Ahh good to know.
Dang that makes a gorgeous purple when spinning.
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Pure Gold!!! wow! It´s a dream!!!
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Dang that’s some sweet Freehand!!! I see people in the video walking by and paying no mind to the fascinating display of mastery. I just don’t see how you can see that and not stop and stare in awe at how this is even possible.
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I think it’s a purely cultural issue. In the Western world, the yo-yo is primarily seen as a toy, a child’s game. Watching a teenager or an adult play with it is, for most people, like watching a poor idiot who never grew up (what did they say to Dale Oliver? “why don’t you get a real job!”). In Asia, however, particularly in Japan or China, if an adult plays with a yo-yo in the street, maybe an eighty-year-old man will stop to observe him and compliment him, because in their culture, nothing is more valuable than dedication and perfection; it’s much more valuable than the usefulness or “seriousness” of what you’re doing.
P.S. The Pure was Jon Rob’s signature yo-yo.
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The Shield is such an underrated throw - recessed response, bapezilla specs and a gorgeous finish. I really miss mine, but haven’t seen one for sale in years
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I lived in Germany for 3 years back in the 90’s so I do understand that, most people there didn’t interfere with others while out in public. It wasn’t viewed as not paying attention to others but rather respecting their right to go about their business without your interference.
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It’s the same thing here in Brazil—the same kind of judgment directed at those involved in the yoyo hobby/sport—although we do have a community here and have been making national championships every year since 2002 
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For a few years my father looked at me as if to say: “Never mind, I’ve given birth to a stupid son…” Now, after almost twenty years, he’s gotten used to it… but I don’t think his thinking has changed much… (it’s just his problem) 
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Definitely a problem just for him 
In my case, my parents always asked about the price of the yo-yos; when they realized I own yo-yos that cost more than a monthly minimum wage here in Brazil, they were “proud and angry” at the same time. Proud because I can afford to buy them, but angry because they wonder why I spend so much on a spinning chunk of anodized aluminum
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ILYY Josey-Ann !!! Want one so bad.
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Unfortunately, the Shield paid a heavy price for being an extremely innovative yo-yo, and precisely because of this, there were enormous expectations for it, which were largely disappointed—not because Jazz-yo didn’t create an object of the highest quality, but for purely construction reasons inherent to its unique features.
The owner of the Jazz-yo came from HICOO (and this says a lot about the quality).
The Shield was the first Chinese yo-yo made with Ergal (7075) aluminum; the first (and perhaps only) Chinese yo-yo to have a titanium axle (these first two features clearly show the “significant inspiration” from Oxygene’s Oxy 4, even though the axle doesn’t have an adjustable gap); the first yo-yo in history to be marketed with a full ceramic bearing, and I believe the only yo-yo ever made to date with a baked-ceramic powder coating.
In terms of shape and technical specifications, it is clearly “heavily inspired” by the Anti-yo Bapezilla.
It was produced in a limited run of 120 units, with an exclusive sale reserved for Yoyonation, and needless to say, it was the most anticipated yo-yo of its year, so much so that it sold out in minutes… but from the first reviews, it was literally panned without any ifs or buts, and this compromised its reputation and the desire to own or talk about it, to the point of becoming almost taboo.
What were the problems?
- The oven-baking process caused significant vibrations, even wobbling, on most of the units.
- The ceramic coating has a very aggressive finish that significantly wears out the strings, with the risk of breaking them (and related consequences) after just a few casts.
- The flat ceramic bearing was certainly very cool, but also of fairly poor quality and often had little spin.
What can I say about my used model? It’s mint and comes in its beautiful little box (like a Chinese tea box) with a magnetic closure and a black velvet interior.
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My model exhibits a very slight vibration, not visible to the naked eye but only by placing a finger on it while it spins… I was very lucky, but that didn’t happen to many others.
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Yes, it wore out the strings like crazy; after 4-5 casts, they were already ready to be thrown away. Luckily, I found an effective solution: I “polished” the potential contact area with denim (a piece of old jeans)… it’s impossible to see any difference compared to before, but now the strings no longer wear out.
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I replaced the bearing with a new full ceramic one, konkave, which at least helps with the previous point.
So, all things considered, with a lot of luck and a few tricks, my Shield is a very enjoyable, unique yo-yo that I’d never part with.
P.S. I said you have to hold it to understand what it is, because to the touch it feels like a yo-yo made of stone, and the ceramic coating also acts as a “thermal insulator.” When you pick it up in the winter, it never feels cold like any other metal yo-yo.
distant relatives
(Oxy 4 - The Shield - The End prelude)
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Looks fantastic and has some neat history!
Very cool
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They never told me anything about the financial aspect… I approached this world at thirty and now (alas) I’m fifty…
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