KWOAS taught me how to split bottom mount and Mach 5 all those years ago, jah bless!
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It’s a great time to be throwing, just wish live stors had actually good yo-yos instead of the Duncan butterflies and the occasional fast 201…
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Wondering what y’all are thinking about this now, a lot has happened since February.
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i agree the Yo-yoing community is really really welcoming and contains some extremely nice people and so it’s very easy to get hooked on Yo-yoing and it’s very fun and easy to learn tricks when you have nice people teaching
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I think the biggest thing has been Evan leaving the competitive scene. He’s been such a dominant player, at least here in the US, that his exit definitely leaves a void to be filled. I think Gentry’s stepping up esp off of his win at World’s but I’m also interested to see if any new or overshadowed competitors get a new share of the limelight.
From my limited (consumer) vantage point, the industry seems to be much the same as @unklesteve summarized back in January. It’s awesome as a consumer with tons of high quality throws available on the cheap, but I imagine it’s no easier rn for companies to survive. I think that if/when the looming recession hits, we might see some of these smaller companies go on a temporary or permanent hiatus as consumer spending plummets.
7068 aluminum continues to be popular and I’m curious to see if it’s a fad or if continues to be as common/prevalent as it is now. IMO I can definitely see it continuing in its niche in bimetal construction but I’m curious if we’ll continue to see it in monometal construction.
As for the community, I’m happy that there hasn’t been too much drama since SwirlyGate. I get that there are opinions and hurt parties in things like that but IMO those don’t really add to the sport/hobby.
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Now it’s entirely possible I’m missing something because I haven’t followed yoyoing for years up until Earl at this year, but is Evan leaving really that significant to the scene? He only had 2 nats wins and one worlds. And not a huge amount of really high placements besides that. Isn’t it a bigger deal that Takeshi has stopped competing?
Im also curious how the market will play out over the next few years. I’m definitely not as negative about smaller brands as I was right when I was starting back up, and I know there are more knowledgeable people than myself that aren’t worried, but I don’t see a lot of the boutique brands being around long term. Even assuming there’s enough money to go around (which I’m unsure of, but we live in a time where tons of more niche hobby markets are thriving) having a full time job and family and making yo-yos and having the responsibilities that go along with that seems like a lot.
Regarding 7068 I don’t have strong feelings when it comes to monometals but I actually like 6061 more for bimetals. Since it can’t be as thin it means the weight isn’t quite as heavily concentrated on the rims as with 7068. The 7068 rim bimetals I’ve tried more often than not feel bricky/ overly heavy because so much of the weight is concentrated on the rims. I feel like 6061 helps mitigate that a little. I could be wrong and it’s definitely a small sample size that I’ve used.
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It might be a product of when I entered the hobby a couple of years ago. IMO Evan’s been pretty influential in the US scene these past couple of years not just as a competitor but also building his Edge brand. I know Takeshi is a legendary player but I haven’t been as exposed to him as I have to US players.
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Going to add to this thought a little.
While I’m not as down on the small companies as I was initially, there are small brands, and then there are tiny brands really amount to someone’s life side project.
I get that there’s clearly a market for these tiny brands, but these companies that are so small that they need to crowdfund every release or have such small runs that they sell out in 30 seconds on their site will never be appealing to me.
I shouldn’t have to be forced to make a decision about whether or not I want a product before it even comes out. If my only option to get a recent/new release is BST it’s not a good look to me. If you’re yo-yos sell out instantly every time make more. But they won’t because this is part of what builds the hype. Selling out quickly every drop builds up the allure, and if only the people that really, really want the yo-yos ever get to try them, you’re not going to see much negative feedback on them.
And this isn’t saying these brands shouldn’t exist or don’t make incredible yo-yos, just that I’m not a fan.
I also still stand by the idea that if you’re not wanting to spend a ton of money on yo-yos but still want high end stuff, there’s absolutely no reason to buy company A’s rim weighted v shape bimetal for 100$ over company B’s with almost identical specs that goes for 75$. And if company C has one that also sells for 75$ but only makes one run of each yo-yo they make and moves on, stick with Company B. You never know when you’ll need a replacement or if you’ll want a second because it becomes your favorite throw.
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In many cases, the $25 difference is partially accounted for by the superior QC that is applied. In addition, I know that Chinese machining has dramatically improved lately, but I still don’t know that many players who think that it consistently produces better yoyos than domestic machining such as One Drop. Lastly, there is the brand reputation that you are paying for (whether deserved or not). Some folks don’t believe in paying for that, others do. 
