It seems like most competitive players use it as well as many forum members here. My question is why? I get that it is cheaper than most of the boutique stuff, but it doesn’t last long and frays really quickly in comparison, so the value is not even comparable when it comes to number of strings/cost ratio. All opinions appreciated.
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It initially frays quickly sure, but in my experience that doesn’t hinder the play at all. It holds tension well and is very consistent which are the two most important factors for me. I’d say I get 2-3 days worth of play out of one Kitty FC string. That’s enough for me. With boutique strings, especially markmonts and airetics, I’ve had over a year of life out of them. A problem with them though is that they just require regular washing, and that’s just maintenance time I don’t feel like putting in. Plus the play and feel of the string definitely change after the first wash. Not in a bad way but definitely different.
With other boutique string manufacturers I’ve noticed that a lot of batches can be inconsistent in how tightly they’re wound, and this actively affects both the feel and play of the string. It’s 95% the same but the difference is enough to be noticeable.
I’d say it really just comes down to wanting a consistent product with minimal maintenance, you can always pull a string out of the bag, and you know it’s going to play exactly how you expect. You won’t get a product that feels as good or lasts as long, but you’re getting something a lot more consistent, that you can pull a new one out of the bag and after 10-15 minutes you know exactly how the string plays.
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im right there with you…
ive only been throwing a year and have tried just about every string out there from bulk to really really small boutique string.
i think if you are the type of person that changes out your string every day or more than once a day then it sort of makes sense to use bulk string. my issue with it is it frays up to fast and doesnt hold torsion as well. after a day or so of throwing its done.
i personally like to have a wide variety of string so that i can match the yoyo to the string. not color wise but thickness and feel.
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Bulk string is all I’ve ever used. Prices is right and it does the job. Parts is parts… 
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“With other boutique string manufacturers I’ve noticed that a lot of batches can be inconsistent in how tightly they’re wound, and this actively affects both the feel and play of the string. It’s 95% the same but the difference is enough to be noticeable.”
Before I started, I was aware of this about boutique strings at the time. It was what drove me to come up with a couple of tricks to make things super repeatable so everything would be the same, batch to batch and string to string. I was conscious of wanting to make a “lab grade” string, and then the lightbulb went on for the YoYoStringLab name. It was funny at the time, since some makers were suggesting that they were tuning each string to be custom (like they were making a Stradivarius violin or something). WAIT, maybe I should make some inconsistent string and call it Stradivarius String! “When you really want to play, choose Stradivarius String!” “Tune up your throw with Stradivarius String.” “They’ll be wanting an encore with Stradivarius String.” 
[Thanks Mable. I’ve been holding that in for at least a decade, lol. I feel much better now.]
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The thing is that nylon string makes a lot of more advanced tricks extremely inconsistent down to the point of them being almost impossible to execute to an acceptable level of consistency.
Thats why literally no competitive player uses fancy nylon. It feels amazing in the hand but when it comes down to actual trick performance, their added attributes (extra weight and density, elasticity and bounce, exaggerated slickness)are a detriment to trick performance.
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Mic Drop 
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Good point. Personally I usually chalk the difference in string feel to length due to how I tie the knot usually, but I guess other factors can have a noticeable difference.
Tbh I have a hard time categorizing your strings into bulk or boutique. The new Nytro string formula is becoming my personal go to, and it lasts significantly longer and feels nicer than something like Kitty. Boutique but bulk friendly?
Are bulk strings manufactured by machines vs boutique being hand-made?
Honestly, im not surprised that no advanced users use full nylon. Nylon strings for me are just too bouncy in a way that affects precision of yoyo placement. I use them in a few of my yoyos (more laid back ones) or if I am playing in high temp high humidity environments. I find something like Kitty in these scenarios has too much string on string drag and I get knotted up for no good reason.
I kind of fluctuate in string preference, but all of my “lets nail my tricks” yoyos are usually strung up full poly (or nylon blend). The classic Zipline formulas and YYSL is my go to. But not Alphaline, that stuff has the same problems as Kitty, where string on string drag just seems to be a detriment in play. But I guess if you are that precise, this is a benefit. Any truth to this idea in high level play? Im an intermediate player.
