Do I Need a Titanium Yoyo?

by Jeffrey Pang February 25, 2016 2 Comments

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.

The Beautiful Onedrop Citizen Yoyo

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.

Jeffrey Pang

Author

2 Responses

Nate P

January 19, 2022

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?”

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