@DocPop mentioned a technique to get an extra string loop around the axle using just the yoyo string, and I’ve been playing around with it, and thought I’d share a short GIF demo of the technique. I definitely can’t take credit for thinking this up, but it’s been extremely useful to me in the last few days since I lost my string pick tools and haven’t taken the time to make a new one.
Sometimes the weight of the string is enough to interfere, so you might need to hold the string in your non-yoyo hand underneath the yoyo. It seems to be a combination of a sawing motion to get the yoyo-hand string behind/underneath the extra loop around the axle, and then pulling it against the side of the yoyo.
I’ve always just taken the yoyo apart. Its seems to much easier than a tool or method like this. Maybe some more experienced players can explain then problems with taking a yoyo apart. I realize there is always the chance for cross threading… Is that the biggest issue?
For me it’s an issue of time. It interrupts my flow to take the yoyo apart. With one of my yoyo, the bearing sits loosely in the bearing seat, and will easily fall out if I take it apart. I’ve used a piece of wire, a bamboo skewer with the point shaved down to be longer and smoother. I was surprised to find that to be one of the easiest string pick tools. I didn’t shave it down for that purpose, but it worked well.
I get a lot of axle knots and I don’t like taking Throws apart. Started using wooden toothpicks so I wouldn’t scratch the ano. Over the years I’ve discovered these Darning needles that my wife uses for knitting. The rubber tips keep them from poking me while in my pocket and give it some mass so its easy to find, I keep it in the little change pocket of my jeans, this one is an EDC that I’ve had now for over 1/2 the year.
Yeah, keeping a pick tool in the change pocket of my jeans is how I lost the last one. I also sometimes put a house keyring in there, and I think that the pick tool fell out at some point when I was getting that keyring out. I’ve also put them through the wash because I forgot to take it out at night, and I’ve gotten out of the habit of checking my pockets before putting my jeans in. That needle looks like a good option too, it’s really similar to the skewer I was using.
I have a couple of Ziplines pickers and an Aireric one. Super cheap and worth having. Definitely knot taking my yoyos apart every time I get an axle knot.
I love how Airetic sends one with every order. I have them all over the house; I can get an axle knot and grab a pick from almost any shelf, counter, drawer, basket in any room
I love it! I’ll have to give that a try. My pockets are already full of too many other random things I always just take my yoyos apart. If they cant be taken apart and put back together without getting vibey, I dont want them. I used to spend way too much time tuning yoyos and never taking them apart to get knots out.
