TMBR x UNKNOWN x Ed Haponik present: The EHKNOWN!

YoYoExpert Releases and Restocks
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The origins of the EH can be traced back to 2012 when Ed Haponik took a one year oath to throw only a single fixed-axle wooden yo-yo. It was a custom design from SPYY who sponsored him at the time. He completed this goal on 12/31/12 and documented his efforts on 365yoyotricks.com and in several of his clip videos.

Fast forward to 2019 and Ed is no longer sponsored by SPYY, but he’s still throwing down some of the best fixed axle tricks around via his Instagram page and inspiring a resurgence in fixed axle play!

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This year brings us a very special EH; The EHKNOWN! The idea started when Bryan at Unknown approached Colin at TMBR about a collaboration with ‘dark woods’ and Colin mentioned he had seen some cool stuff done with layered wood. Bryan loved the idea and knew that if Unknown ever did a wooden yo-yo he would like for it to be an EH, so they brought Ed into the mix and after some enthusiastic discussion Colin ordered the wood and got to prototyping!

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The EHKNOWN has a slightly different feel than previous EH models due to the density of the Plywood layering or SpectraPly , but it’s a beast of a player. The rims are a little chunkier and the lower density of the SpectraPly gives it a really nice feel in play. It has a fantastic level of response that just feels right with the lighter weight, but we’ll let Ed speak further on the performance.

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From Ed Haponik on the EHKNOWN performance: I would say that the lower density of the Spectraply makes it an almost ridiculously great moon-shooter/planet-hopper. And the walls/gap with the lower weight make it super easy to turn for my Varial tricks. Tricks like Makin da Zines which rely on the yo-yo responding quickly near the end of the string are easier on this version than any yet and I throw into stalls with a way lighter touch on it!

Releasing Thursday Sept 12th @ 8PM EDT.

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It says that the ehknown takes size C bearings. Does it actually have the option for unresponive bearing play? Or is it only fixed axle

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I suppose you could GLUE a size C bearing to it, but otherwise… definitely fixed wooden axle!

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Haha. I’m sure @YoYoExpertGarrett will fix that.

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Don’t miss this one, definitely one of my all time favourites!!! @edhaponik loved hanging with you at worlds!!!

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Thanks brother! So glad I got to hang w you. Never had danker French toast!

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Must’ve been made in Canada eh?

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Over a half a century ago; when I was in the 8th grade; I had a typing class. I was a pretty hard core individual at the time. Most everybody in the neighborhood; had to be deranged just to deal with the gangsters.

The last thing I thought I needed was a typing class. I thought a wood class would be much better because I could make some kind of defensive pain generator.

The typing teacher confronted me and told me straight up, ‘You need to challenge yourself to actually learn something. You will never get an ‘A’ in this class. But I will make you a deal. You come to class every day; on time; and try to learn how to type. If you can do 47 words with no more than one mistake; I will give you a ‘B’.

She said, ‘everything you learn will come to serve you sometime later in life.

Many years later; I set up a computer for the kids. A Compac Presario pentium 200 mmx. I never messed with a computer before that day. Once it was up and going; I sat there and started typing all sorts of stuff; while watching the monitor(not the keyboard).

Suddenly; I realized that I was being watched. So I turn around and notice: Karen, Bryan and Kelly; all looking over my shoulders.

I asked what was up?

Bryan said you are typing🙀

And I said, ‘What is so fascinating about that’?

He said, ‘You are using all your fingers and you are not looking down at the keyboard’:flushed:

…And I remembered that typing teacher. Telling me that everything you learn will come to serve you.

My remedial typing skills were etched into my mind; but up until that moment; I did not know.

Abstract story; I know. But there is a lesson that can be related…

Ed never planned on being an amazingly good fixed axle player.

But being a ‘Teacher’; Ed fully understands how knowledge opens doors and aids in dealing with larger problems; as life goes on.

