One Drop Gradient
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
August 10, 2014
Introduction
Man, this has been a long time coming… I finally get to review Graeme Steller’s signature yo-yo. We all have those players that we love to watch perform. Most of the time those are well-established names that have been hallmarks in the community for many years, such as Ed Haponik, Augie Fash, Mark Montgomery. Then there are the younger stars, like Graeme, who most of us have watched grow up in the community. It is amazing to see their level of skill and confidence grow. There are many that remember Graeme back around the start of the decade as the winner of the ILYY Liopleurodon on String Burn Live. The reason WHY he was so memorable then was because he promised that if he won he would make and publish a video of himself wearing a Teletubby costume while throwing the yo-yo; which he did.* From that time he has gone from high school novice to a pro, sponsored player in the community who is currently juggling his time between practice, competitions, a social life, and his studies at John Hopkins University. As I said above, today I get to look at Graeme’s signature yo-yo, the One Drop Gradient. A yo-yo that I know he has been looking forward to for years and a yo-yo that he put on hold back in January when One Drop originally asked to make it so that he could devote all his time to his studies and then come out and give his undivided attention to this project. Well, enough reminiscing about the past, lets dig in and see how the Gradient stacks up.
*The Teletubby video is at the end of this review.
Specs
• Diameter: 56.25mm
• Width: 44.35mm
• Gap: 4.35mm
• Weight: 66.3 grams (With Stock Aluminum Spike Side Effects)
• Response: Flow Groove Pads
• Bearing: One Drop 10-Ball Bearing
Construction
First thing that caught my attention about the Gradient is that profile. I love, love, love a V-Shape design, especially the scalloped V-Shape design that has become popular as of late. It does not matter if it is rounded like the G Squared Quake or a little more angular like the Gradient here. This type of profile gives all the stability of a traditional V-Shape while also taking advantage of the weight distribution that is normally found in a harsher, more aggressive H-Shape. While the Gradient is falls on the angular side you can tell a lot of attention has been put into making sure the hard angles have been rounded off for a gentler feel when it hits the hand. One of the two visual throwback to One Drop’s past is the single projection profile groove on each wall of the wide open catch zone that breaks up the look ever so slightly. The cup of the Gradient has the recessed rim from the Cascade coupled with the minimalist inner cup design of the Benchmark V. The laser etch is an understated graphic that straddles the inner exposed rim right over the ever so slight IGR in the cup an mimics One Drop’s original Project and MarkMont engravings. The finish is One Drop’s Pyramatte finish that has become a popular alternative to more traditional bead blast finishes. It should be no surprise; I am a fan of the Gradient design. It has pretty much everything I look for in a yo-yo, shape, comfort… the whole package.
Weight
Between 65 and 67 grams is about the ideal weight range for me when it comes to yo-yos. Falling into that range allows for yo-yos that play well at variable speeds without feeling out of place. Obviously there are other factors as well, that is why it is a range instead of a singular weight. The great thing is that if weight is an issue for you, you can always swap out the Side Effects. The Gradient definitely benefits from falling in that above mentioned weight range. It plays well at a multitude of speeds while remaining stable on the string. It is quick to react to string changes and better yet it quickly reacts to plane changes as well making it a fun yo-yo to transition from vertical to horizontal play mid combo.
Response and Bearing
I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this section. The Gradient uses One Drop’s Flow Groove pads and 10-Ball Bearing. Both are fan favorites with good reason due to their long lasting durability and excellent performance.
Playability
Design means nothing if it does not play well… luckily the Gradient does not suffer from this issue. It is quick and nimble on the string when you want it to be but will gladly slow down if you just want to relax. One of Graeme’s major areas of focus when designing the Gradient was to make it accessible to all types of players and with this design he has succeeded. As I said above, it is highly maneuverable and can handle many styles of play. That large catch zone makes it super easy to hit while learning new tricks or taking risks while perfecting the tricks you already know. Grinds are pretty straightforward. I know I have bagged on the Pyramatte finish slightly in the past due to it not being friendly in humid weather but I have not had any problems with the Gradient at all even during some of this lovely, muggy, Ohio weather we have been experiencing here at the High Speed YoYo bunker. The only area of slight weakness is thumb grinds. They can be done but if you have larger thumbs like me you are going to want to throw at a slight angle to make them easier to hit.
Final Thoughts
Ok, Graeme joined One Drop back in 2010… so was it worth waiting all this time for his signature throw? In short, yes. This yo-yo is an awesome addition to the One Drop Signature line and is an easy recommendation to anyone looking for something new. When Graeme set out to make a supremely accessible yo-yo he hit the nail on the head especially in the price department. The Gradient is One Drop’s lowest priced signature yo-yo, tipping the scales at just $79.00.
BONUS VIDEO
Quick shout out to Graeme, who graciously accepted my request for a copy of this video to add to the review. The original has been locked away for quite some time. It takes a certain type of person to willingly allow their less than flattering past to come back and haunt them.
