History
The AXL was Custom Yo-Yo’s 1998 debut and the company’s first CNC-machined aluminum yo-yo. Designed to resemble the Tom Kuhn SB-2 in profile, the original version shipped with a size G (tiny) ball bearing and an optional metal fixed axle — no response pads were included in the first run. The yo-yo came in a square plastic display box with foam inserts for the yo-yo and strings, and the engraved name carried a superscript trademark symbol with no circle around the “CY” logo.
A second production run (circa 2008 and later) updated the bearing to the larger Size A, added Performance Ring response pads, revised the font style and added a registered trademark symbol, and repackaged the yo-yo in a round metal can with a foam insert. The second version is slightly slimmer than the original, measuring 56 mm diameter × 23 mm width against the original’s 57 mm × 27 mm, and lighter at 48 g versus 55 g. Both versions retail around $38–$60.
The AXL was a popular candidate for “beefcaking” (stacking two bearings) because the original G-bearing left enough room inside the gap to accommodate a second bearing, widening the string gap for more advanced string tricks.
