History / About
SKF (Svenska Kullagerfabriken) of Gothenburg, Sweden is a bearing maker, not a toy company. According to the Yo-Yo Museum, in the mid-1980s it introduced plastic and wooden yo-yos with miniature SKF ball-bearing axles, sold only in Europe. The yo-yo may have been made by Wigart AB of Helsingborg, Sweden, and bears ‘ROYO’ imprinted in red on the reverse. It was never patented, and the Museum suggests it was a company novelty or advertising item. YoYo Wiki credits SKF with the first ball-bearing axle yo-yos (1984), with a large bearing, narrow gap and riveted halves.
The plastic version has flat rims with a hockey-puck profile and hollowed inner faces. A hollow brass axle tube rivets the two halves together over a pre-installed bearing, so it does not come apart. Variations include a bagged version with a header card and a solid SKF-blue band with yellow lettering, versions imprinted with gas station brands, and plain SKF imprints. The Museum exhibit is dated 1984 to 1986.
