Vs. Newton YoYo Concepts' Battosai: One Solid Swordsman!

Vs. Newton YoYo Concepts’ Battosai: One Solid Swordsman
Specs
Diameter: 51.1mm
Width: 40mm
Weight: 65.5g
Gap: 4.1mm
Silicone Response
C bearing

I received my first Battosai some weeks ago but I really haven’t gotten to throw it much until recently and I must say that I’m impressed with both the performance and quality of this yoyo. But let’s start from the beginning.

The Battosai comes in a sticker-labeled, white box that is an upgrade from the hand-labeled carboard box of the Sky Walker. Although packaging is certainly not the most important thing to consider when purchasing or designing a yoyo, it’s always nice when a manufacturer makes an effort to provide a visually appealing box to keep the yoyo safe in and this is most definitely the case with the Battosai. In the box, you get the yoyo (of course) but also multiple strings as opposed to the usual single string that most other companies include. This allows the player more variety with their initial set up of the Battosai.

Once the Battosai is strung up and ready to go, the next logical discussion point is how the yoyo feels in the hand. The Battosai is H-Shaped (a less lethal Noctu, according to heath) and undersized so it really sits well between the middle finger and palm, allowing the index and ring fingers to rest evenly on the rounded rims. If you like H-Shapes (specifically the Fury, Noctu, or NVX) you will really enjoy the shape of the Battosai. Coating-wise, the Battosai is bead blasted and anodized in a gunmetal grey contrasted with a blood red splash, paying homage to the yoyo’s namesake, Battosai, the Man-Slayer. The blasting is just a smidgen to rough around the catch zone and may cause string snapping once or twice until you break in the blasting around that area. To avoid this, I recommend using a mild abrasive such as an old sock or pair of jeans to rub down the catch zone before giving this bad boy a throw.

Before you throw the Battosai, you want to know what’s under the hood, right? Well, once you unscrew the Battosai, you’ll see a 10-Ball bearing and some quality silicone work. Once again, a step in the right direction from the inconsistent silicone jobs in the Sky Walker (Hat’s off to VsNYYC for improving quality with each new release!). The silicone is a bit grabby at first, but after you break it in it becomes the perfect response system, giving great binds when you want them and keeping the yoyo at the end of the string when you don’t.

I’ve talked about the aesthetics of the Battosai, as well as the guts, but I know you’re dying to know how this thing plays, so lets move on and get down to business! In a word, the Battosai is “Solid”. It feels quite heavy for it’s size and is incredibly stable. I know when some people see the word ‘heavy’ they tend to shy away but in this case, the heft of the Battosai is really due to the distribution of weight and not the intrinsic weight of the yoyo. The Battosai weighs in at a modest 65.5g and that weight is arranged in such a way that the Battosai fells heavy, yes, but it plays super fast and spins for as long as you’ll need to pull of your longest combos. What’s really interesting is that the Battosai weighs the SAME as the Sky Walker and the two play completely differently: The Battosai is heavy and solid whereas the Sky Walker is light and floaty. Heath from VsNYYC is truly a genius when it comes to weight distribution, showing us that it’s not the weight of the yoyo that matters but how it’s distributed that really counts. In the case of the Battosai, the weight distribution lends itself well to the small size of the yoyo and allows for fast and accurate play.

A distinguishing feature of the Battosai is its IRG area. The Battosai has a really steep IRG area allowing for consistent landing of the yoyo on the thumb as well as long grind times. The Battosai’s H-Shape also allows for great grinds on the index finger since the yoyos shape naturally hugs the contour of the finger so it remains centered and stable. So, if you’re looking for a great grinding yoyo, the Battosai may just be the one for you. And at 4.1mm, the Battosai’s gap is a great size and allows for multiple string wraps with ease. Coupled with the excellent response system, you’ll never end up with a mid-combo knuckle sandwich.

In short, the Battosai is an excellent yoyo and another home run for Heath and Vs. Newton YoYo Concepts. Improving on the success of the Sky Walker, Vs. Newton once again delivers a quality product that is sure to please once the production run hits stores soon!