“The Shingen, named after the Samurai leader Takeda Shingen, is the first yoyo made out of 7175 alloy, a mixture of magnesium, zinc, copper and aluminum.
The yoyo industry standard is 6061 aluminum. A less common, and more premium option 7075, which has superior strength to weight, can be machined thinner, and is even a little harder to ding.
The 7175 alloy is a step above this. Its strength and rigidity are both superior, once again allowing for more extreme weight distributions. The Shingen makes full use of these properties to maximize rim weight. Add an extra large stainless steel set of rims, and you’ve got some serious angular momentum!”
It has only been about half a year since the release of the D bearing TiRAMiSU, one of RSO’s most popular models ever. But, truth to be told, Paul Yath and I worked on the TiRAMiSU for almost a year before that.
For the TiRAMiSU, prototypes were made in C and D bearing versions. I tend to spend at least 6 months with a prototype before putting it into production. After extensive testing, we were still torn between both versions. A decision was made to run the D bearing version because it would be the first titanium D bearing yo-yo ever made. Unfortunately, the D bearing TiRAMiSU was so popular that there were not enough yo-yos to fulfill even the pre-orders, and there was never a formal “drop” for the yo-yo. This made a lot of people upset. Until today, I am still receiving requests to do a re-run of the D bearing version.
We loved the C bearing prototype immensely. Although not as powerful as the D bearing prototype, it plays with a peculiar float and feels less aggressive. I would say that the C bearing version is a “decaf” dessert that you can enjoy on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Conversely, the D bearing version is a “pick me up” that you need in the day.
Fun fact: Paul and I had intended to name the yo-yo “TiRAMiSU: Decaf Edition” and “TiRAMiSU Seconds” but decided against doing so.
ENGINEERED FOR MAXIMUM FUNNESS
We made a few changes to the C bearing prototype and eventually arrived at the final CAD of TiRAMiSU 2.
The most common feedback on the D bearing TiRAMiSU was that it was too narrow, with a width of 42 mm. I didn’t think so – the Turning Point Mustang, one of the yo-yos that inspired the TiRAMiSU design, comes very close with a width of 42.5 mm.
Nonetheless, the width of the TiRAMiSU 2 was increased to 44 mm. Overall, this decreased the rim weight of the yo-yo and amplified its floatiness, a characteristic that we wanted to bring out for the TiRAMiSU 2.
The other change we made was to the pad groove. The C bearing prototype had 19 mm Landing Pads installed, while the TiRAMiSU 2 is powered by CLYW / G-grip sized Landing Pads. The CLYW / G-grip Landing Pads are larger in diameter and give the yo-yo slightly more momentum and a longer spin time.
I rarely use the CLYW / G-grip Landing Pads for titanium designs, save for the titanium Silver Bullet (SB-Ti) and now the TiRAMiSU 2. They are thicker than your regular 19mm pads, necessitating more material in the center of the yo-yo to accommodate them. As a result, there is less material to play with. Fortunately, there was enough material around the pad groove to accommodate these pads for TiRAMiSU 2, which was not intended to be a heavily rim weighted yo-yo.
To my knowledge, the only titanium yo-yos on the market that utilize these pads are the Luftverk x CLYW Tundra, titanium Peak and the SB-Ti. A few upcoming RSO yo-yos will be using these pads.
From left to right: D bearing TiRAMiSU, TiRAMiSU 2, C bearing TiRAMiSU prototype
SIMPLY STUNNING
I experimented with rainbow anodizing more than a year ago with a heavy prototype of the SB-Ti, which I gifted to Ed Haponik. This anodization technique is difficult to perfect – the yo-yo has to be pulled out meticulously from the anodizing bath, with careful manipulation of the voltage of the electrical source.
The technique was tweaked and a green shade was added to the myriad of colors on the TiRAMiSU 2, and the result is stunning. Due to the high risk involved in anodizing in this manner, only 5 anodized TiRAMiSU 2s were made.
