RELEASE INFORMATION

28 MAY 2021

399.99 USD

RAW TITANIUM

70 MADE

63.1g WITH ONE DROP BRASS ULTRALIGHT SIDE EFFECTS

Diameter 54mm, Width 40mm, Gap 4.4mm

YOYORECREATION NSK PLATINUM DOUBLE STRAIGHT C bearing

19MM TYPE 40 LANDING PADS RESPONSE

ALL-SINGAPOREAN COLLABORATION

Gravity began over dinner at Mos Burger in October 2020, when I met Reuben from Atmos Projects to discuss an all-Singaporean collaboration.

At the time, RSO was only two years old. Although I could design and manage a release independently, collaboration offered something equally valuable: a second perspective. Previous RSO collaborations had largely been developed remotely. Working with another Singaporean company meant that we could meet in person, review the CAD together, establish a unified direction and eventually share the assembly, testing and shipping.

From the beginning, we agreed on two things: Gravity would be made from titanium, and it would feature removable caps. The catch zone drew heavily from the Atmos Projects Cloudberry, including its deep Schmoove rings. Around this, we developed a rounded titanium body with a Side Effects hub, removable weight rings and two different cap systems. The aim was not simply to make another capped yo-yo. We wanted the caps - and every component beneath them - to have a genuine function.

The Gravity’s catch zone is heavily inspired by the Atmos Projects Cloudberry, with its deep Schmoove rings.

RETHINKING YO-YO CAPS

Some of my earliest yo-yos with removable caps were the Playmaxx Proyo II and Turbo Bumble Bee. Their cardboard-like caps were primarily decorative. With use, they became dirty, began to peel and were often damaged during removal. The injection-moulded caps of the Duncan Freehand were more durable, but their dimensions could vary enough to make the fit unpredictable. Some were easy to remove; others were almost impossible. Existing titanium capped yo-yos like the Turning Point Majiska also demonstrated that the concept was possible, but removing the caps was not always elegant.

Gravity was developed around a more demanding brief. It had to remain playable both with and without caps. The caps had to be durable, consistently fitted and easy to remove without damage. Most importantly, they had to do more than change the appearance of the yo-yo. Each Gravity includes a pair of blank Freehand Zero caps, individually reworked by Reuben to fit its cap grooves. However, the dimensional variation and convex surface of the injection-moulded caps limited what we could do with them. Laser engraving caused the material to melt, while the curved surface made it difficult to apply a sticker cleanly. Painting was also rejected. A painted surface would introduce inconsistencies between units and would not age as predictably as the underlying material.

The solution was to machine an entirely new cap.

With our custom CNC machined caps, with a pasted sticker.

The custom cap has a flat external surface that allows the supplied artwork sticker to be applied cleanly - or left off entirely for a more minimal appearance. Prototype caps were produced in both Delrin and polycarbonate. I preferred the opaque appearance of Delrin, but the material was too soft to be machined reliably at the required thickness. Polycarbonate was more rigid and allowed the cap to be reduced to approximately 1mm.

Each cap weighs less than 3g. Its translucency also allows the brass Side Effects beneath it to remain faintly visible, giving the material a visual purpose rather than simply disguising the mechanism. The finished pair weighs 5.6g, compared with 5.4g for the supplied Freehand Zero caps.

SYSTEM OF MASS

The second - and often overlooked - function of a yo-yo cap is its ability to alter weight distribution.

This became the most complex part of Gravity’s development. A capped yo-yo needs sufficient material at its rims to retain the caps securely. As the diameter increases, more material must be left around the fixed cap diameter, raising the base weight before any caps or weight rings are installed. We therefore settled on a diameter of 54mm. This was large enough to feel substantial in the hand, while keeping the uncapped titanium body within a practical weight range.

The individual components weigh:

Titanium body, 55.6g
RSO 19mm Type 40 Landing Pads and Yoyorecreation NSK platinum double straight C Bearing, 2.3g
Brass ultralight One Drop Side Effects (SE), 5.2g
Pair of weight rings, 3.6g
Pair of custom caps, 5.6g
Pair of FHZ caps, 5.4g

Gravity ships at 63.1g with the supplied brass Ultralight Side Effects installed and without either the caps or weight rings. This remains my preferred configuration. It preserves the clear metallic ring of titanium and allows the underlying shape to be experienced without additional mass.

My other preferred setup uses aluminum Ultralight Side Effects with the custom polycarbonate caps, producing a weight of approximately 66.0g. The caps dampen the titanium ring and replace it with a hollow hum reminiscent of the original Duncan Freehand. The change is not merely visual: the same yo-yo acquires a different weight, sound and sense of nostalgia.

Different components of the Gravity which can change the yo-yo’s weight.

WEIGHT BENEATH THE SURFACE

Gravity uses the same removable rubber weight rings developed for the titanium Silver Bullet. They sit within dedicated grooves, just beneath the caps, and add 3.6g as a pair. Their position allows the mass to remain hidden once the caps are installed. The exterior remains visually simple even when the internal configuration has changed considerably. Rather than designing a single prescribed play experience, we designed a platform that could support several.

CAP REMOVAL SYSTEM

Our first intention was to avoid a dedicated removal tool. We experimented with everyday objects such as screwdrivers to push the Side Effects out from the opposite side. In practice, this was imprecise. The Side Effect could tilt instead of moving vertically, or drop into the cup during removal. Applying pressure directly to the cap also created an unnecessary risk of marking or damaging it.

We therefore machined a dedicated stainless-steel removal tool. Its tip fits snugly inside the Side Effect bore, allowing pressure to be applied along the correct axis. The tool also has threads matching those of the Side Effects, so the tool and Side Effect can be secured together and removed as a single unit. It is a small component, but it completes the system. The caps can be installed and removed repeatedly without improvisation and without compromising the yo-yo or its components.

Using a screw driver to remove the SE (left), the SE dropping into the cup (center) and using the included SE tool (right). Yo-yo pictured is not the Gravity.

INTERPLANETARY TRAVEL

Space exploration has been a recurring influence on RSO since the beginning, most visibly through SPACESHIP.

Gravity extends that idea in a more functional way. The name refers to the effect of its variable mass: changing the installed components creates the sensation of playing the same object under different gravitational conditions.

For something closer to the Moon, install aluminum Ultralight Side Effects and remove everything else. For something closer to the Sun, install every available component.

The artwork by ATILA draws from the Apollo 11 mission. Reuben and I are shown throwing Gravity on the lunar surface while several Hachikos collect scientific data nearby. Earth remains visible in the background. The mission artwork is playful, but it reflects the central design concept accurately.

Gravity is not one fixed yo-yo. It is a titanium platform through which weight, sound and play character can be altered - without changing the object at its centre.