The Ti-Vayder Experience

:mega: GOOD NEWS! Heath announced that he’s OK with this project as a collaboration, and posted his review of the Ti-Vayder. Manufacturing is complete, and the release has occurred at the website with the same name as the yo-yo. Orders are now shipping daily.

If you’ve heard of the legendary VsNYYC Ti-Walker, you know that a lot of people consider it one of the best – if not the best – yo-yos ever made.


(photo courtesy @jasonwongzero)

Released in February 2011, it was definitely a design far ahead of its time. But the bad news, for you, is that less than 100 of these were ever made … something that Heath, the founder of VsNYYC, regretted in 2012:

For most yo-yoers the idea of getting a Ti-Walker was, and is, an unobtainable dream.

That is … until today.

I borrowed a Ti-Walker, digitally measured and digitally weighed it (these pics courtesy yoyodoc, whose figures match my own)

and then sent each half to two different 3D scanning companies to produce extremely accurate 3D scans of the Ti-Walker.

Measurement Scan 1 Scan 2 Units
Width 20.307 20.594 mm
Diameter 53.352 53.271 mm
Weight 30.205 30.433 g
Moment 14,160 14,240 g mm2

With the help of @MarkD who has experience manufacturing yo-yos, we worked through creating a millimeter accurate composite of both halves with FPM (Fenghuida Precision Manufacturing Co). You may know FPM as YoyoFriends, who created the Hummingbird.

We’ve been meticulous and demanding in being as faithful as possible to the timeless magic of Heath’s original Ti-Walker design … with two exceptions recommended by @chaosgow:

  1. Gap widened to a modern 4.5mm.

  2. Response area changed to standard 19mm slim silicone sticker pads.

I received three prototypes today, so the project can now officially be launched.

I am proud to present to you, a trip to the dark side of yo-yo manufacturing… the natural titanium foil to the Ti-Walker…

The Ti-Vayder

Manufacturing begins as soon as these prototypes get a bit of testing, and this is a big run – some say it’s the biggest run of a Titanium yo-yo they’ve ever heard of – to be available at a surprisingly low price, so everyone can get a chance to enjoy the magic of this legendary yoyo, with adjustments for modern standards of play.

Let’s begin with a poll – if I said I would give one of these to you for free, so it doesn’t cost you anything, which color would you pick? This will help me determine manufacturing allocations for each colorway.

  • Dark Side (black)
  • Light Side (grey)
  • Raw
0 voters

UPDATE: Based on polling, the final release will be available in these colorway allocations with these specific engraved numbers:

  • 135 raw (1 - 135)
  • 200 grey (136 - 335)
  • 165 black (336 - 500)

Price is $140, available at the website with the same name as the yo-yo.

I also need someone to record a short series of trick videos with the yo-yo to feature on the webpage we’ll set up for it.

Keep your :eyes: on this space for further updates!

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MegaHYPE!!

Bro, put me down for one without question or reserve.

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That poll needs to be multiple-choice! I would probably buy both the raw and the black.

Making me choose only one is so unfair…! :scream:

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finally :heart_eyes::heart_eyes::heart_eyes:

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Making changes–even relatively minor ones–to it is actually kind of brilliant.

  1. It guarantees that it won’t de-value the original or threaten its near-mythic status.
  2. It brings it up to modern standards with regard to gap and response.
  3. It makes having both worthwhile.

Of course, I predict that owners of the original will dismiss it with statements like “It’s good, but the original is way better.” Even if a double-blind test demonstrated a general inability to tell them apart, there will be those who say it doesn’t capture the “magic” of the original. It is simply human nature.

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This looks really great!

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All for it 100%. Awesome to here especially being affordable! I’ve officially been hyped!

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TAKE. MY. MONEY.

Will probably be my first Ti. Haven’t bought a new yoyo in a minute

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TK-72569 reporting for HYPE!

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Was fully expecting a $300 price tag but now I’m excited :hushed::thinking:

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Too bad I have no money for it :sneezing_face:. One day

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I could buy Marmalade from you… I do need a :cat:

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Over my corpse

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You know I’m joking

Sorta :rofl:

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WHAT!? The wait is over, hope I will have the money.

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I just tucked $$ away into an envelope. Im ready to pay today. Putting it away in an envelope ensures that when time comes, I already am ready already.

Yussss <3

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Oh em gee… I think a trip to da bay is in order.

@codinghorror you’re an evil genious arnt ya. Minus the evil part.

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HHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYPPPPPPPPPPPPPEEEEEEEEEEEEE! !

(Discourse asked me if this is a real sentence :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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A few more questions:

  1. Does this have Heath’s blessing? Is he involved in any way?
  2. Who is underwriting this endeavor? The capital required to pump out “a lot” of titanium throws at an unusually low price is pretty substantial. So who are the investment partners in this venture?
  3. Will it be available for purchase through YYE?
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I’ve tried contacting him a few times over the last ~6 months, both directly and through intermediaries, with no response. @HVizier you out there man?

Moi. I am man of means.

This will be a charity release (any profits will go to http://purpleyoyo.org/), so it’ll be sold directly from a webpage using a fulfillment service, probably https://www.blackbox.cool/.

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