Dressel Designs dropped the Musubi and Musubi SS at the same time, and I’ll be honest, my first instinct was to wonder if one was just a novelty version of the other. A simultaneous dual release of the same shape in two different materials can feel like a cash grab. Spending time with both quickly put that concern to rest.
The Musubi
The standard Musubi is an interesting throw. Dressel Designs took a 7075 aluminum body and stuffed a polycarbonate ring between the double rims, a clear nod to the Hawaiian snack it’s named after. Visually, it’s akin a plastic throw. On the string, it plays with a soft, bouncy float that I find incredibly easy to enjoy. It’s the kind of yo-yo you pick up without thinking too hard about it. It has plenty of power for complex tech, but it never feels like it’s working hard. The whole thing just moves pleasantly through whatever you throw at it.
The Musubi SS
The SS is a different animal entirely, despite sharing a similar design. It’s smaller, denser, and immediately communicates that through every throw. Where the standard Musubi floats, the SS drives. It hits the end of the string with real authority and spins with a smooth, resonant hum that feels distinctly steel. What surprised me most was how maneuverable it is. Given its weight distribution, I expected it to feel sluggish through direction changes, but it pushes through fast combinations without hesitation. It doesn’t drag you down. If anything, it pulls you forward. It may be one of the best releases of 2026 so far.
Do You Need Both?
Yes. And I say that as someone who went in assuming I probably didn’t. The Musubi and Musubi SS share DNA (don’t DNA kids, learn more awesome tricks!), but they play like completely different animals. The standard is a comfortable, well-rounded daily carry that suits just about any session. The SS is built for speed and power, and it delivers. They complement each other in a way that dual releases rarely manage to pull off.
Final Thoughts
Dressel Designs has an awesome set of fraternal twins here. Both throws bridge aesthetics and performance in their own way, and neither one feels like an afterthought. Whether you reach for the floaty comfort of the standard Musubi or the dense, driven feel of the SS, you’re getting something that was clearly well crafted.
While I’ve certainly played my fair share of MK1 yo-yos, this is the first time I’ve played a Yoyofriends release. This collaboration is a tri-material beast, comprised of 7075 aluminum, stainless steel, and polycarbonate. The Heron features a V/H hybrid shape with a “lock-in” finger spin dimple, and is designed to be a “play all” style of throw. That being said, I feel like I couldn’t push this yo-yo to its limits with my limited skill-set.
At 66.36g, you can certainly feel the weight of the Heron, but it’s not so heavy that you get a thunk at the end of the string when you throw it. It feels solid on the string. Balanced. Controlled. It can come back to the hand hard, but the polycarbonate rings keep it comfortable, and not so harsh on the catch. The stainless steel rings keep it balanced, pushing the weight out to the edges of the yo-yo, keep it stable and on plane with every throw. Overall, this thing is a joy to play. I love heavy throws, but I also love being able to keep heavy throws under control.
As stated before, I haven’t played a YYF release before, so I can’t tell how familiar it feels compared to other YYF released. That being said, I can certainly see MK1’s styling here. The Heron is a beautiful throw. Certainly one that elicits conversation, especially with non-throwers. I have the laserfade (blue/pink) and it spins the most lovely shade of purple. Of course, with my clumsy hands, it doesn’t spin as long as I’ve seen this spin in videos online. I always inevitably end up hitting myself with it, or fumbling the string into knots.
The MK1/YYF Heron is a piece of art that plays as beautifully as it looks. It has power and balance, and even a finger spin dimple, making it an extremely versatile yo-yo.
With a name like “Laze,” one might think this MK1 release was a bit of a slouch. While it may have a laid back feel, this yo-yo is anything but. Combining a rounded and angular shape, the Laze manages to walk the middle path between performance and comfort. It’s on the lighter side, isn’t overly wide, has a wonderfully smooth catch zone, and chunky, rounded, slightly flared rims.
I’ve played a good amount of MK1’s releases. I’ve got my favorites, like the Spyglass and Ring Bearer, and ones that weren’t for me, like the RBC. One thing you can always say about their designs is that they’re solid, professional, and have intention. The intention of the Laze leans towards slow and flow, while still being able to be a competent technical throw. It excels at repeaters, can handle multiple string wraps, and floats through combinations. The rounded rims snuggle comfortably in hand, and their thickness add an excellent amount of stability.
The best part of the Laze is how much control you have over it, which goes back to how great this yo-yo is for slower, deliberate play. This isn’t a throw that gets away from you, swinging where you don’t expect it to go. It moves with purpose, and responds well to gradual directional changes and sweeping motions. If for some reason (read: user-error) it does get away from you, you can be sure it’ll be safe, being made from 7075 aluminum.
The one thing I had a bit of trouble with was rejections. Of course, this could just be me, but the more angular shape seems run the Laze at a disadvantage here.
Overall the Laze is a throw after my own heart, as I’m not a speed demon or power combo-type player. It’s definitely up there as one of my favorite MK1 releases, and is a yo-yo I’ll be keeping in my regular rotation.
