Wood anybody?

One thing I like about my Moxon is that it’s different than my metal throws, fixed axle and all wood. Makes me approach things from another angle

For me, wood means fixed axle. If someone wants to put the effort into a modern wood bearing yoyo, then more power to them. But that’s not what I look for when I hold a wood yoyo in my hands.

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Nope! It’s been awhile since I threw a wooden yoyo.

I don’t have any wood yoyo, hardly see anyone sell it anywhere near I live.

I enjoy wooden yoyos. I don’t use them tons however. They are so simplistic which I really enjoy when I’m stressed.
I feel that there is a demand for them, just not as much as unresponsive yoyos.

I use wood from time to time. Always looking for more

Your theory is incorrect.

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Well it would be nice to see some more Wood Yo-Yo’s with Bearings that I can do more than Kamikaze with.

You can do more than Kamikaze, with a fixed axle wooden yo-yo, it just might be different stuff.

Most yoers view wood as a different “animal”. However, I have thought it “wood” be cool to see someone push the envelope with an unresponsive wooden yoyo. I would love to try one of Jensen’s creations along those lines.

I’m sure I’ll own an OUT one day.

Yep, the point of wooden yoyo is generally to be played as fixies, not ‘trying to beat’ plastic or metal.
The way I see it, people are not interested mainly because they doesn’t seem to see the difficulty associated to it, appealing.
Also, for most people, at least from around here, spending $5 upwards for a wooden yoyo that doesn’t have a bearing is still an outrageous idea. Mind you most of us grow up having experience with sub $1 wooden yoyo that screams ‘please kill me’. This doesn’t help with the image at all.

Still throw wood every day.
Yoyoing at its purest.

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That may be true of most people that post on this forum, but I would argue that it is not true of most people.
There is a reason that ‘most people’ ask you to walk the dog if they see you yo-yoing in public. For many Americans anyway the yo-yo is synonymous with Duncan, fixed axles, and walking the dog (and rocking the baby for the real thrill seekers).
I’d even go as far as to say most people would not pay $5 for any yo-yo, but back when most kids actually had a yo-yo, like in the early 60s, they were wood fixed axle, and later the plastic and steel axles that folks dread so much today. So there is a lot of love for wood yo-yos out there.

I try to throw a wood fixed axle each day. I find it somewhat meditative to be throwing something that is on the surface simple, but, will allow you to do all sorts of crazy things with it. I’ve only been throwing fixed axle about 7 months, but, I can see how fixed axle suits my play style and how it influences the way I play with bearing yoyos. Maybe I’m in the minority, but, I don’t see fixed axle or even wood with a bearing as competition against other materials any more than I see 6061 as competiton against Ti or 7075 or POM. Also, fixed axle is complimentary to bearing play, just like 1A is complimentary to 2A, 3A, 4A, and 5A.

So, back to the original question: there is a subset of yoyo players who still play wooden yoyos. Please keep making yoyos, but, don’t do it at a sacrifice to spending time with your family. The young ones are only young once, and that time goes by very quickly.

French

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I keep a no jive at work and throw it when I’m on hold :slight_smile: very relaxing. Been throwing no jives and silver bullets for over 25 years. Only been playing with non-responsive for a couple months.

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^^Somehow I thanked you twice?! I think French summed it up nicely.

It’s difficult to be on the inside looking out with regards to prices, but I don’t think the notion that any yoyo over $5 is outrageous to the general public is accurate at all. If anything, especially with wood yoyos; since wood is associate with things that are more handcrafted. I don’t mean something in a blister pack that’s spray-painted, but rather something like what Paul makes, that has more art and character.

I mean people buy wood pens for $15 and more at craft shows all day long. I think if people saw beautiful wood yoyos at a booth in a craft fair, not everyone would think $30 was outrageous.

Paul, Is the post here because you’re not selling? You would know better than we. What about a sub $20 no-frills high performance fixed axle wood yoyo? That seems to be missing. Something that plays great for around $15, might get more people into trying out wood.

I don’t know if you’d be interested in this idea, but maybe you could even find a manufacturer to produce one of your designs for less than you could. Some other high end makers have done that, and continued to manufacture other designs in the US or Canada, or wherever. You could have an inexpensive, plain-Jane model with modern fixie play characteristics, and continue to make you’re nicer handmade, in-house models.

Just brainstorming… I hope you continue to make yoyos, and that people will buy them. The Acorn is on my short list. :wink:

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When I throw at the shop, one of the most common responses I get is, “oh, a yoyo. I haven’t seen one of those in years, do people still do that?”
The reason I say that the average (or most) people wouldn’t spend five bucks for a yo-yo is because most folks wouldn’t buy one at any price. The point I was trying to make is that when yo-yos were wildly popular, a three piece glued wood axle yo-yo was not perceived as cheap or low quality or something that screams please kill me.

WOOD IS GOOD!
There are many of use who regularly throw wood fixes. I am not much good at it but I enjoy them and I my collection.

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I hear you Kevinm. I still get “Have you ever seen Tommy Smothers?”, even though the Smothers Brothers was cancelled in 1969! Show’s the power of TV exposure. Wonder what would happen if a modern TV personality was killer at yoyoing, and frequently threw on TV?

Paul, I just looked, and all of your least expensive $27 yoyos are sold out here…

My guess is that the impact would be huge if young people watched a tv show that featured yo-yos in a cool way…do kids still say cool?
I still have two Bart Simpson yo-yos, btw. The Simpsons probably didn’t promote yo-ing in the best light, but I like my Bart yos, and I guess I am also an under-achiever and proud of it.