“***Second run Ridgeback Edition released on 12/19/2019. 2 grams lighter, ridgeback grooves in the catch zone and new colors. 120 units made.***
We love doing collaborations for a lot of reasons. One of the reasons is that it pushes us creatively. Every maker has their own style, approach and methods. It’s so interesting to let go of having full control of your own product and to incorporate new ideas. The end result is always something that wouldn’t exist unless these particular worlds were meshed together.
This particular collaboration with Monkeyfinger (Ray) started at Pacific Northwest Regional Contest in 2016. Ray asked if we could sit down at some point during the contest and talk about doing something together and that is how it began. Given that both of the companies had busy schedules and plans, work didn’t really begin on this until sometime in 2017 and now we are finally releasing 3 years later from that first meeting. This one is special and it is worth the wait.
The idea was that Ray was going to design the yoyo in general and that One Drop (Shawn) would add the final touches. One Drop would then doing the machining and Monkeyfinger would do the anodizing, package design, naming and art and thus the Fire Devil was born.
Each one is hand anodized by Ray in Canada and they look amazing. As an anodizer, he is a true artist and works in small batches so he has invested a large amount of labor and love into the finish and it shows. Available direct from One Drop and Monkeyfinger.
Releasing on January 21st from both companies’ websites. $79″
“Hi there! Vilmos here. I couldn’t be more happy and proud to introduce the VTWO. It took us two years and two summer trips to Eugene to see it to its completion.
The VTWO, continues the line of the Vilmos Zoltan Kiss signature series. As with the Valor, I was dedicated to be as personally involved in the design process as the first time.
The Valor was designed to excel in competition yo-yoing and it hit the mark based on the feedback we received. For the VTWO, I wanted to raise the bar even higher in terms of performance, quality and making sure that the design was distinct and iconic.
I love straight lines, flat surfaces and minimalistic design so the V-shape was a no brainer. Using the advantages of 7075 aluminum we were able to make the body ultra thin and maximize the rim weight for more power, more performance. The wide open catch zone is great for maximum control and easy maneuverability. The surface is bead blasted to elevate the design and performance.
To keep it simple and elegant I aimed for a flat hub and decided to go with two grooves in the catch zone to complete the design and give a nod to the Valor’s “Triple Grooves” feature.
To further my personal journey in making the VTWO I wanted the art to stand out as much as the yo-yo. To achieve this we collaborated with Portland based comic book artist and writer Leila del Duca.”
“An Overture is an introduction and a start to something great.
We are deeply honored to begin working with U.S. National Champion Sebastian Brock to bring his dream yo-yo into the world: The Overture. Sebby is a legend and has been at the top of the yo-yo competitive scene for more than a decade. He is also an innovative yo-yo artist with a unique style. He brings years of experience and perspective so we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build his yo-yo.
We are also excited to have Max Naff in the collaboration to bring us the artwork.
The approach to the collaboration was to build the yo-yo that Sebby has had in his mind and heart for a long time: a refinement of the classic organic yo-yo. Sebby’s yo-yoing is noted for plane-pushing and having many layers to the tricks, and as a result he was looking for big (58mm), stable, bead blasted yo-yo with a balanced distribution of weight that is tuned for his style. It feels good to return to a large retro hub that allows for a little extra center weight, a beefy and reliable 16mm axle and lots of style.
Besides being a top competitor, Sebby is well known for creating the The Alternative Freestyle Invitational which generally takes place at the World Yo-Yo Contest. He had the idea to showcase the art of yo-yoing without the pressure of the point system. He did this for the love of yo-yoing and inspiring players are all kinds to showcase their talents and style and hopefully inspire future players.
Sebby hopes the Overture will inspire your play and he says that it “slays with a soul”.”
Some new weird company is an anonymous mystery and you’re a natural born detective. After some digging and interrogation, you finally figure it out. Why not join forces and salsa dance with the enigma?
“We want as many people as possible to enjoy yo-yoing with a nice well made metal ball-bearing yo-yo. There is just something cool about the feeling of your own energy powering a spinning yo-yo. It feels alive.
One of the hurdles in this goal is that all of our yo-yos to date have been unresponsive and require a bind to get them to return to the hand. This is no problem (and expected) for experienced players, but some just want to throw the yo-yo, let it sleep and tug it back to the hand without any learning curve. It’s meditative, stress relieving, easy to do, and for many it’s nostalgic. It can put you in a “deep state” of relaxation.
We are helping to solve this by releasing a semi-responsive metal yo-yo that fits nicely in the pocket, comes with a standard C size bearing and Flow Groove pads for easy maintenance, and is equipped with Side Effects for customizing the look and feel. It’s our vision of the yo-yo as a fidget toy.
The bonus is that it’s also really cool for experienced yo-yoers as who want to play semi-responsive fixed axle style, have a nice pocket yo-yo, or just want to work on getting smoother. The challenge is enticing and rewarding.
The yo-yo is called the Deep State. We designed it with flush response pads, a fairly narrow gap and it ships with a lubed bearing installed.
