finds its zone. Type-2 doesn’t seem to become a twisted mess very quickly (until they’re old), but you definitely have to adjust just like any other string. No magic here. Pretty much on par with any Kitty I’ve tried, but not better.
Durability:
No miracle here, but I find that I play them in their “optimal zone” (not to the point of being crappy) about 1.5 to 2 times longer than Kitty. Then the tension problems start and the texture starts to get kind of “meh”.
The colour does seem to stay bright longer than other strings I’ve tried. Maybe it just seems that way because the orange I picked is a traffic-cone orange that was so bright that incremental loss isn’t noticeable. Or maybe it holds its colour better. No complaints here!
Softness:
As mentioned before, I like them BECAUSE they are a bit rougher than standard poly. That said, after a solid session of play, they break in a bit and become that much closer to standard poly feel. Which is good if you like it to play softer during the bulk of its life. I do find I start to miss the stiff feel, though, so I change strings more frequently than I need to.
Length:
They come pre-tied at a length that is about the same as a Kitty that you haven’t fussed over. In other words, if you were super meticulous about getting the maximum out of a Kitty, I think the Kitty would end up a bit longer. But if you tie your knot “kind of near to the end” so that you don’t have to fuss so much, it’s about the same. My measuring tape gives Type-2 a stretched length of 48" and my non-fussy stretched Kitty Normal also 48". Should be able to get another 1-1.5" out of the Kitty.
I find the length a bit long, but rather than cutting the loop, I put an extra loop around my finger in Mason’s “safety harness” technique, which shortens it to the perfect length for me.
Value and Conclusion:
The only caveat here is that if you don’t like stiffness AT ALL or have a loathing of the feel of nylon strings in general… you probably want to give it a pass. Whether it’s nylon or not is a mystery to me, but it definitely has some of the same characteristics, which is enough.
For me, though? 100% will buy again. No, it’s not the tension management miracle we sometimes hope for. And no, it won’t last as long as certain premium strings. But it’s sold at slightly more than bulk string prices for what I consider to be a more than “slight” improvement in things I look for in a string. It’s value for money as a 100ct string, for sure. Bright colours, perfect length, nice low-medium stiffness for much of its life, and a bit more durability (maybe a “lot” more if you run your strings into the ground? I couldn’t say!) than you normally expect from a bulk string.
So an unanswered question…
Why is it my current go-to?
There’s something satisfying about having one particular brand/model of string that you can just depend on. You know its strengths, you know its shortcomings (which are hopefully fewer, and in this case, definitely fewer!), and you can predict the experience you will have with that string. Otherwise it’s an endless mess of matching string to yoyo and it doesn’t always work out… plus if you run out of your 10-pack of premium string, that’s a drag. Type-2 seems to work in all but the thinnest-gapped of my yoyos.
Type-2 also retains a “familiarity”… you’re not out in “weird zone” the way you are with some strings. I don’t find myself wishing I was reaching for one of my “premium” strings instead of Type-2. I am glad to loop a new one onto a yoyo.
Now if only they came in neon green as well… (the other choice is neon yellow).
For you, the speed is what makes the whip good. Fast == “good”, Slow == “bad”.
I could just huck’em on. Since they’re more or less the same length, the heavier one would be the one that whips faster.