I have to say, that the Ricochet arrived today. I was expecting nothing more than a good titanium throw from YoyoFactory. To my surprise, I cannot believe I have not seen a ton of rave reviews about this yo-yo. I was actually shocked at how great it is. Stickman said I would be happy with the Ricochet, but he downplayed it to be safe I guess, because I am more than happy with it.
I was happy to get #004. I have to buy a double now, because how can you possibly scratch up #4. Not going to happen folks, so I will be buying a second one of these by next week. Besides, my other Tis have a twin, so the Ricochet shall not be the odd Ti out. I saw the box, which is that much more impressive in person. I made a long post about yo-yo packaging, and gave YoyoFactory top honors in that category…and here is why. This is how you present yourself to someone who just paid over $150 for a nice yo-yo. The case will apparently be released with other yo-yos, and they are made to interlock, as a collectible accessory:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3671/9239862465_ddbf2bec8a_z.jpg
Ricochet1 by The TotalArtist, on Flickr
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5508/9242628228_065b781534_z.jpg
Ricochet2 by The TotalArtist, on Flickr
Opening was easy, took off a few sticky tabs and lifted the top off the box. Inside, on one side of the box…on the right, was a little baggie, containing strings, a bearing, an awesome transluscent/blue multitool and the usual YoyoFactory manual:
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2857/9242618788_a6a201f8b9_z.jpg
Ricochet3 by The TotalArtist, on Flickr
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2854/9242612190_c11d493365_z.jpg
Ricochet4 by The TotalArtist, on Flickr
Then, out came the yo-yo… This is the shiniest yo-yo I have ever seen. I thought he sent them all to yoyospirit…but I could not photograph this yo-yo without capturing something from the surroundings, in the mirror surface of the yo-yo. It is incredibly shiny, almost like a piece of jewelry, and the presentation in that box is top notch. This yo-yo is shinier than my 9.06 was out of the box, and that cost more than twice the price. The packaging is different, but equally classy in presentation:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3809/9239870385_5bfa305400_z.jpg
Ricochet by The TotalArtist, on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7413/9239811789_aabaa3ccd0_z.jpg
Ricochetb by The TotalArtist, on Flickr
The surprising thing also, is that the Ricochet is nothing in appearance or play like the other titaniums I have. It looks and feels nothing like the Sovereign. The Sovereign to me was way too light. You all know I prefer heavier throws. The Ricochet, when it sits in your hand, it just feels solid. I knew I was going to love it before I threw it. When I threw it, I was amazed, because it has weight to it, and a solid feel, without being heavy. It has a nice feel when it cuts through the air, solid yet aerodynamic. I was also surprised because it is a stable undersized yo-yo. I just could not believe how incredibly good and smooth this yo-yo is. I am no reviewer, but this is the best yo-yo I have purchased so far since the first of the year. I am so impressed with it. I want to show you how different the Ricochet is from the other two titaniums I have. Forgive the fingerprints…
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7385/9242664652_c107a99691_z.jpg
Richochet&Sovereign by The TotalArtist, on Flickr
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7385/9239805385_34ba55e186_z.jpg
TiFamily by The TotalArtist, on Flickr
I was utterly shocked at how good this yo-yo is, and wonder why it took me so long to buy it. I got an unbelievable titanium yo-yo, for less than $160 during the July 4th sale. The package presentation, the way it plays, and the extras included (case, string, bearing, multitool), made this yo-yo more than worth it. I would have paid $250 for this yo-yo…easy. I just do not know how YoyoFactory will make a profit off this yo-yo. It seems too much is offered for such a small price. This is a beautiful yo-yo, and you may need to buy two of them if you plan to spark it. I will be buying a second one of these. And, I hope YoyoFactory makes another titanium design in the future. They knocked the ball out of the park. This is a yo-yo a lot of people can be happy with, and YoyoFactory may be the first to put titanium in the hands of 1000 people in one run, who could not afford titanium before. They offer you the added accessories, the color option, and the ability to save up before these run out (likely this Fall). With 1000 pieces, one of them can easily be yours ;D
Oh, I will be getting another raw one. I just love the look of it so much…the second will be identical. Thanks for reading. Congratulations to YoyoFactory on an amazing yo-yo. I keep saying that Ben’s marketing is brilliant, but it now makes sense why he started the thread…he knows it is a great yo-yo. You have seen who is on his contest team, so if this yo-yo was anything less, it would have gone back to the drawing board. I bet everyone at YoyoFactory is excited about this great yo-yo. I’m very, very impressed. Exceeded my expectations…but did not exceed my wallet. 
Just a note for those concerned about cross sections. Part of the brilliance at YoyoFactory, had to be less of an obsession about having something to prove with the insides of the yo-yo. There seemed more an obsession with whether the titanium yo-yo was going to look great, play great, give people their money’s worth, and appeal to many. This yo-yo certainly delivers…looks great, and plays great plus a lot more. I got three other throws in the mail, and have not touched any of them yet.
Props to YoyoFactory…mission accomplished. 