Do I need to buy a titanium yoyo? I see this question all the time. And although there are many people who fanboy over the *ting* sound they make, me included - my short honest answer, as a manufacture of titanium yoyos: No, you don't.
Its interesting when I see this question. I usually see it from people who maybe are newer to the hobby, but has noticed the excitement over the titanium yoyos recently released. So this isn't a surprising question to someone who might not be that deep into it yet. But let me explain.
I think there comes a point in someones "yoyoing career" where they hit this plateau of how good they are. They usually can learn any tricks pretty easily, and can start to tell the small difference between each yoyo. They are skilled enough to do everything they know on a plastic yoyo, a metal yoyo, or a yoyo that is made from Uranium-235 (assuming they have some sort of radioactive protection). But like the player who is willing to go through the inconvenience of wearing a radiation suit just to enjoy a yoyo made from an exotic material, titanium is no different, but in this case the inconvenience is a higher price tag.
You can optimize the weight distribution much better so perhaps it can spin a bit longer - but that would be missing the point. In the same way a beautifully crafted stainless steel watch can tell the time a bit more accurately then a cheap plastic dollar store watch, there is not so much difference if your yardstick is purely performance based.
But somehow that stainless steel watch has a feeling of being more premium. A feeling of luxury or collectability, or that it could last a lifetime compared to its plastic counter part. It tells a story; has a soul. This experience, and feeling is what people are paying for. This is what a titanium yoyo is. And this is what I really focus on at Luftverk - it really is more than just the yoyo.
I think the last thing I need to say is - if you need to ask why, you probably shouldn't. The people who know, just know. So whether you are ready or not is up to you to decide.
This is the most real answer possible to this question.
Harsh Maheshwari
February 26, 2016
Excellent article and very well written.
I loved the part where you used plastic and steel watch to compare, and after reading this article i certainly know the answer to the question “Do I Need a Titanium Yoyo?”
It has been a while since Ive written much - the second half of 2023 was insanely busy with project management. Since the release of the plastic lineup, I had very little time to focus on the roots of what made Luftverk so exciting. I realized this was a huge problem - I needed to guide Luftverk back to it's roots of exploring new materials and build product lineups that told a story stemmed from exploration. I had done this with plastics last year but in 2024 I would like to also focus back onto some more products that use exotic materials. While being incredibly late to the party this recent project is Luftverk's first Magnesium ever, which was at first canceled and almost never released.
It has been nearly 4 months since Ive been in Japan, and 5 months since I left Toronto. Writing that out makes it feel short but in reality it feels like forever ago. The last launch of the Plastic Peak was an overwhelming experience. I felt so grateful to work with CLYW, a company I grew up with. When the World Yoyo Contest hit I didn't know what to expect, but I had started noticing a feeling of burn out after grinding out so many yoyo related projects and in a weird introverted way I was a bit reluctant to go.
CLYW is a Canadian brand that started in 2006. I was 14 at the time when I watched this new brand unfold on the Yoyonation forums. They released their first yoyo named the "Peak" with 50 pieces retailing for $85. Today, that yoyo has used asking prices north of $2500 making it one of the most insanely rare and expensive yoyos to date. This "OG Painted Peak" featured a custom painted surface by a Canadian airbrush artist named Levi. Overtime as the Peak was impacted or dinged, the paint would chip off meaning there are only a handful of units in the world that survived in mint unused condition. Later versions would be released in more durable anodized finishes, but these first 50 "OG Painted Peaks"cemented CLYW into yoyoing history.
Jeffrey Pang
Author