Triple Zero and Fulvia - Reimagined in Titanium & 7068

When I prototyped these designs for the first time, I wanted to explore something specific. There are two different design related journeys I will attempt to explain since they are a little bit different. Being a new project with different materials, it was a nice challenge to design in both titanium and 7068 aluminum. I didn't actually plan to release these at the same time - but it made sense due to delays and other exploratory reasons.

The Fulvia

The journey with the original Fulvia started way back in 2016 with the attempt to create the ultimate rim weighted titanium yoyo. This meant throwing everything else out the window to pursue pure performance and numerical weight distribution. A lot of competition style bimetals tend to focus in this direction which does make sense - but in 2022 it seemed like every bimetal can perform and outperform. One of the challenges I found myself facing while using these performance monsters was the uncomfortable amount of power you feel between when the yoyo leaves the hand and hits the bottom of the string. There were three phenomenons that I wanted to reduce without sacrificing the performance aspect of a competition style bimetal yoyo - the powerful kick back felt with most bimetals, the bind quality when the yoyo reaches the end of the string and lastly the overall overpowering feeling that comes with most yoyos in this category.

Titanium was chosen for the weight ring to promote a less concentrated weight distribution. This greatly helps with the feel during that initial spin-up. Instead of feeling heavy and sluggish, I wanted a floaty snappiness quality to it. When I first tried the prototypes, I realized it suddenly neither felt like a traditional bi-metal nor did it feel like a titanium yoyo. It felt like a new category of yoyo.

I wanted the bind to snap in a similar way as the Evora did. I played with the gap width and pad depth to determine a sweet spot where it really helped how the string wound up. I also decided to use the Dif-e-yo KonKave bearing which I have found binds tighter than Centertrac bearings, likely due to better string friction during the bind process. I know these changes sound granular but when you play with it you can really feel how much quicker and better it spins up. Its very much a "feeling" thing.

As for the aesthetics, I knew I wanted to keep it very similar to the original Fulvia but with subtle changes. I was inspired to try and create an illusion of the center aluminum cup floating in a liquid. it is hard to see in photos but the outer titanium ring has a concavity to it creating this very interesting fluid tension look to it. My good friend Adam actually reminded me the technical fluid dynamics term for this - a "concave meniscus". Visually, it almost looks like a double ring but is so subtle that it could be overlooked. This design element is something I will likely use in the future since I feel like it looks so unique, and is something I am quite proud of. 

I had initially designed the 7068 Fulvia first, and while looking at my other projects, I had always wanted to bring back what I think to be the most beautiful yoyo I have ever designed. The brass ringed titanium bi-metal 000 BTM was a yoyo I released 2021 and it was an instant success. There was something magical about that yoyo, both the bi-metal and mono-metal versions. When I had the opportunity to do a remake I instantly thought about the 000 BTM, and challenged myself to make a version that carries the same play characteristics as possible.

Unlike the Fulvia where I tried to change the characteristics, I really thought the 000 had such a great floaty feeling to it. I knew that it was mostly because of the incredibly thin wall thickness that can be achieved with titanium. My fear with aluminum was that it could not be made thin enough to achieve the same kind of light hollow feeling that made the 000 so iconic. Luckily, thanks to the strength properties of 7068, it was possible to machine the walls thin enough to preserve 85% of that iconic floaty feeling.

Dimensionally, the outside catch zone is identical to its full titanium father. I had the opportunity to round off the edges a bit more than the titanium version so it feels more comfortable. The outside lip is slightly thicker as well, due to aluminum's lighter weight. The titanium ring is beautifully flush into the body much like the original 000 BTM. I was afraid it wouldn't be as striking, but when I saw it in person for the first time i was pleasantly surprised. I also used the same bearing seat bind principal with the 000 after testing those theories on the Fulvia. It's a very rewarding feeling throwing these back to back. It's cool to know they are the same materials and construction but play so very differently.

The surface finish on the 000 is really interesting. Its hard to capture on camera but there is a stepped sheen to it that is purely aesthetic. I believe this has something to do with how the Gcode is generated for the CNC, but it almost has a sectioned rainbow illusion that can't be felt by the hand. I haven't played with mine enough to know if it wears off but its a very cool effect. The shop did warn that each yoyo might have a variance in surface finish which is why most people avoid making raw aluminum yoyos, but i found this to be a part of its beauty.

Because this was a double release, I wanted to create a new line and package it differently than my traditional titanium releases. The new box design was inspired by scandinavian furniture that features a lot of natural light oak and white accents. This feeling of cleanliness has a really cool contrast to the more technical side of Luftverk, as seen with the artwork on the back of the box.

This will be an initial release of 40 raw units each. The raw aluminum has a beautiful rainbow effect due to the slow pass similar to the "RSP" Evora. The 000 especially has a stepped sheen to it, that is very hard to capture on camera. This initial run of raw yoyos will not be produced again - the shop actually mentioned it is more difficult to make raw yoyos due to the ability of anodizing covering small blemishes. If they do well, I will consider anodized versions in the future.

Last thing I wanted to mention is that pretty much all sales from 2022 have been going towards a very special project that I care a lot about - an affordable injection molded yoyo. I have been keeping this pretty low key (if you have read this far, you probably deserve to know) but it is in its prototyping stages already. As you likely know, anything that involves injection molding is astronomically costly even compared to titanium. So I really appreciate the support as it helps me design more things, and in the case of a plastic yoyo - something that the mass market can afford.

Unfortunately I might not be able to ship all orders until beginning of July since I will be attending and shooting video for US Nationals! I will ship what I can in chronological order beforehand though! If you would like to try out these yoyos please come find me in Arizona!

Both models will be available for purchase on Sunday, June 19th at 10:00pm EST in the Luftverk store.