Gnarwhal by CLYW Inc.
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
June 5, 2010
Introduction
The Gnarwhal has been in the works for quite some time up in the super secret Canadian labs of CLYW Inc. It is part of the one two punch that it the Gnarwhal and its larger brother, Alex Berenguel’s new signature yo-yo the Sasquatch. The Gnarwhal and Sasquatch share the same shape but differ in size and weighting; similar to the approach used by Yoyorecreation. Surprisingly the Gnarwhal is not a signature series yo-yo like the larger Sasquatch, it is going to live on its own merits without any name recognition to inflate its status. Today we get to see if the Gnarwhal can make a name for itself in an ever-growing field of new releases.
Specs
- Width: 41.00 mm
- Diameter: 52.00 mm
- Gap: 4.14 mm
- Weight: 66.00 grams
- Bearing: C-Sized
- Response: Flowable Silicone
Construction
The Gnarwhal comes packaged in CLYW’s classic brown box. This time the box is adorned with lovable artwork drawn by YoYoFactory’s own Jensen Kimmitt, featuring a cute Gnarwhal breaking through the ice with a hotdog on its horn. I was happy to see that a switch in team membership has not stopped the collaboration between Kimmitt and CLYW; I have always considered them a natural fit. After marveling at the box art on five of the six sides, I pulled the yo-yo from the box and the first thing that struck me was the lack of spikes. It is by no means a negative, more confusion than anything else. If you are going to name a yo-yo after a whale with a four-foot tusk, it had better have spikes that can fend off a Kodiak. Instead, the Gnarwhal can best be described as the illegitimate offspring of the Bassalope and the Bear Vs. Man, it pulls some visual cues from both. It is an extreme V-Shaped yo-yo with round rims. Chris Mikulin has said that he was influenced by the latest Japanese yo-yos coming out of Turning point for the catch zone and the gap. The result is the little step near the response that reduces string friction. While the step was inspired by Kentaro’s line it was implemented in a very CLYW manner with its smooth edges and flowing lines. Turning to the cups we have small hubs that do not get in the way, shallow cup depth and extra little cuts and ridges to give added visual appeal. My favorite is the extra little cut in the rims that give the illusion of thin rims at first glance but just past it you see the extra heft to them. Visually this is a beautiful yo-yo, especially with the finishes that Chris has cooked up for this release. There are four solid colors with the Gnarwhal graphic from the top of the box laser etched on them. While this is a great look, I am partial to the splashes that have been used. There is an interesting aqua with yellow splash and then there is the jaw dropping purple with aqua splash version that I am reviewing today. This color combination floored me when I first pulled it from the box and words cannot describe how it looks while spinning, so I won’t even try. Instead, I have included several pictures taken in succession while it was spinning to illustrate just how incredible it looks. The blasting finish is CLYW’s standard velvety smooth bead blast finish. All in all this is one of CLYW’s most eye catching to date.
Action Shot
Weight
Solid. That is the best way to describe the Gnarwhal. Do not let the 66 gram weight fool you, it is not a floaty yo-yo. It hits with a definite thunk at the end of the string. At the same time it does not play heavy. It moves quickly and changes direction with little to no effort at all. The weighting on the Gnarwhal is pushed put to the rims, giving long spin times. While I prefer a little float in a yo-yo this one just felt great on the string; it just has a commanding presence while playing.
Response and Bearing
The response is Chris’ expertly executed flowable silicone response. I will not lie, when I first started siliconing my yo-yos, I was inspired by CLYW. I had set out to learn how to make mine look exactly like the responses I had seen in the Peaks and BvMs that I had seen on the Internet and in friends’ yo-yos. Every time I think I have come close to achieving this I see a new CLYW yo-yo and realize I need more practice.
The bearing is the standard steel bearing shipped in all standard edition CLYW yo-yos. It is dry but quiet and spins for quiet some time.
Playability
On the first throw I knew that this was not your normal CLYW yo-yo. If I had to peg it down I would say it very loosely feels like their Wooly Marmot but not enough to really compare the two. As I said above this yo-yo is solid, but not heavy. It plays moderately fast on the string. The catch zone is huge thanks to that V-Shape allowing for many string wraps and easy hits when hopping from string to string to string. That friction reducing step in the gap allows for wide open loops when performing suicides, probably one of the best I have used to date. The grinds are up to the standard that I have for all CLYW yo-yos, meaning they are excellent. The only type of grind that is lacking is thumb grinds. When I asked Chris why there was no IGR he told me that it was for two reasons. One, it makes the yo-yo easier to machine. And two, this is a competition yo-yo; you just don’t see thumb grinds in a competition freestyle. Personally I don’t the lack of an IGR but I can still thumb grind if I throw it at a slight angle so I will forgive this little sidestep. Besides, he is correct, I can’t think of the last time I saw a thumb grind in a competition.
Final Thoughts
To say that this is a great playing yo-yo is an understatement. I have owned every model of CLYW at one time or another and I find this to be the best CLYW product to date. It is a smooth and solid player that fits almost all my needs perfectly. It has that great combination of good looks and solid performance that make me want one for my collection. I have been loaned quite a few yo-yos in short amount of time that I have been reviewing for High Speed YoYo and it takes a killer design to make me want to add it to my collection. This yo-yo has what it takes and it will find a spot in my case. Great job Chris, the Gnarwahl is pure win and I can’t wait to try big brother Sasquatch when it is released.
Special thanks to YORAD’s Adam Hunter up in Calgary, Alberta Canada for loaning me your Gnarwhal. You rock.
