History
The AXL Elite is a Butterfly (concave)-shaped counterpart to the Modified AXL, first released in 1998 by Custom Products of Arizona. Where the AXL was designed for looping and general play, the Elite’s slimline Butterfly profile was optimized for string tricks. The ultra-thin halves give it a notably low weight of roughly 42–43 g — lighter than most mini yo-yos of the era and lighter than any rim-weighted model Custom produced — achieved not through rim-weighting but by minimizing material throughout the body.
As noted in a 2007 review, the design reversed conventional wisdom: rather than adding rim weight for spin time, Custom reduced the energy needed to maintain rotation by stripping mass. In practice the Elite spun well out of the throw but lost momentum faster than heavier rim-weighted alternatives, partly due to its narrow gap and grippy Performance Ring pads.
The original run shipped with a tiny G-sized bearing; from 2008 onward all Custom yo-yos, including the Elite, were updated to the larger Size A bearing. The Elite retailed at approximately $40 and was produced in Red, Silver, Green, Purple, Bronze, Blue, Black, and Gold anodized colorways. The YoYo Museum records a Mint-in-Package specimen from 1998 in Red/Black anodize, Display Boxed.
