From One Drop:
“JT Nickel joined the One Drop player’s team in 2013. It has been our honor to have him with us for the last 13 years and going forward. He’s an amazing and passionate yo-yoer with an encyclopedic knowledge of tricks.
https://onedropyoyos.com/team/jt-nickel
In 2016, we released his first signature yo-yo, The Top Deck, which has become a classic that stands the test of time.
https://onedropyoyos.com/yoyos/top-deck
As good as the Top Deck is, we all felt it was time for JT to get a new signature yo-yo. We thought it would be the Top Deck Gen 2, but as it turned out, it was different enough to be considered a brand new throw. Here is how JT describes the design process:
“When David and Shawn asked me to start brainstorming ideas for a Top Deck Gen 2, I had absolutely no vision for which direction to go. I wanted to ‘modernize’ the old design but only had surface level improvements such as ‘wider’ and ‘more organic.’ What really got the ball moving was the goal of using many subtle design choices from previous models across One Drop’s history and applying them to a wider Top Deck. Then came the big crossroads: side effects or no side effects? Upon making the decision to design new side effects and adjusting the profile to make the yoyo light but powerful, it became clear we were not making Top Deck Gen 2, but something totally new by comparison. Enter The Crucible, a yoyo built on the interaction of different design elements leading to the creation of something new. 7068 alloy, brand new side effect design, all while incorporating numerous designs and lessons from One Drop’s many models over the years. My lovely wife Marie created the box art and engravings, making this a very special project for me involving many of the most important people in my life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.”
This is our first 7068 aluminum alloy yo-yo and it’s shipping with a brand new Side Effect called “The JT”.”
