Ultra State

Description

We are honored to partner with the wonderful “Stay Gold, America” project of the Atwood family a second time to bring you the Ultra State. 

https://blog.codinghorror.com/stay-gold-america/

Previously we partnered with them to create the Deepest State. The goal was to make the best possible aluminum Modern Responsive yo-yo we could. For the Ultra State, the goal was the same except this time the material is titanium.

Generally speaking, Modern Responsive yo-yos play better if they weigh less than what we are used to with Unresponsive yo-yos. Titanium has a much higher density than aluminum which means it weighs more. Our goal was to have the diameter be big (turned out to be 56.77mm) which made it challenging to get the weight right - it requires a very thin wall. Machining titanium is already a challenge, but trying to go really thin makes it much more difficult, but Shawn, The Machinist, was up for the challenge and was able to get the final weight with aluminum Micro Caps to be 56.2 grams. 

Because the body is so thin, the Ultra State has a high amount of rim weight and this results in a lot of power and long spin times to the point that it’s a bit scary because it’s responsive. You’ll likely end up throwing lightly as you see masters of this style  like Ed Haponik do, but the power is on tap if you need it. It’s really easy to throw smooth and soft and still get plenty of spin time. If you’re brave, you can use a heavier Side Effect to increase the weight. Jeff Atwood describes it as a sports car version of the Deepest State. Not super car crazy, but more like a Lotus Elise. "A bit more power and oomph on tap".

We were blessed to have Ed Haponik consulting on the Ultra State and he’s been extensively testing a production version for the last six months. Here is what he says about it:

“As an aficionado of fixed axle and old school yo-yos, I have always been interested in trying to find the best-playing modern responsive yo-yo possible. There's nothing like throwing an expertly-crafted wooden yo-yo, but they inevitably change as you play them or as they're exposed to different conditions. At this point, responsive transaxle yo-yos have been around since time immemorial, but even keeping those yo-yos at a consistent level of response is challenging. The right confluence of materials, gap width, response, and bearing lubrication is essential, and it's tough to get all those variables dialed.

Having played the Ultra State over the past 5 months, I am convinced that it's the best, lowest-maintenance, and most reliable modern responsive yo-yo to date. (And having found myself engrossed in the search for such a yo-yo for the last few decades - even developing several signature models in that vein - I feel ok about making that assessment.) Especially with the OD Greasebucket bearing, it's just amazing. Since getting the Ultra State proto, I've thrown it more than any other yo-yo in my collection, and aside from changing the string, I have had to do absolutely zero to it to keep it playing just the way I like it. 

To clarify that, my favorite yo-yo of all time is the Tom Kuhn No Jive 3-in-1, and I've always chased that ideal in a metal bearing throw. In terms of form factor, mass, and FEEL, the Ultra State is as close as it gets, while adding the consistency and durability of titanium! It spins great, responds with a tug, loops and regenerates with ease, stalls effortlessly, and flips with terrific control. It's really like taking the most consistent classic wooden yo-yo you've ever played, and locking its play attributes into a package that hardly changes at all over thousands of throws.

Apologies if this testimonial has seemed excessive. David asked if I would jot down a sentence or two offering my thoughts on the Ultra State. The fact that this is me endeavoring to be as succinct as possible in my endorsement should be taken to mean "I THINK YOU SHOULD GET ONE AND PLAY THE HECK OUT OF IT AS SOON AS YOU CAN".

Since Ed found the Greasebucket to provide the perfect amount of lasting response, that is the bearing you’ll find in the yo-yo when you take it out of the box.

Includes a Gold Nytro string made by Matt at YoYoStringLab:

https://www.yoyostringlab.com

Available in two finishes:

*Walnut Shell Polished finish with gold Micro Caps  $288
*Raw Machine finish with gray Micro Caps $288