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Oh, and there’s the added cost of bringing a new design to market. All those me-too companies only sell proven designs that are, in many cases, years old and not exactly on the bleeding edge. They save a lot of money by not taking any creative chances…
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Yoyo factory in particular has done more than almost any other company to advance yo-yo design, and Duncan is far from a me too brand.
And this isn’t in comparison to like TopYo or MagicYoyo, this is like 2Sick or Good Life vs Duncan and YYF.
As someone who has paid for those more expensive yo-yos as well as the less expensive ones, regardless of the reasons for the price discrepancy, it really doesn’t reflect any difference in quality.
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Also wanted to point out that I qualified what I was saying. I didn’t say it’s pointless for everyone, just people with this mindset.
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I’m honestly with you on that. I hold up Duncan’s 2019 bimetal lineup being consistent priced at sub-$100 as the poster child of this. I think I own all of them aside from the Tourney and they’ve all been smooth and blemish-free. Think the most I’ve had to do was swap a couple of bearings.
How are we measuring consistency here? Because most of the high end, boutique throws that are expected to be perfect out of the box are coming from offshore shops like FPM and YoYoEmpire. I don’t think I’ve heard anything bad about the overall quality or QC of YoYoFriends, YoYoRecreation, G2, or any other high-end brand that uses overseas shops.
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So I know I saw you compare the Orbital to the Grasshopper recently, can you compare the Barracuda X and Grasshopper GTX as well?
I tried the Grasshopper recently and it was one of those things were I just immediately wanted one. Definitely at the top of my list once I complete my Wangle set. The Cuda seems a little narrow though and the rims are a bit chunkier so it seems like it might feel too heavy in play for me.
I tried an ND and was not a fan. Just lacked power and stability. I don’t need those traits to be maxed out but it was just immediately noticeable. @zslane you wouldn’t like it.
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I can’t compare anything with the Barracuda X since I’ve never tried one.
I actually kinda like the ND (I own two), including how light it feels on the string. But I agree that it isn’t a super-stable powerhouse. I would be as likely to pick it up and throw it around as any of my Shutters, which isn’t that often to be perfectly honest. Still, I’ve played other monometals in the same price range that I found more disappointing.
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Oh sorry the initial question was for @nonja121.
And I was basing my comment on the ND on your preference for more powerful and stable stuff. I wasn’t super surprised that it felt that way, even in pics it doesn’t look like there’s a whole lot of rim weight.
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You might like the BiND. The weight ring really makes it feel a lot more stable than the ND.
Threw the Barracuda X and Grasshopper GTX around a little bit during my lunch break today. In terms of dimensions, they’re rather similar with the Barracuda X being a hair smaller. The Grasshopper GTX is ever so slightly wider but not by much. Catch zone is a touch more narrow on the Barracuda X because of it’s more H shape. SS rings are also a bit wider than the Grasshopper GTX but not as extreme as the Orbital GTX, though the overall rim size is chonkier. The Barracuda X is also almost 2g lighter and made out of 7075 aluminum while the heavier Grasshopper GTX is 6061.
In play, the Barracuda X is zippier because of the light weight. It also feels a lot more rim weighted than the Grasshopper GTX. I think the walls are thinner and with the chonky rims, the rim weight gets pronounced more. IMO it’s not too rim weighted but definitely more so than the Grasshopper GTX. It doesn’t quite hold on to momentum as much as the Grasshopper GTX but it doesn’t just sit there waiting for you like the Orbital GTX.
Tbh I find it my least favorite of the current Duncan lineup. It’s still a great throw but I prefer the Orbital GTX’s control and the Grasshopper GTX’s weight and feel over it. I actually even prefer the Yoshicuda X slightly though they’re very similar IMO.
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Thanks dude. I honestly thought that the rim weight might be more pronounced considering the slightly narrower body and the fact that it’s 7075 compared to 6061 on the grasshopper. That’s been my experience with bimetals so far, I think the thinner walls that 7068/7075 allow mean that more of the weight gets concentrated on the rims.
I appreciate rim weight and what it provides but I find it too much is concentrated on the rims it makes yo-yos feel too solid for my liking. Even if they aren’t less mobile the feeling they have makes my brain process them like they are. Like I still haven’t adjusted to the Vayder being more stable than its feeling in play suggests. Just a mental disconnect.
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