I thought I would do my first review, so here goes:
First Impresssions: One of the things I love most about YYF is that they really know how to package their products well (can anyone honestly say that they don’t love the PGM v2 box?) and the Northstar doesn’t disappoint. It doesn’t have a box as clever as the PGM but it still lets you see and even touch the YoYo before you open it and I like that (I really think YYJ should take a lesson in packaging from YYF).
Once the box is opened you are treated to the standard YYF “how to bind” sheet and green string (unlike the PGM the Northstar doesn’t come pre-strung and with a spare in the box, you just get 1 string and must put it on yourself). Underneath these 2 items you will find your brand new Jensen Kimmet series Northstar.
Specs
Weight- 69.00 grams
Width- 43.00 mm
Diameter- 56.00 mm
Gap Width- 4.55 mm
Bearing Size- Large
Gap- Fixed
Response- YYF Silicone pads
Design: I really think this YoYo is going to have the marmite effect on people but personally I love it. I got the orange one so it’s a really bright and eyecatching design and looks great with its black weight rings and the Northstar logo on the side.
With regards to size the Northstar it a hair wider than the DM2 and the same diameter but because of the sharp angles of the wing design it feels completely different in the hand to the DM2 which has flowing curves.
Construction: The Northstar is unquestionably a well built throw, it feels reasuringly solid and gives the impression that it is as high quality as many other far more expensive throws (also despite using standard YYF silicone pads the response area looks a lot smaller than it actually is).
My only real concern with the Northstar is that it seems very hard to take apart and I have to wonder if that will put excessive strain on the bearing seats and axle.
Play: It’s easy to see how Jensen won Worlds with this thing (although as CharlieMD put it on Saturday "Jensen could take a dump on the end of a string, throw that and still win contests) because right out of the box you are looking at 2 and a half minute sleep times and fantastic stability. There are throws when you get the tiniest little bit of vibe but that might just be my throw needing some work. This thing really will take anything that I can throw at it so far (which to be fair is still pretty basic) and just keep spinning.
Binds are tight and snappy and I haven’t had a single one slip yet, finger and arm grinds are in as well and seem as smooth as with my DM2 but thumb grinds are pretty much out of the question (I’m not saying it’s impossible but my thumbs just aren’t that small).
Conclusion: If you are a seasoned pro then this will be a great addition to your collection as it is by far the best playing throw I own and you won’t regret the purchase. If you are a beginner then you should buy a Northstar, force yourself to learn to bind and just play unresponsive right from the start because with a Northstar you may never need to buy another throw again.
Anything you guys want added to the review or comments you want to make please feel free to let me know but go easy on me as it is my first review.
edit: Stories about the Northstar being easy to break are slightly misleading so I thought I should add this to make it clear what the issue actually is/was.
The initial run of Northstars seem to have suffered from massive factory overtightening problems which in turn meant that an absolutely huge amount of force was required to take them apart, in a few cases this led to the bearing seat/s becoming detatched.
This problem was actually fixable (in most cases not leading to any permenant damage to the YoYo) and is only really present in the first run Northstars.