“We have a tendency in wanting to turn everything we see into a yoyo. Some ideas from this tendency are, of course, kind of crazy but some others are kind of cool. One day, having this obsession in mind while looking at a knuckle roller, we asked ourselves our typical initial question: what if…
And here it is the KnuckleYo.
The KnuckleYo pushed our very own limits in creating a knuckle roller that is capable in turning into a yoyo—hmmm we are not sure now if it was the other way around: a yoyo that is capable in turning into a knuckle roller?
The initial challenge we hit right away was the weight and dimensions the KnuckleYo needed to have in other to be functional as a yoyo and as a knuckle roller. We played around with different dimensions, shapes and materials. Some worked perfectly, some just did not such as Titanium. One of prototypes we made out of titanium did not perform the best as a yoyo. The limitations of the dimensions and its density did not play well.
For such reasons, we ended up using only Stainless Steel, Brass and Copper. All of them have similar densities but different enough to have a different weight distribution for each material. In other words, although the weight is the pretty much the same, each material variation has a slightly different weight distribution.
The other challenge we had was in the designing part. We wanted to have thin walls with thick rims but the size of the cup prevented to use standard tooling. This of course led us to work with the machinist and create customized tooling.
The initial idea was to accommodate begleri as part of the features by using a 275 paracord that fit the M4 hole size no problem. It worked perfectly. The problem we had was that the axle was going through the cup side making the yoyo assembly a little bit frustrating. For such reason we ended up adding a stop to prevent the axle to go to the side of the cup, but that reduced the diameter of the ending part of the axle hole. For such reason, a <2mm diameter paracord could do the trick to turn the KnuckleYo in begleri.
For the engine of the yoyo, we did not want to use a mini bearing. We wanted instead to use a a bearing size that had a good performance and that was easy to find out there in the market. At the same time, we wanted the bearing to be concave to some how reduce the friction of the string with the pads. We ended up choosing an A size bearing and customized pads to properly fit the bearing and yoyo dimensions—by the way, our Throw Key (not included) can also remove this bearing if it gets stuck 😉
Playing with a mini yoyo is challenging. This is not the exception but definitely has great stability to perform complex tricks and to improve your yoyo accuracy. One element that definitely is key with this throw is the string, we tested several combinations in terms of materials, length and thickness along with Zipline to find the perfect match that suited the KnuckleYo not only from the performance perspective, but also from the winding up and binding perspectives.When not in yoyo mode, you can toss it in your pocket and start using it as a knuckle roller practically anywhere yo go.
This project made us connecting with different people with different skills to test the prototypes and to receive feedback after testing them. We would like to thank them all for their time and extraordinary response that helped us to develop this project.
“Basilisk lizards are proficient water runners that defy gravity, regularly dashing across bodies of water to evade predators. Studies have shown that static stability during locomotion is possible only when the center of mass remains within a theoretical region of stability. Running across a highly yielding surface could move the center of mass beyond the edges of the region of stability, potentially leading to tripping or falling.
They produce greatest support and propulsive forces that play with their body weight that dynamically stabilize them while running on water.
We wanted to recreate the qualities of this amazing lizard into a yoyo and came up with a very agile but powerful throw made out of 7003 aluminum.
The aluminum used in this throw allowed us to design thinner walls and to bring that weight in key areas to improve performance and stability.
We wanted this yoyo to be capable to perform as many tricks as possible, and just for added fun, we added a fingerspin hub, that in our opinion, is a beauty!
The Basilisk has a stylized V-shape with an almost unoticeable concave feature that brings more comfort to the hand and helps pushing few grams towards the rims.”
Durendal was the sword of Roland, a legendary paladin and leader of the rearguard of Charlemagne’s army. It was one of the four Holy Swords forged through the means of alchemy and magic and was capable of cutting through giant boulders of stone with a single strike.
We were intrigued with this story and it inspired us to create a throw that was powerful and agile and able to perform complex tricks with precision (and maybe bring a bit of magic too to your game).
