YoYoFactory x YoYoExpert Prague Pack review
So this is my very first review, so I apologize if I do something wrong with it 
Also, PLEASE COMMENT AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK
So anyway, I first saw this deal on the front page of yoyoexpert. I was very exited. It looked like an amazing deal and I wanted to get one as soon as I could. My anticipation only grew when I asked yyoyexpert about it, and all they would say was that it was an amazing deal. So I dug around in my drawers and found $45. Then I went to order it, and started digging again for 5 more dollars for shipping.
After I finished ordering it, I sat back and waited 3 business days for it to arrive.
When the order came, I was on the front step waiting for it. I ran up and got the box. It was kind of small, but that did not matter to me. I ran inside and tore it open as fast as I could. Here is what I found inside:
- A large fabric bag (about the size of a shopping bag) with a really cool picture on it.
- A regular yoyofactory box that contained a blue cypher and a half blue-half gold popstar
- 4 large, stiff cardstock cards that had pictures and autographs of Paul Kerbal, Luis Enrique, Gentry Stein, and Vashek Kroutil.
- A coded 10% of cupon
- 2 yoyoexpert stickers and one large yoyo factory sticker
- A yoyo hip holder thingy (see picture)
- 3 sets of trading cards
- Those two cards that you get with every yoyoexpert purchase that list the tricks to learn and the playing cards to collect.
So, lets start with the bag. It was folded nicely in the box, and all of the items were inside of it. Its seemed kind of flimsy, (thatâs ok because Iâm not planning on using it to carry anything, besides maybe yoyos) but it looks VERY cool. It goes nicely on my wall
The autographed cards are very nice. They are large and stiff. They have action shots of players doing tricks, and their signature yoyos in the corner. Most of them, are set up portrait style, but the one with Paul Kerbal on it goes horizontally in order to show him doing his signature hand spring move. You can really tell that sometime was put into making them. They look very nice on my wall as well.
The 10% off cupon was nice. It was in code so I spent a while cracking it. That was fun.
The hip holder, I use every day. It is a very nice way to carry a yoyo. The popstar looks cute in it 
The stickers and cards and trading cards were kind of nice. I do use the check list cards for tricks and players that I want to get. Also, I did get quite a few players that I wanted out of the trading card packs. It was fun that they gave you nine cards instead of the regular three. Not much more to say on thoseâŚ
And now, the moment that you have all been waiting for⌠THE YOYOS!
Both yoyos were stored inside the yoyofactory box. (when I say yoyofactory box, I mean the box that they put all their yoyos in)
The first one I got out was the popstar. Here are the stats:
Diameter: 43.8 mm / 1.73 inches
Width: 32 mm / 1.26 inches
Gap Width: 4.90 mm / .19 inches
Weight: 66.5 grams
Bearing Size: Large SPEC Bearing
Size C (.250 x .500 x .187)
Response: Central Bearing Co - CBC âSlimâ Pad
Look and feel:
It is tiny. But despite its small size, itâs very heavy. Heavier than the cypher. The half gold half blue looks very cool. The blue side has all the yoyofactory and yoyoexpert and Prague 2014 stuff on it
It fits nicely in my hand, and has a bead blasted finish. The cups on either side are not bead blasted, and have a small nub that sticks out. There is a small lip so I guess it is possible to thumb grind. (You would have to have some seriously SMALL thumbs to do this though)
Response and Bearing:
The response is just yoyofactroyâs usual slim pads. They work well. Not amazing, but they do get the job done. They give the popstar nice and snappy binds. It is very hard to do a laceration bind with this, but thatâs not the pads fault. Itâs the yoyos fault. The gap is so small, itâs nearly impossible to whip the string into the gap. Oh well.
As for the bearing, it is, you guessed it, a SPEC bearing. Man, yoyofactory loves that thing donât they? Anyway, the bearing works well. It gives decent spin times, but can be quite noisy at times.
How well it plays:
Well, how to put this? The popstar is very small. Because of this, it suffers greatly in stability. They bearing works fine, but it cannot sleep very long, simply because it falls over.
Besides that, it is quite heavy, so I can really feel it on the string. Its small size makes it good for complicated string combos because it can go through complex triangles and such easily without getting caught on other strings.
Also, because of its small width, it is hard to land on the string at times.
I would talk about horizontal play, but I am not good at that, so I would not know what I was talking about. (Sorry!)
As I mentioned earlier, it has a bead blasted finish. However, it is hard to grind with because it runs out if momentum fast and dies on your finger. So in short is plays decently, but I cannot do long or very difficult combos with it.
Conclusion for the Popstar:
This yoyo was made to be cute. It does this quite well. It is not very practical because of its size, but it does fot in your pocket nicely, and is fun to carry around.
The Cypher was in the bottom part of the yoyofactory box. It was the one that you could actually see through the hole in the box. Here are the Cypher stats:
Diameter: 55.50 mm / 2.18 inches
Width: 43.30 mm / 1.70 inches
Gap Width: 4.65 mm / .18 inches
Weight: 66.3 grams
Bearing Size: SPEC bearing
Size C (.250 x .500 x .187)
Response: CBC âSlim Padâ Size 19mm OD
Look and feel:
This yoyo looks absolutely massive next to the popstar. (The popstar fits inside the cypherâs cup :D)
It is not terribly big, it is what I think of as ânormal sizeâ (about the size of a shutter)
It has rounded edges that turn into a v shape of sorts when it gets close to the bearing. It fits very nicely in my hand.
It has a nub in the cup as well, but this nub has two steps in it.
Around the nub is a picture of Prague and the word Cypher in code. (by the way, the deep blue color that it comes in is very cool)
It too has a bead blasted finish, and the cup inside does as well.
Response and bearing:
The response on this is the same as the popstar, and it works well (snappy binds, good for laceration binds) Unlike the popstar, the pads are a yellow green instead of white. This complements the blue of the rest of the yoyo nicely.
The bearing on the cypher is also a SPEC bearing. The Cypher that you can buy now has a center trac. I wish they put one of those in this one. But anyway, the SPEC bearing works decently as I said before. It does give nice spin times. Nothing mind blowing, but not horrible either.
How it plays:
The Cypher plays quite nicely. Its main strength is how smooth it is. It practically glides down the string and goes through my combos with in the same fashion. It is not terribly stable, (more stable than the popstar :D)but thatâs ok with me. It wasnât meant to be a rock stable yoyo.
It grinds nicely with its finish, and I find my self using this yoyo in particular to make up new combos that involve grinds.
I am not very experienced, but I would say that this yoyo is mainly for doing slower and more technical combos, because of its smoothness.
Conclusion for Cypher:
I really like this yoyo, however, it is not really good at doing what I like. I like a super stable, long spinning yoyo that is good for fast combos. But, that being said, it is very good at smooth, slower and connected combos. And after all, how can you learn different styles of yo-yoing if you only play one way?
Conclusion for the whole thing:
The 2014 Prague Pack was amazing. You get so much, for so little money. The autographed cards are very nice and they make a wonderful addition to my yoyo display. The holder and bag are cool to, and just gave it the feeling of it being worth your dollars. The popstar is cute and I carry it around a lot, but the Cypher was definitely the highlight of it, and it did a very good job.
I like this so much, all I can say is that I hope they make a Tokyo 2015 pack!
