Wow, thank you! I will definitely grab one at world’s now! Do you know which vendors sell them? Or will I have to bst?
Yes, it is viable. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, Jensen has 4 (maybe 5) wooden unresponsive bearing yoyos, and they are really really good.
Top left is the Peon, and the top right is the SQUIB. The lower 2 are fixed axle versions of them.
For me, it’s a lot of what ed said. But also I enjoy the difficulty of it. I lose interest in ‘easy’ hobbies, or something that I can figure out quickly. With fixed axle just when I start to think I’m getting somewhere, the yoyo comes flying back and smacks me in the knuckles to let me know I’m still learning 
I enjoy that with fixed axle it’s a life long journey with it. I enjoy unresponsive yoyo’s, but not in the same way as I do fixed axle. Despite my location I really enjoy surfing, love it. To me unresponsive yoyo is like riding a short board. They are quick, agile, big tricks. Fixed Axle is like riding a long board, or an old school koa log; smooth, relaxed, meditative. Fixed axle I need to think things through, unresponsive yoyos I can just bounce and move around until I work something out.
Fixed axle HORSE sounds like a blast, makes me more upset about missing Worlds. Be fun hanging out with everyone playing that ;D
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As always, very well said, Ed.
I read this question and thought I had a response, then, I read Ed’s response, like his fixed axle tricks, the response spoke for itself.
What I will add is for my style of fixed axle play, it is simple, organic and almost meditative. Sure, I’m trying to expand my repertoire with harder tricks like kamikazie (the kamikaze mount is still a knuckle buster for me on fixed), and I am trying to learn spirit bomb on unresponsive so I can attempt to learn it on fixed, but, stalls, suicides and regens are relaxing and (for me) fun as heck. Also, it is so rewarding to see your ‘smoothness’ improve from when you first learn a trick. Earlier this week, I was throwing Makin’ da zines, and my son (who is a far better yoyo player than I am) told me “Dad, that hardly looks like you are doing the same trick as when you first started to land it.” The outside praise was nice, but, the feeling of how much more smooth and in control the yoyo was during the trick…now that is reward.
I think I can sum up the question “what is the benefit and attraction of playing fixed axle?” with three words: “it is fun”.
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I don’t know what kind of superpower Ed has but, every time he posts something about fixed axle, it sounds so awesome and inspiring that I just feel the NEED to play it more.
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definitely no super powers. i’m just lucky to know what i like.
but making somebody want to play is just about my highest calling, so THANK YOU.
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This turned into really groovy thread. Thanks for chiming in everybody 
I am still making yoyos for sure because I love it so much, but these days I work at a much more leisurely pace. You can, however, expect an OUT restock to YYE in the not too distant future. Thanks to all who have purchased my little wooden knick-knacks by the way; I’ts an awesome feeling to know people dig my stuff 
And for those of you who are curious about wood, definately give it a try: You can pick up some really great wooden yoyos online. TMBRs, no-jives, and Hildy bros are all excellent choices. If you want something inexpensive that does it all, try a tom Kuhn wood rocks; for only $10 you can’t go wrong!
Paul, I was thinking if nothing else, this thread got people talking about wood.
Unless things have changed, I think people should be leary of the Tom Kuhn website. It seems dead, and I’ve heard some bad things about merch not being delivered. Anyone, please correct me if I’m wrong, or this has changed.
Thanks for making yoyos. I WILL own one of yours soon!
Sadly, you are NOT wrong.
TK is a mess right now. the site is out of stock of most items, and the company only has the ability to order wood parts in bulk. Nearly a year after ending my brief affiliation with the company, I am STILL getting messages regarding non-completion of online orders and refunds. Tom is one of the best human beings i have ever met, but he is completely removed from the running of the company, which is just kind of in limbo right now (which has happened before, but not to this extent). Tom Kuhn Custom Yo-Yo’s is a legend in this industry, and I genuinely hope they can find a way to right the ship.
When asked what fixed axles I recommend, I generally advise people toward TMBR (which has also slowed down as Colin has been busier with furniture), OUT, and Hildy Bros. Jensen has been doing his thing for awhile, and I hear good stuff, and it’s easy enough to find a decent No Jive out there online. But yeah, the world definitely needs people to keep the craft of simple wooden yo-yo’s alive.
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I’ve heard that Brad has been (or has tried) shopping the TK brand around for a while now. Such an iconic brand, such a shame how it’s gone. Wish I was in a position to make an offer on it, however from what I’ve heard he wants an arm and a leg for it 
I throw my eh or nojive every day,fixed axel is not competition, just for fun, it’s like play jazz)
The situation with TK has been a shame for years now. But these days things are worse than they’ve ever been. It’s crushing to watch a soul piece of yoyoing be left to rot. But that’s the way it is. Those of us who care have tried to change the course, but it’s not happening.
Nice! Sometimes when I get a burned out on the new style of play it is refreshing to put down the bearing stuff and just work on doing classic tricks like that. Three rolls with a fly away dismount is as good as I have ever been able to do that on a fixed axle. Well done rizki_yoist
Impressive what can do with a fixie.
you rocked that combo. High Regards!
Nice! One of the things that I really missed when I started playing with unresponsive yoyos is the loop to finish.
Does that mean you don’t lube your strings?
I don’t do anything to my strings. I’ve used wax at times when I was learning, and I’ve prepped wood axles with stuff like Vaseline Intensive Care Lip Therapy, but for most cotton strings and most modern fixed axles, it just adds up to be a lot of headache for little if any reward. To burn a broken-in walnut axle with the thick string I use, I’ve got to be going HARD - like White Buddha/Rancid Milk-hard. And I almost never do super-long sleeper tricks on fixed anymore. I use to burn No Jive axles all the time getting stuff like Cold Fusion/Triangulation/Spirit Bomb/Kamikaze dialed. I’d get a whiff of that scorch smell and I’d know the axle was (literally) toast…
But I still love that smell.
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have you ever hit Rancid Milk on a fixed axle? I’ve been chasing it now for about a month.
A couple times but never smoothly (I’m not great at that trick in general). Colin beat me to it. It and White Buddha I’ve only hit on the Irving Pro.
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