We decided to design the Durandal with a slightly smaller diameter and width than a regular sized throw while maintaining the feeling and power of a regular sized one. It’s weight and shape were also key to achieve our vision. After several trials, we found that 62.7 gr worked perfectly to hit this throw’s sweet spot– just right for its size, shape and SS rims.
We had a lot of fun designing the Durandal. Although the shape looks like a straight W, the catch zone has a subtle curvature that reduces the chance of friction between the string and the yoyo. That meticulous and precise curvature was exactly what we wanted to exalt in the Durandal’s ability to perform. It maintains its balance and power when in the air and lands with incredible stability and momentum, ready for your next trick.
The colourways we chose for the Durendal will transport you back to medieval times where the great knights, wizards and paladins fought to bring back freedom to the people– Our hope is that the Durandal brings that same inspiration to you as you throw.“
“This is the Aluminum 6061 version of the El MiJo which was made out of Aluminum 7075. El MiJo was our first throw under the slim line category which was released in December 2021 with great success and acceptance by the yoyo community. This time, we wanted to maintain the original shape and dimensions of El MiJo and just make it 3 gr lighter.
The use of a less dense aluminum not only brings the weight down by 3 gr, but also slightly moves the weight distribution towards the centre increasing the RPM theoretically.
We are adding an extra layer of playability by including an extra D-bearing of 4 mm wide. Similarly like the 7075 version, El MiJo 6061 comes with an 8 mm axle that can be used with all the configurations. However, we included a 10 mm axle to use it with the 5 mm wide bearing in order to ensure a good connection between the two discs.”
“This is a project we have had on the back burner for a long time and finally it is coming to life! El MiJo (pronounced ‘me’-‘ho’) is our first under the slim line category.
The Project:
We love exploring new concepts to incorporate in our throws whilst maintaining the classic yoyo fundamentals. For this project, we wanted to bring out the shape and playability of a classic yoyo. A yoyo that could be easily tossed in your pocket but at the same time, a yoyo that is capable of being played in different ways.
The design of this throw required considerable customization and multiple rounds of prototyping to get the results we were looking for. Due to its specialized dimensions and structure, we needed to get its weight distribution and internal wall design just right. Having a narrow width and moving weight towards the outer diameter of the yoyo required meticulous calculation as well as designing and positioning the caps just right.
El MiJo has custom-made silicone pads with big side walls to ensure an effective response system. The dimensions of the response pad system also required several trials and testings before choosing the one that performed the best.
This yoyo can hold different D bearing sizes to play either unresponsive or responsive, and at the same time, el Mijo can be played as a ‘fixie’ by using our uniquely engineered accessory. El MiJo comes with two axles: an 8 mm axle and a 10 mm axle. Although the 8 mm axle can be used with all the configurations, we included a 10 mm axle to use it with the wider bearing in order to ensure a good connection between the two discs.
For extra fun, we designed el MiJo with a finger spin nub that is hard to resist experimenting with! This finger nub has become a challenge amongst the ZGRT team to see who can hook into it the way you would with a cup shaped wider yoyo. Along the way, we have found very creative ways to lock into it, and when you do, el MiJo spins beautifully!
El MiJo is smooth as silk and extremely fun to play with. Its shape is extremely comfortable in the hand due to its size and rounded edges. It also feels super nice to hold which makes it hard to put down! The weight of this throw is in the 58 gr range depending on the type of bearing you choose. Amongst the different weights we tried out with the prototypes, this weight was the one that allowed us to have a light yoyo but not so light that it compromised spin time.
The Name:
El MiJo tells the story of a person who had a secret code he used to use with his brother to play yo-yo. His brother decided to leave this physical world but before leaving, his brother inspired him to do more with yoyos. His brother believed one day this person could be more involved in the yoyo community and even get sponsored. His brother’s visions are slowly becoming a reality.
More than a name, MiJo is a code that brings inspiration to do as many things as you want, a code that reminds you that life has its own way of making things happen, a code that is capable to bring moments back to life and a reminder to believe in yourself and to never give up. A code that reminds you to let nothing hold you down!
(Dedicated to Mike Minond and his brother Jonathan.)”
