“With the Rally, our first plastic yo-yo, we started with injection molded polycarbonate halves (outsourced to a factory in the U.S.) and then finished them off in the machines at our shop. The end result was great, but we are always looking for ways to improve. Our expertise is in machining, so when talks of a second plastic yo-yo began, we knew there was only one way to do it. Machining the entirety of the yo-yo out of bars of Delrin in house.
First discovered in the 1920s by Herman Staudinger, who received the 1953 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Polyoxymethylene(POM), also known as Delrin, didn’t become commercially available until the 1960s. Used extensively in the automotive and consumer electronics industry, it is now the foundation of our second plastic yo-yo, the Cabal.
The Cabal boasts a rounded and classic profile, similar to yo-yos from days past, but with all the modern play we’ve grown accustomed to. Inside, you’ll find familiarity within the axle system – it’s the same one we pioneered in the Rally but with an all new flat hub for that clean and sleek look. Since Delrin is less dense than aluminum, the entire body of the yo-yo was designed to be a little thicker than usual giving everyone who throws it just a little more to love. When you hold it you can feel that diamond cut finish. The Cabal will satisfy your nastolgia for plastic but won’t hold you back with it’s refreshing modern refinement and play.”
“The Dahlia is Freshly Dirty’s most experimental yo-yo ever released. One of the goals of the Stem System was to open the door to new materials in yo-yo design, and the Dahlia is a perfect use case. It is a stainless steel yo-yo made with a cutting edge process known as DMLS 3D printing.
DMLS, or Direct Metal Laser Sintering, uses a bed of steel powder and a powerful laser to selectively sinter (almost like melting the powder but not quite) precise areas one layer at a time. Yo-yo designs using this new process are not limited by many of the constraints that traditional CNC lathed yo-yos are. We aimed to take full advantage of this process by designing a yo-yo that is visually striking but also highly functional due to the high percentage of weight at the rim.
Please note that this process is still being refined and these early DMLS yo-yos might have a little more vibe than regular metal yo-yos and require a bit of tuning. All new products are pre-tuned out of the box and tested extensively with rigorous tricks but a little trial and error will be needed to keep your yo-yo spinning smooth throughout its lifespan.”
“Handcrafted by our own Alex Morton, these RTDs are the pocket friendly Stem offering that you may have seen around the National and World Yoyo Contests this year. Each one is cut from plates of HDPE plastic, with a surface finish reminiscent of playground equipment.
Note: Due to the construction of the RTD it is only compatible with size C bearings. Each will ship unresponsive but can be set up with a half spec bearing for responsive play too!”
“The Featherweight Canary is the sequel to our 2018 collaboration with Radical Seas, this time reborn with a new bimetal design and ultra lightweight design. We wanted to maintain the playful spirit of the original while further pushing the specs away from the competition. With a 55g body and D bearing construction, the Featherweight Canary will bring out the new flows from within you that you have yet to discover.”
“Introducing: the Orchid. One of the main goals of our new Stem system is to open the door to new materials in yo-yo. This is our first release to move in that direction.
The Orchid features a full Teflon body in a comfortable and familiar organic profile. If you’ve never used a Teflon yo-yo, there are a few things that make it unique. The material is softer than other plastics like POM, giving it a different feel in the hand, excellent grinds, and a less painful experience if the yo-yo smashes into your hand. It also has a density closer to aluminum than POM, allowing for unique weight distribution while still giving the classic experience of using a plastic yo-yo.
Teflon is traditionally a very difficult material to use for yo-yo construction due to its softness and low friction properties. The Stem system is the perfect platform to support the material, and some of the durability issues of older Teflon yo-yos are mitigated by using our new hardware. Please note that due to the ultra-low surface friction of Teflon, your yo-yo may feel like it is continuing to tighten even when the Stem is holding everything securely in place. When assembling and unscrewing these Teflon yo-yos, press the halves together as you tighten/untighten the yo-yo for best results. The Teflon material also may have some slight imperfections in its color, please also note that this is normal and does not affect play.
All of these first run Stem yo-yos will come stock with a size D bearing, and they are compatible with other bearing sizes using additional Stem bearing seat kits.”