Ed has determination second to none. As in his Teaching and his Martial arts endeavors; Ed knows that quality efforts more often to not; lead to positive results.

Once Ed achieved a certain level of fixed axle skills; that fuel fed the fire that has turned him into a Fixed Axle Beast.

The Ehknown; is obviously a perfect example of everybody involved in this project; did their homework.

And if Ed is happy with it; you know it’s a player.

It looks beautiful.

PS; I typed this post using all fingers and not looking down at the keyboard.

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Adam usually does the yo-yo specs, but he was out sick yesterday aaaaaaand I forgot. :man_facepalming: It definitely does not take a size C bearing, I’ll update the specs today.

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That went as fast as I thought it would. Can’t believe I snagged one.

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Sadness. It hadn’t even hit 8:01 and I didn’t get one.

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Looked like there was only 15 of them. Sorry you weren’t able to snag one. I was honestly expecting mine to error out and tell me they were already gone.

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Wow, that was a fast sellout. @edhaponik, get Colin back on the lathe!

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Unbelievable. I’ve waited two weeks for this thing. I watched the countdown and when it hit zero there were 15 available. I put one in my basket and immediately went to pay. When the transaction returned from PayPal, it said they were sold out and my basket was updated with NO EHKNOWN IN IT. This reminds me of the good ol’ YoYoNation days. What’s up with the P.O.S. (in all senses of that term) systems that allow you to put something in your basket and then take it back out? Can’t you have a countdown timer to pay like ticket vendors do (if it’s that important)? At any rate, I’m fed up. This was part of the reason I got disillusioned with the scene before, all this nutty retail craziness. I kinda thought all that was tempered somewhat, but I was wrong.

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Three beers in, thought I would check it out… like gone man.
I feel like I should mark the occasion by throwing my no jive, those new throws are absolutely beautiful, but they don’t come loaded with a all the tricks, and I think in my case it would just be pearls before swine anyways…
Congrats to all the folks that scored one, but now it’s on you alls to learn all those crazy tricks!

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I’m not gonna go that far but I’m pissed. Only 15 grand total is :dog2: :poop:. I had three alarms set, I waited for this damn drop since before I even knew it would be an unknown which isn’t even the appeal to me to be honest. A spectraply eH in any color is my kind of Yo-yo.
I’m gonna buy a fancy milk frother and one of those toilet seats that squirts your butt with water after you use the can. Those should help me get over it.

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To be fair, this was an EXTREMELY limited run of handmade yoyos. There weren’t ever going to be very many of them available. Does it suck to not get one? Yes, it sure does. But that’s kind the way it goes sometimes with limited supply items. Most online stores let you have something in your basket but the stock check isn’t finalized until checkout. I got screwed out of a bike part the other week that was in stock when it went into my cart and out of stock by the time I went to checkout. Asking Andre to set up a “ticket countdown” style plugin for this sort of thing seems a little excessive. Most yoyo drops have far more stock in hand and simply don’t require that complexity.

Again, I totally get the frustration. Anyone who has been playing/collecting for more than a minute has missed out on a throw they wanted. So I feel you there. But honestly, I’d start bugging Ed and Colin and see if they would make another run of them. Seems like the demand is out there…

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Is that a butt frother??

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Thanks for reminding me I need to buy a bidet. Sometimes we all need that extra kind of clean.

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I really don’t care about another run. What I do care about is “[m]ost online stores let you have something in your basket but the stock check isn’t finalized until checkout.” THAT’S what’s broken. I had PayPal nattering at me about completing the transaction with YoYoExpert after the point-of-sale had cleared my basket. WTF?! And is it really so complex to add a checkout countdown when you know you have a limited run and are pretty sure things will move fast? I mean, they thought enough to add a drop countdown, so they must have been pretty sure there would be demand.

Look, I made all of these points long ago on the YoYoNation forums when this happened to me repeatedly (although I never saw a basket snatch after PayPal returned, that’s new), and I might as well have been talking to a wall. I just thought things had gotten better, silly me.