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?”
Crazy to think it has been 2 years since the original release of the Plastic Fulvia and Plastic 000. Both models as of now are pretty much sold out everywhere, and I knew it was about time to update both with a small batch of new colors as well as fix a few small issues with the first designs. I appreciate everyone who has reached out anticipating a restock of these - as the manufacturing process is very timely for sure so restocks can't happen as quick as I'd like.
In January, I released the AKURA MG, a yoyo made from Magnesium. This material has a very low density and I talked about how it performs more like a plastic than anything else. But what made that yoyo really special is the aesthetic. I loved the lines on that yoyo. The proportions with the chunky rims were just perfect. One of the biggest aesthetic challenges though were that after the ceramic coating the lines were quite subtle which hid the design.
Its wild to think that the Fulvia design is now 8 years old - originally released in 2016. This design was developed in titanium with the pursuit of rim weight and stability. So much has changed since then. 2024 was an interesting year with the challenges of moving to a new country while maintaining releases. Not many people realize but I often prototype yoyos for myself and they just never get released. Often they join the rotation of throws I have on the shelf, which never make it to production. The monometal 000 and Fulvia was exactly that - prototypes that I submited earlier this year that just never ended up making it to production.
Jeffrey Pang
Author