When I released the titanium version of the Revora, I had one goal in mind. Challenge myself to design a solid state product in an era where that is no longer the normal. In a way - it was a challenge to myself to see if Luftverk's evolving design language could stack up against todays multi-material engineering marvels.
In today's world, a monometal yoyo has been done 1000 times over. It is a staple product in every niche yoyo brand's lineup. As this market has changed, it became harder and harder to stand out, which means that companies often needed to get creative with plastic rings, or tri-material designs. Something that is genuinely impressive to see.
As a consumer of yoyo products - this is a win. There are now more yoyo choices than ever, and lower and lower costs. The hobby has grown exponentially and the options are now endless. But yet - I felt like I still needed to challenge myself to make a design that could potentially challenge that norm. That more is not always the answer.
When I look at other art disciplines for inspiration, simple design has always triumphed over complexity. A charcoal drawing. A marble sculpture - or concrete furniture pieces. These have always been an inspiration to me because when the medium is simple it levels the playing field. It shows the raw emotion or design, without having clutter to muddy the beauty.
And I will be the first to say - this is an opinion. I recognize that while yoyo aesthetics is subjective - performance is not. Tri-material designs are often what hardcore competitors need to win that comp, or hit that complicated neck trick. But as a hyper-casual player who is often only picking up a yoyo while I am waiting for the laundry to finish, I feel like I personally just have a different use case.
This was the ethos of the REVORA - a single material yoyo with no gimmick. Maybe in a way I wanted to prove to myself that I still can make a design stand out in the sea of aluminum yoyos. Wether that is true or not is obviously subjective. But the REVORA does blend a series of design elements I think are truly unique.
Things like the reverse rake double nested cup - that provides a unique weight distribution. Combined with our classic engineering engraving. It provides a unique "modern but timeless" feel - something that is carried over from the titanium version. Being available only in raw aluminum is also a nod to the ethos of "simplistic single material design", something that Luftverk has been offering for years. This shows the yoyo in it's raw beauty without any added distraction, and maybe selfishly something that I have been personally collecting over the years.
Because the density of titanium is much more, the aluminum version was actually easier to exaggerate the design elements of the double nest design. The cross section shows a much thicker outer lip as well, creating a more pronounced lip around the hub.
This new batch is a testament to how far yoyo design has come - not because I think the REVORA is something completely new, but more so that even I can recognize how a simple 6061 design can now be overshadowed by the engineering marvels that are offered these days. But call me traditional - I will always find beauty in a solid-state single material yoyo. Like a simple pencil drawing on canvas, the simplicity is the great equalizer of beauty. And that ethos is something that I can only hope the community can understand too, even if its only a silly challenge to myself.
REVORA 6061
Diameter: 55.0mm
Width: 49.5mm
Weight: 66.2g
Price: $90USD
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Hard to believe it has been 10 years of Luftverk. What started out as a titanium only passion project in my parents basement has grown significantly through product releases of various materials. Last few years have been a challenge creatively to draw up more interesting designs that are worthy of a titanium flagship release.
Jeffrey Pang
Author