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What constitutes as bulk vs boutique is a question I’ve always been a little curious about. Kitty FC is handmade in Japan now, so is Kitty FC boutique? MFD Vines are also made by Ray in his garage, and he even does special custom colorways to match the ano on his yoyos. That definitely sounds boutique on paper to me.
Maybe all that really matters is average batch size produced, and the quantity the product is sold in. And the middle ground quantities sold by companies like YYSL and HKMT of being in packs of 50 is what makes them feel like they skirt the line of boutique vs bulk.
I know some boutique manufacturers have said they view string making as an art, while the consistency you get out of Kitty despite being handmade, in addition to what Matt just said, shows that you can view string making as a science instead. So that could also be a factor in the perception of the company as well.
Dunno, but in the end all I really care about is having a cheap and consistent option that I feel like I’ll have access to for a very long time. If I can get that I guess it doesn’t really matter what the label is.
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I never think twice about replacing bulk string on one of my yo yos or giving away a few with a throw or to a new player.
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Ive noticed that with nicer nylon stuff I like how it feels etc but its often too fast on slacks. A poly string gives me enough time to actually see the string.
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Boutique but bulk friendly?
Yep, you nailed it @eternalmetal.
Boutique since it’s a small niche of a niche thing that we make with my helper or me doing it. Formulas and colors that I customized for players. All made in a small room I built in my garage to keep out dust and have a nice dedicated space. (My mother-in-law was potentially going to move in with us, so the “lab” had to move out of her room where it was before the garage.)
Bulk because I figured out how to slowly shave off time here and there over the years to where we can make it efficiently enough to save people some dough by bundling it.
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I had the same question but in the reverse way (why boutique string?)… So I bought ~ 8 formulas from Zipline last month and spent some time with them. My conclusion is I’ll switch back to bulk string after I’ve used up all of the Ziplines.
To me, yes boutique strings are clearly better than bulk string. They feels much more comfortable and last longer. However they also costs 4x - 5x more than the bulk ones. Instead of using a boutique string and always hesitating to replace it, I would rather have some cheap strings that I could throw away whenever I want. Also pure performance wise bulk strings are good enough for me.
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Yeah. I absolutely love Kitty regs (yellow) but got tired of them…or bored. I switched to boutique and have lots and when I need a new feel I will return to Kitty for awhile since I already have TONS of it.
Imagine adjusting your play to some string that you might not be able to get next week. Nightmare. Not many 10year old string brands out there.
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I don’t usually mess with string thickness or material much I just usually pick a normal or fat thickness and use it for all my yo-yos . I’m also not very good at yo-yo so there’s that lol
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I honestly love a variety. I keep some “bulk” and “boutique” on hand. I have some YYSL that I will use for awhile, then swap out for a Kitty, then on to some random other stuff from my string drawer.
The variety keeps things interesting and some throws “wake up” when certain string is added, other are better with other blends.
Much like art, it comes down to preference. Not everyone loves the Mona Lisa.
Why do the pros use bulk you ask?
If you could get a small boutique to sponsor Evan or Gentry, or even Ann Connolly then the switch will definitely happen, and has happened in the past.
I’m sure Ann has some Paint Party from @MattB hanging around! (BTW the Type X PP is awesome stuff. You gotta try that colorway if you haven’t.)
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That’s a good topic!
I’ve tried a lot of boutique and bulk strings. I love boutique strings, I love how they feel generally speaking, most of them are soft, long lasting, whippy.
However, I found some bulk strings that in my opinion are very high quality and that feel closer to boutique strings. And those are MonkeyFinger Vines and AceYo strings. They’re both quite soft, they last more than the average, they cost 1/5 of a boutique strings and they play very predictably. I think predictability and cost are the main reason why most people use bulk.
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I wonder if a boutique string maker could keep up with the demand if say Gentry or whoever recommended their string and said it was the only string he used.
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