The Cut by Hspin

Reviewed by Chris Rhoads

November 24, 2009

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Introduction

When I first laid eyes on the Cut, the only thing I could think of was the movie Tron. I know it sounds weird but go with me on this and I’ll do my best to explain. This connection has always bugged me because I could never quite put my finger on it. I have had this same impression of the Cut since Hspin closed 2008 with its introduction. A couple of days ago, I pulled out my Tron DVD and watched it with my 5-year-old son, Sam, and I finally understood the connection. For those of you too young to remember Tron, it is about a person who is sucked into a video game world. At the beginning of the movie there is a scene setting up how organic material can be transferred to the digital realm. In the scene an orange is shot with a laser that digitizes it and the image shows up on screen. Now, when this naturally curved orange shows up on a monitor screen it isn’t quite right, like the computer can’t handle the curve of a circle so it is now a series of small angles put in place to try and mimic a circle. The Cut looks like it was once a normal curvy yo-yo that has been digitized and transferred to the Tron universe. Don’t get me wrong, I love the movie Tron, so having a yo-yo on the market that reminds me of it is great. Now the question is, will I be as fond of the Cut as I am of this beloved movie from my youth?

Specs

  • Width: 39.89 mm
  • Diameter: 53.85 mm
  • Gap: 4.00 mm
  • Weight: 63.40 grams
  • Bearing: Steel / Plastic 5x11x5 hybrid bearing
  • Response: Silicone Sticker

Construction

The Cut comes in the now all too familiar Hspin packaging that I am a fan of. You have to take each half out of the package and then install the pads, axle, and bearing. You really get the impression that you are the first person to ever throw this yo-yo. After construction was complete, I began to inspect the design. There is not a single curve on this entire yo-yo. It is totally angular but at the same time has an organic look to it. Even the center spike has been planed down to have an angled look instead of the more rounded spike used in the NVx. The interesting thing about the Cut is that if you look at it from a distance you can see the rounded shape that could have been. All the angles blend together and give the illusion of an organic look.

The feel of the Cut is outstanding. The bevels do not create any sharp edges that cause discomfort when holding it at rest or when it is returning to the hand from a bind. You can tell that there was a lot of thought put into each angle before it was applied to the Cut. One change from the original raw Cut introduced in late 2008 is that they are now shipped with the phenomenal Hspin finish. Their finish is a silky smooth bead blast that, if I didn’t know better, almost felt like a soda blast finish instead of a true bead blast. What ever the media used is, it makes for one pleasant feeling yo-yo.

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Weight

There are no two ways about it; this is a floaty, fast yo-yo. There is little weight to counteract the force exerted from the initial throw. Some would consider this a bad thing, but I found this lightweight to be quite pleasing. It made for some great hang times when popping it up and some quick reaction times when the yo-yo changed direction. The weight ratio is split almost dead even between the rims and the center of the yo-yo. This allows for a smooth and stable yo-yo that has decent but not spectacular spin times. I prefer a hair more spin to give me a little extra time. I find that I need it when learning tricks and smoothing out the ones I already know.

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Response and Bearing

The Cut is the yo-yo that introduced the world to Hspin’s hybrid steel and plastic bearing. This bearing will come lubed and play responsive out of the box. After breaking in, or a good cleaning, this bearing will spin for days while staying almost dead quiet. The secret is the plastic cage that, I can only theorize, absorbs vibration better than the metal on metal bearings that are standard in the industry.

The response system is a thin silicone pad that does it’s job decently but can slip on occasion. I ended up switching out one of the stock pads with a smooth General-Yo thick pad and it solved the slipping problem. The stock pads are good but they need to be a little thicker. An alternative to a thicker pad would be to just bite the bullet and put some flowable silicone in the recess. It appears to be deep enough to handle flowable and I have read a couple of positive reports on the subject.

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Playability

Fast and smooth, that is all you need to know about this yo-yo. It moves from trick to trick quicker than I can chain them together in my head. I can see why most of the Hspin team uses it for competitions. When you pop it from string to string the floaty nature kicks in and gives you a little extra time to move your hands and arms where they need to be. The Godzilla sized gap accepts an insane amount of wraps before slowing down, even after switching out for a thicker pad on one side.

Grinds are a snap with the Hspin finish. It stays put on my arm until I want it to move and then it travels with ease. Finger grinds are the same way. The deep cup and angled IGR allow for easy catches on the thumb.

One final thing of interest, the spikes; they are not just a pretty add-on. They are sharp little buggers that are perfect for rip starts and matador tricks. I am learning more about matador play and I found the spikes to be perfect for practicing that class of tricks.

Final Thoughts

All in all this is one solid yo-yo. There was not a single trick or combo that it could not pull off. It does need a little work to get it playing just right but it isn’t too difficult to do. Once you have it set up to your liking it will perform amazingly. I would recommend this yo-yo to any advanced player that is looking for a little something different to add to your collection. Just about the only thing holding me back from adding one to my collection is the color, I do not like yellow. Good thing there will be a purple release, using the purple from the new NVx, hitting the stores just in the near future.

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