COMPLETELY REMASTERED
The signature Crucial nutrition label was updated to reflect the changes in the specifications of the TiRAMiSU 2. ATILA, our long time collaborator, also drew a new TiRAMiSU waitress, inspired by Marilyn Monroe. Paul did the gorgeous denim bags, which come in a darker shade of blue.
WHAT’S IN THE CAKE BOX
TIRAMISU WAITRESS ENAMEL PIN
DENIM POUCH
A PAIR OF CLYW SLIM / G-GRIP SIZE TYPE 50 RSO LANDING PADS
There are no better people to talk about the origins of the End than Doctor Popular (Doc Pop), Phil Cox and Nick Corea (aka Feral Parrot). How many yo-yos do you know of that have enough history to fill an hour-long video? Watch the video below to find out how the End came about from raw Eetsit halves, the guys’ yo-yo modding journey, how the name “Yes, Absolutely” came about and much more…
THE FINALE… NOW SHOWING
Discarded End Part II (Prelude) halves.
There were so few Preludes that they were snapped up almost instantly.
I did not intend to split the End Part II into two batches, but issues attributed to the quality of the 7068 aluminium bars forced me to adopt a different release strategy. What happened, you might ask? For the Preludes, the bearing seats on the halves were too a tad loose and the red and white splash colorway had too big blotches of white. As a premium was paid to guarantee a minimum number of yo-yos of a high standard, a fresh batch of the End Part II had to be made. The red and white splash colorway (which was supposed to resemble the popcorn container you hold at the movies) was shelved for the rerun due to inconsistencies in the anodization.
The delay was a blessing in disguise, as it allowed me to further refine and perfect the End Part II.
PERFECT ENDING
There are only subtle differences between the Prelude and Finale batches of the End Part II. The rims were made slightly rounder for the Finale, giving the yo-yo a softer look. In addition, the Schmoove grooves were updated and are almost a carbon copy of the ones on the OG End. The Finale is 1mm narrower in width compared to the Prelude, more closely resembling the OG End. The finish on the Finale is also more similar to the velvety Slip Matte Type III hard coat anodization (or Nick Corea would call, a “non-stick cookware” finish) on classic Anti-Yos.
As with the Prelude, the external engravings on both halves on every Finale are aligned. That is, if you flip the yo-yo, the words on both sides are the “same side up”. The engravings on the rim, cup and nipple are etched in a single sitting without repositioning the yo-yo and are consistent on every End Part II. We definitely did not forget to engrave the word SCHMOOVE on the pad groove.
Play-feel wise, there is no perceivable difference between the Prelude and Finale. The Finale, like the Prelude, is a lighter, slightly faster, more high walled Mecha-Bapezilla.
JUST AS STUNNING
The colorways on the Finale have a mix of old school and modern vibes. After extensive experimentation with the damaged Prelude halves, we managed to find a shade of orange nearly identical to the one on the OG End. The silver and brown colorway is a homage to the Anti-Yo Eetsit, the yo-yo from which the OG End was derived. The black and purple fade colorways are special editions by Bryan Figueroa (of Unknown fame) and Doc Pop, respectively. Note that the Doc Pop Editions are only available via his Patreon page. More raw pieces are available this time, catered for the hungry modders in the community.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
POPCORN ENAMEL PIN
A PAIR OF 19MM MAROON TYPE 40 LANDING PADS RESPONSE
CUSTOM STRING BY ARLEQUIN STRINGS
REPEATER TRICK VIDEO BY DOC POP
BACK FOR AN ENCORE
A titanium version of the End has been prototyped and put into production. We are aiming for a release in early 2022. Stay tuned!
These Mecha-Bapezilla: Side Effects (SE) Special Editions are the last yo-yos of the Mecha-Bapezilla line. No more Mecha-Bapezillas will be made. There are two colorways of this final release – an “Original Gangsta (OG)” colorway in the tribal blue and green of the original Bapezilla and a “Viszilla” colorway in a black cracked hard coat finish reminiscent of the Godzilla you see at the movies. The cracks on the latter can barely be felt by the hand. The package includes the same box and accessories as the regular Mecha-Bapezilla SE Edition.
