RELEASE INFORMATION
17 APRIL 2022
379.99 USD
RAW TITANIUM
62 MADE
63.7g WITH ONE DROP ALUMINUM DISC SIDE EFFECTS
Diameter 50.5mm, Width 45mm, Gap 4.4mm
YOYORECREATION NSK PLATINUM DOUBLE STRAIGHT C bearing
CLYW SLIM / G GRIP SIZED LANDING PADS RESPONSE
SUSHIHOLIC
I am not a sushi connoisseur. I am, however, unquestionably a sushiholic.
A carefully prepared omakase is always welcome, but I am equally capable of enjoying a supermarket sushi roll straight from its plastic tray. My affection for sushi is inseparable from my fondness for Japan - a country connected to several of the most important moments in my life.
In 2015, I proposed to my then-girlfriend, now wife, at the top of Tokyo Skytree before attending the World Yo-Yo Contest. Four years later, we returned to Japan with our six-month-old son and travelled through Kyoto and Osaka as a family.
A sushi chef inside Sushi Dai.
A long queue outside Sushi Dai.
Inside the Tsukiji market, which has since relocated.
Those trips deepened my appreciation for the care embedded within Japanese craft. Sushi chefs spend years refining movements that appear effortless: the preparation of the rice, the cut of the fish, the pressure of the hand and the presentation of the finished piece. Every detail matters, including those most diners will never consciously notice.
That philosophy has always resonated with RSO.
Each release is extensively prototyped, its development documented and its presentation considered as carefully as the yo-yo itself. The artwork, engraving, accessories and packaging all increase the complexity and cost of production, but they also turn the finished release into something more complete.
For an RSO yo-yo called Sushi, every ingredient had to belong on the plate.
My then-fiance (now wife) in Sushi Zanmai.
LET’S ROLL
Production Sushi yo-yo.
Following Gravity, I began exploring shapes that departed from RSO's predominantly organic design language.
The titanium Bowl: Japan Edition had already given the Bowl series a ramen theme. A second yo-yo inspired by another Japanese staple was therefore always on the menu. Sushi takes that idea considerably further.
Its compact diameter, generous width and unusually square profile are deliberately proportioned to resemble a slice cut from a sushi roll. When several halves are placed side by side, they form a continuous cylinder-like pieces of makisushi waiting to be served. This resemblance may seem unnecessary. It was absolutely necessary.
Forming a Sushi roll with Sushi halves.
Sushi is designed around One Drop Disc Side Effects.
They are not simply a convenient choice of hub. Their broad, flat profile completes the visual illusion by covering the centre of each half and turning the assembled yo-yo into a convincing slice of sushi. Most other Side Effects expose the hub beneath them. A piece of sushi does not usually have a nipple in its centre.
The Disc Side Effects also carry considerable mass. At approximately 7.2g per pair, they are among the heaviest aluminium Side Effects available. Their weight and broad profile give them great influence over Sushi's movement. With the included Disc Side Effects, Sushi weighs approximately 63.7g and plays with an unhurried, controlled rhythm. It feels composed rather than forceful, moving through tricks with the measured pace of a carefully served omakase.
Replace them with aluminium Ultralight Side Effects, which are not included, and Sushi drops to approximately 59.0g. The same yo-yo immediately becomes quicker, lighter and far more eager to change direction.
One configuration is a long dinner at the counter. The other is a quick sushi fix.
Sushi's silhouette appears almost cylindrical, but its catch zone contains enough curvature to remain comfortable in the hand.
The relatively high walls preserve the visual profile without making the yo-yo difficult to use. Its 45mm width and 4.4mm gap provide ample room for layered string formations, while its compact 50.5mm diameter keeps the overall shape manageable.
Sushi is less rim-weighted than Gravity. Each titanium half is almost 1g lighter than its Gravity equivalent, preventing the wide cylindrical profile from feeling excessively dense. That restrained distribution gives Sushi an unusual combination of stability and softness. It remains composed through longer combinations without feeling aggressive at the end of the string.
The shape may resemble a solid roll. The playfeel is anything but.
DANCE TO A DIFFERENT TUNA
Sushi appears simple because the difficult work is largely hidden.
It became one of the most extensively prototyped RSO designs after Doombot and Droid. Nearly every complication arose from one non-negotiable requirement: the finished yo-yo had to retain its cylindrical sushi-roll silhouette.
The recipe required several attempts.
52mm 6061 aluminium Sushi prototype with a hollow construct.
Sushi began as a 52mm yo-yo machined from 6061 aluminium. Its body used a hollow construction with thin press-fit aluminium caps. The plan was to anodize the caps in colours inspired by familiar sushi ingredients: yellow for tamago, pink for sashimi and orange for uni. An aluminium version could have been produced in greater numbers and offered at a much lower price, allowing more players to own an RSO.
Unfortunately, the prototype was a disaster. The CNC-machined caps measured only 1mm at their thinnest point. They were made slightly larger than their corresponding grooves so they could be pressed securely into the yo-yo. Without the caps, the prototype was smooth. With the caps installed, it developed an intolerable pulse vibration. The thin aluminium had likely warped during machining or installation, turning the prototype into one of the most unstable yo-yos I had produced. The first roll fell apart.
Spaceship (left), a 54 mm diameter yo-yo, next to the aluminium Sushi prototype (right), a 52 mm diameter yo-yo. Photo by Shimon Osada (@shimoff_2).
Making the caps thicker appeared to be the obvious solution. It was not. Countless revisions failed to remove enough material from the aluminium body to offset the additional cap weight. Sushi's cylindrical shape made this particularly difficult: its rims extend across almost the entire width, requiring substantially more material than a similarly sized V-shaped design.
