Artifact

Description

The Artifact is a collaboration with our long time friend Alex Whitney, formally with Yoyocommunity.

Here is Alex’s description:

“I’m proud to introduce the Artifact, One Drop’s first small-bearing yo-yo. 

The Artifact was originally released as a collaboration between myself and Yoyocommunity in 2013, taking inspiration from Japanese designs of the late 2000s and early 2010s. Back in 2013, small-bearing yo-yos were less common than they are now (which considering that they’re still uncommon nowadays says quite a lot); this made the Artifact incredibly unique for the time but also presented its challenges. There was no standardized response pad for a small bearing yo-yo, and overall yo-yo manufacturing and design quality hadn’t quite reached the levels it has today. I’ve always felt this design could achieve more, which ultimately left the project feeling incomplete for the past 12 years. 

Small-bearing yo-yos have a unique feel on the string compared to the industry standard Size C bearing which makes them quite enchanting to play with. Because the bearing diameter is smaller, the string will actually wrap around the yo-yo more times when you wind it up. This means when you throw it, the yo-yo is going to spin faster, and you’ll be able to bind even at low RPMs. The difference in play is simultaneously subtle and striking and makes for a refreshing change compared to many of today’s other models. 

I approached One Drop — who live 1.5 hours South of where I grew up and have watched me go from an awkward teenager to a full-fledged adult over the last decade — about releasing an updated version of the design built to modern standards. Something that could go toe-to-toe with today’s designs performance-wise while maintaining the small bearing size. Suffice it to say, I was absolutely ecstatic when they agreed to partner on this project! Building from an unreleased prototype from before Yoyocommunity shut down, we aimed to stay true to the original design and kept the V-shape profile, mid-step rim, and of course the Size D bearing. We tweaked the hub design, increased the diameter slightly, boosted the alloy to 7075, lowered the weight, and fitted it with new response pads from our friends over at Freshly Dirty. 

The end result is one of my favorite playing yo-yos ever. I hope that this yo-yo sparks a newfound sense of wonder and adventure in your tricks, and can show people what a small-bearing yo-yo is truly capable of. Much like the name suggests, the Artifact is a true gem, and I’m excited to get it into everyone’s hands!”