The Fulvia was definitely one of the most interesting and demanding projects I have ever taken. Flying half way across the world to work hand in hand with machinist was a true eye opening experience. We dialed the design and machining process down and produced a super limited run of raw yoyos. But I always felt raw didn't cut it. I contacted my anodizer and the picture above is what we came up with. The colors had a very winter feel to them so we headed outside to shoot some pictures in natural lighting.
The park we did this shoot in was completely empty which was awesome. The day earlier there was a snow storm which covered everything with fresh powder. Definitely worth it for some cold weather trail images with the new set of Fulvias. Although my fingers didn't hold up well to the cold titanium, the yoyos themselves performed exceptionally throughout the day. Check out this promo video we shot:
With the 2017 Fulvia, I didn't just want 3 different colors again but instead to experiment with 3 different textures. The classic flagship Glass Dusted Anodized finish was a must. And the AMS2488 Type II Hard coat was always the variation that went with it. But it seemed lacking this time around - since both have been done before. There needed to be a third.
The new finish this time around is dubbed Ultra-matte. A unique finish that doesn't have an SAE designation. Its super chalky texture is soft in the hands - similar to a soft touch plastic yet feels slipperier. Even during humid days the finish feels slick - unlike the AMS2488 or Glass Dusting. I've had people compare the look to poured concrete which I love. The most interesting part is the ability to develop a slight patina since it is really reactive to the oils on your fingers. It is one of the most interesting finishes I have ever held in my hands. With its higher cost these will be the most limited of the three.
As some of you reading this might remember the original Fulvia was a two part release. One in Mono-metal titanium and one in bimetal titanium. In keeping with that theme I ordered the same shells that were made last time and had them done in the same three finishes. I was really concerned that the tolerances would be affected by the anodizing processes but they turned out beautiful.
Every single BTM-R is assembled, weight matched and recorded by myself. Only two or three in an 8 hour day can be assembled due to how sensitive the alignment of the rings are. You need to have both rings clocked at the exact position to make sure that all vibrations are canceled out. This reason alone, there will only be 11 available total - 5 AMS488, 3 Anodized and 3 Ultra-Matte. Its both taxing and rewarding to be able to finish one - and even a bit sentimental to let them go because of how much time is invested.
The packaging of course couldn't be overlooked. With so much time invested in design assembly and testing it only felt right to get the unboxing experience right. The new cube style Luftverk box returns but with a twist. I again called up Drew Tetz who worked on the CLYWxLuftverk Tundra release to laser up a gorgeous wood inlay that featured the cursive "Fulvia" script.
Similar to the Tundra, each piece is stained in my garage by hand. When you open the packaging you are hit with various amounts of sensual overload. The feeling of the sleeve pulling off. The smell of the natural wood and deep walnut stain. The yoyo presenting itself right in the middle. All of these things happen in a split second even before you touch the yoyo - and that is really important. First impressions matter.
The Czech yoyo shop www.Lardon.cz has been making the Luftverk certificates since the initial Octavia release and this one is no different. Now located in Canada, it would be so much cheaper to get these printed here locally - but by supporting a small growing shop it gives back to the same community that these will be sold to. The quality of these certificates have always been amazing, from the texture to the print quality. Their shop has it dialed. The Anodizing was done in the USA, and then shipped to a shop recommended by Andre of Yoyoexpert for Laser engraving. I owe it to all these people for making this happen.
Hopefully this gives you an insight into the 2017 Fulvia release and what is involved to create a product like this. Each yoyo will be numbered and signed with an included certificate. They will be available starting Febuary 1st at 10:00 pm EST only on www.Luftverk.com.
Thanks for reading!
Spec Sheet
FULVIA Material: Titanium Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5) Width: 43.0 mm Diameter: 56.0 mm Weight: 63.6 grams Bearing: Size C Center Trac/Full Ceramic Grooved Response: 19mm LuftPAD Limited: 25 AMS2488 15 Anodized 10 Ultra-Matte
FULVIA BTM Body Material: Titanium Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5) Ring Material: Steel 316 (Stainless) Width: 43.0 mm Diameter: 56.0 mm Weight: 62.6 grams Bearing: Size C Center Trac/Full Ceramic Grooved Response: 19mm LuftPAD Limited: 6 AMS2488, 3 Anodized, 3 Ultra-Matte
Apologies if this writeup seems short. it has been an insane month of work, accumulating multiple 70 hour work weeks back to back. More than half of that work is comprised of plastic projects I have in the pipeline for 2023. So although it has been non-stop, it is work I have been enjoying quite a lot. Im trying to get stuff buttoned up before I leave Canada, so things have been all over the place. Back in December when the Fulvia hit the stores, this Triple zero was already in development. In fact - this was supposed to be the first yoyo released until I changed my mind in mid 2022.
December was such an insane month, it almost burnt me out. The amount of yoyos I had to ship out for the Fulvia release was insane, but on top of that being just a single person running Luftverk, it meant I was also dealing with invoicing stores all around the world and making sure the factory got paid in advance for shipments. All in all it was a slurry of spreadsheets and staying up late to pack orders every day.
I dont know where to start with the project. It has been the most expensive yoyo by multiple magnitudes to create. Not only was this project costly due to injection molding, but my persistence on a machining operation meant the R&D for this yoyo took forever. I started designing this yoyo over 2 years ago - and it has slowly snowballed into this proof-of-concept initial release based on the beloved Fulvia design.