Motion throws are certainly in a class of their own, with a unique look and feel and thematic elements that seem to carry across many of their throws. The Synaptic is their latest offering, and looks like a culmination of varying elements from previous releases. This is the 3rd Motion yo-yo I’ve every played, the other two being the Perpetual and the Parallel. Right off the bat, I love the rounded rims as much as I did on the Perpetual. It keeps everything comfy cozy, while retaining a rather dramatic H shape. The cuts have a very “Motion” look to them, and they’re striking.
The Synaptic I received was the Stainless Steel rim version. There is also a Brass rim version that slightly heaver, but both are still surprisingly light. While the dimensions present the Synaptic as a full-size yo-yo, it feel during play seems smaller than it actually is. It’s light and nimble, with stability expected from such a heavily rim-weighted yo-yo. It’s forgiving, but not “easy-mode” when performing more complex tricks.
The Perpetual caught me by surprise with how much I liked it, but I was prepared for the Synaptic. Comfort, power, stability, and a lot of personality. I was originally going to try and snag my own Perpetual, but I think I’m all good now that I have a Synaptic.
The following is a list of all yo-yos released in collaboration with Failure is Unknown. It is kept up by Ajolivarez on the YoyoExpert Forums.
Below is a list of MAKE and MODEL and Year Released. I have also included the Totals for each throw that I have been able to research. I am asking for your help to get my list in order. If you see a throw I have missed, have a release date wrong, or you happen to have productions numbers, please let me know!!!
Thanks again for everything and for being an amazing community!
Unknowns
2015- 5-23 General Yo Prophecy 10 total 11-14 Duncan Bassacuda 50 total
2016- 4-23 Japan Tech FiReal ? 7-22 Onedrop Kuntosh 20 total
2017- 1-25 Yoyofreaks Yourmom 10 total 5-10 Duncan Origami 60 total each color 5-17 Yoyofreaks Hashtag 10 total 6-3 CoroCo Tako ? 7-31 Topyo Turbine ? 8-8 Yoyofreaks Pound 10 total
2018- 1-3 CoreCo X SF BFF 35 total 3-2 Yoyofreaks Bi-mom 10 total 4-29 SF Cadence 50 total 6-23 Yoyofreaks SF 10 total 9-12 A-Rt Knob 40 total 10-27 CoreCo Diesis ?
2019- 2-23 Japan Tech Linkx ? 3-5 SF Statement 35 total 3-9 Unparalled Ignition 30 total 5-16 SF Cadence CS 50 total 6-21 Japan Tech Shaqshine ? 7-3 Duncan Grasshopper 35 total 7-12 Yoyofreaks Freak 10 total 7-21 SF Sstatment 35 total 8-16 SF PLSTC 150 total 9-5 CLYW Pickaxe 50 total 9-12 Timber Enknown 30 1st release / 35 2nd 9-30 PDX Yo Batsquatch 20 total 11-9 Iyoyo Barbarian 50+ 11-21 Anomaly Euphonium 15 total 12-11 CLYW Peak 2 25 total 12-30 Yoyofriends Hummingbird 30 total 12-?? CoreCo Mothra ?
2020- 6-22 2sick Crusade 25 total 9-15 OST Confluence 25 total 9-21 Spiral Kappa 25 1st run / unk 2nd run 9-28 Hspin Pyro 100 total 10-3 C3yoyodesign Galaxy Diver 30 total 10-7 Yoyofactory 720 ??? 10-9 Duncan AL Bionic 50 11-19 Duncan AL Black 50 12-14 Yoyo Palace Answer 30 total
2021- 1-18 Yo-yo Palace Code 1-25 Reykjavik Frejya 45 total 2-7 RSO Bowl 37 total 3-25 CLYW Akita 50 total 4-8 Yo-yo Palace Code Silver ? 4-16 Duncan FH1Black 60 4-16 Duncan FH1 Bionic 60 6-3 Japan Tech Gadget Japan Release / US 9-17 Freshly Dirty 44 Mod 20 total 10-1 Duncan FH1 Titanium ? 10-8 Thesis DaCapo ? 10-17 Jake Bullock Slam Dunk 25 total 10-22 Zipline BMC 35 total 10-22 Zipline IST 30 total 11-19 RSO The End 36 total 12-2 Throwing Sideways Parthenon 25 total
2022- 2-1 Far and Few Between Inception ? 3-22 Duncan FH1 (plastic) ? 4-8 Duncan Butterfly AL ? 6-21 Japan Tech Trueno ? 8-19 MK1 RBC 35 total
2023- 4-6 CLYW Pickaxe V2 50 total 5-11 Japan Tech Kagerou ? 5-16 Topyo Colossus VI ? 7-6 CLYW UnWish ? 10- 18 W1LD Unknown. ? 11-03 SF BD (all variants) ? 12-10 Far and Few Between Dreamer 35 Total 12-26 CLYW Otter ?
2024- 2-16 MK1 Yoyo Unicorn 40 total 4-20 Mile High Yoyo UnGnome 60 total 9-6 Ikimono Tomo 35 total 9-27 Beyond Yoyo x Duncan Butterfly 12-6 MK1 Ring-Bearer Un-Seen. 50 total