A cone naturally sheds volume as it narrows. A cylinder does not cooperate. The aluminium concept could not support thicker caps while retaining an acceptable weight, and thinning the original caps had already proved unreliable. Sushi needed a different ingredient.
52mm titanium Sushi prototype. Note the different engraving from the production version.
Titanium made it possible to preserve the intended shape while reducing the thickness and mass of the body. Moving to titanium was still a considerable risk. Sushi had an unconventional square profile, a relatively small target audience and a large collection of custom components that would all have to be manufactured successfully.
There was no guarantee that anyone wanted a titanium yo-yo shaped like a sushi roll. I decided to bite the bullet and ordered 62. The first titanium prototype solved the fundamental construction problem, but its 52mm diameter still felt too large in the hand. More importantly, it did not look sufficiently convincing as sushi. The Disc Side Effects appeared undersized within the broad hub and failed to fill the available space visually. It was technically successful but aesthetically underseasoned.
From left to right: 52 mm titanium prototype, 50.5 mm production version, 52 mm aluminium prototype.
TASTES BETTER, TOGETHER
A diameter of 50mm would have produced the strongest visual proportions, but Sushi's accessories were intended to remain compatible with Gravity and Duncan Freehand Zero caps. Those caps measure 48mm in diameter. Enough titanium still had to surround the cap groove for the halves to be machined safely and reliably.
The final diameter was therefore set at 50.5mm, leaving a 1.25mm wall around the cap groove. A final prototype confirmed the revised dimensions before production.
The result looks smaller, feels more natural in the hand and allows the Disc Side Effects to occupy the hub more. It is only 1.5mm smaller than the first titanium prototype, but those 1.5mm complete the illusion. With Sushi, presentation is part of the engineering.
Sushi is not a single configuration. It is a tasting menu.
Like Gravity, it accepts removable caps and weight rings that alter its mass distribution, appearance and movement. Unlike the original Gravity release, every Sushi includes the complete set of custom CNC-machined polycarbonate components. The full modular system comprises:
Titanium body, 53.7g
RSO CLYW Slim / G-grip Sized Landing Pads and Yoyorecreation NSK platinum double straight C Bearing, 2.3g
Aluminium disc One Drop SE, 7.2g
Pair of rubber cylindrical weight rings, 3.6g
Pair of custom polycarbonate thin rings, 2.8 g
Pair of custom polycarbonate thick rings, 4.4g
Pair of custom polycarbonate caps, 5.6g
Pair of FHZ caps, 5.4g
From left to right, custom CNC machined thin weight ring (1.4g), thick ring (2.2g) and cap (2.8g)
The custom polycarbonate components are CNC-machined for a precise fit. Their geometry differs slightly from the versions produced for Gravity, particularly around the centre opening.
Each thick ring weighs approximately 2.2g and has a central opening slightly wider than the Disc Side Effects, allowing the Disc Side Effects to pass through cleanly. The thinner rings weigh approximately 1.4g each, while every polycarbonate cap adds approximately 2.8g.
The rubber rings weigh approximately 1.8g each and sit beneath the caps. They are the same rings used by Gravity and the titanium Silver Bullet.
Each component changes more than the number on a scale. The thinner rings add presence without overwhelming Sushi's agility. The thicker rings produce a more substantial, planted movement. The full caps move further mass away from the centre while completely transforming the appearance of the yo-yo.
The Side Effects change the centre. The rings change the perimeter. The caps change the entire serving.
The weight rings, weighing 1.8g each, sit just underneath the caps. Sushi uses the same rubber weight rings as Gravity and the titanium Silver Bullet.
Thin polycarbonate weight ring, weighing 1.4g each.
Thick polycarbonate weight ring, weighing 2.2g each.
Polycarbonate cap, weighing 2.8g each.
Three pairs of stickers were designed specifically for the polycarbonate caps. Each transforms Sushi into a different sliced roll, completing an idea that began with the earliest coloured aluminium-cap concepts. The stickers fit the caps precisely and allow the yo-yo to look as deliberate when displayed as it feels on the string.
Blank white Duncan Freehand Zero caps are also included for players who prefer a simpler presentation.
Sushi can be served raw, capped, ringed or fully dressed. There is no wrong order. Only different combinations.
Blank Freehand Zero caps, weighing 2.7g each.
FEAST YOUR EYES
The packaging and artwork were created with the same commitment as the yo-yo.
ATILA's artwork features a sumo wrestler inspired by E. Honda, one of my favourite Street Fighter characters. The side panels depict stages of sushi preparation, drawing visual inspiration from Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Long-time RSO friends Yuuki Yoneno and Shimon Osada assisted with the Japanese banners appearing in the background.
The accompanying accessories continue the theme beyond the artwork. The certificate of authenticity takes the form of an oroshigane, the traditional grater associated with preparing fresh wasabi. The enamel pin depicts a hangiri, the wooden tub used to season and mix sushi rice. Even the protective cloth carries a rice print.
The redesigned cap-removal tool is longer than the version supplied with Gravity, making the closely fitted caps considerably easier to remove.
Sushi includes a redesigned cap removal tool. The new tool is longer, which allows the caps to be removed easily.
The enamel pin features a hangiri, a traditional tub used to mix sushi rice.
The certificate of authenticity features an oroshigane, used for grating wasabi.
Sushi brings together my love of Japan with everything I value about RSO: thoughtful design, careful engineering and a story carried through to the smallest detail.
Only 62 were made, but Sushi remains one of the releases that most completely expresses what RSO is.
Prepared with care. Served complete.