#1 by Brian Melford on August 10, 2014 - 10:08 pm
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Awesome review for an awesome throw. Graeme you sir are amazing
#2 by Jeremy on August 21, 2014 - 10:03 am
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This thing looks like a finger grind wizard of a yoyo, does that description fit it’s play? Also do side effects get in the way of finger spins? Maybe I’m just bad at them, but the little nub on the floor of the cups on my chief seems to get in the way a bit.
#3 by Chris on September 1, 2014 - 3:00 pm
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Finger grinds are great. The hubs do not get in the way at all but if you just need more room then replace the spikes with flat Ultra Lites.
#4 by Mark on November 7, 2014 - 3:51 pm
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This is my second yoyo – have the Dragon Slayer colour. My first high quality yoyo. Love it. Your review helped me in picking this yoyo above the multitude of throws on the market. You just can’t go wrong with picking this yoyo for your next throw.
#5 by Chris on November 16, 2014 - 1:36 pm
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Thanks for the kind words, I am glad I could help out. The Gradient is one definitely one fine yo-yo.
#6 by Robert on January 13, 2015 - 10:36 pm
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I picked up this yoyo as an xmas gift from my kids lol. Anyways I am just getting back into throwing (mainly because my 9yr old daughter is learning) and my lord has it come a long ways since I was learning back in the 80’s. My last yoyo, which I still have is the Dark Magic 1, and this is light years beyond that thing. Big time props on the 10 ball bearing.
All I can say is that this thing is so stable and smooth. It is also very easy to run tricks with lots of string in the gap, e.g. Skin the Gerbil, and it is ready to move on to more tricks on the same throw. I am no expert, but I am fairly accomplished with 1A tricks, and you can’t go wrong with this yoyo. I love it!
I ended up going with the Shogun finish only because the Dragon Slayer was unavailable at the time, but I thrilled with the color when it is sleeping. Kind of a burgundy.
#7 by kollin on February 27, 2015 - 3:37 am
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Hey I was thinking of getting this or a matrimony classic I don’t have that deep of pockets and my first “high quality yoyo” is a 2014 benchmark v I’ve been looking for about a year and a half and I throw at a chilled pace I do a lot of gt Variations and grinds but I also enjoy tricky combos and the feeling of a wider yoyo in hand what would you recommend in the one drop line of throws
#8 by Chris on March 1, 2015 - 10:19 am
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Going off of how you describe your style of play, the MarkMont Classic is the yo-yo for you. The Benchmark V 2014 is one of my favorites but the MC is just in a league of it’s own.
#9 by kollin on March 2, 2015 - 12:15 am
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Thanks I’ll definitely be picking up the markmont
#10 by Hardy on April 18, 2015 - 10:00 pm
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Really helpful. I’ve been doing my research on a good yoyo and it seems every yoyo on the market is great from the reviews. I’ve bought a couple and completely disagreed with previous reviews. This article and review really helped me understand the yoyo and its capabilities! Thanks so much.
#11 by Coop on April 28, 2015 - 8:55 am
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Posted in the MFD Caesar as well. What’s the comparison between the Caesar and the gradient? They seem similar.
#12 by Chris on May 3, 2015 - 2:39 pm
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They are vastly different yo-yos. Both play great but if I were to compare them it would be literally posting both reviews side by side.
#13 by Josh on May 17, 2015 - 7:34 pm
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Trying to decide between the gradient, the cascade, and the chik! For my second premium throw. I want something that plays different from my radical seas set sail to developer deeper understanding of differences in throws, and to have throws that have different “personalities”. Do you have one of those 3 that you recommend?
#14 by Chris on May 20, 2015 - 5:50 pm
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Gradient, but just because I am a huge v-shape fan. It plays amazing out of the three you listed.
#15 by Upmanyu on May 22, 2015 - 1:11 pm
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Out of the cascade and the gradient which one do you prefer? I know they probably play different etc. but purely on a preference basis which one would you recommend?(in simple words which one gets played more often)
#16 by Chris on May 25, 2015 - 10:03 am
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Gradient, because I prefer V-Shaed yo-yos.
#17 by Rory on May 26, 2015 - 1:19 am
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Between the Gradiant and many others, which do you think would suit a faster playstyle? You know, light on the fingers and can make landing horizontal/off axis tricks a little easier? I’m looking at the Cascade and the Format C but then there are people who recommended the Summit ant Ghnarwhale 2.
#18 by Chris on June 21, 2015 - 3:16 pm
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I would say go in a different direction and look at the MarkMont Classic.
#19 by Dennis on August 20, 2015 - 9:30 pm
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Is it rim weighted?
#20 by Chris on August 23, 2015 - 4:08 pm
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Yes
#21 by Nianbo on December 28, 2015 - 10:44 am
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Chris I’m stuck between the Onedrop Benchmark V & the Gradient. Which one is more resistant to tilt & more stable? Also, which one is better for horizontals & for speedy play? I’d also like to know which can handle the tech tricks & combos that I’d like to do better?
Basically I want the one that can go speedy & can play horizontal really well, but can also handle the really technical tricks that I do.
#22 by Nianbo on December 28, 2015 - 10:45 am
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Just to make it clear, It’s between the 2014 V & the Gradient.
#23 by Chris on December 30, 2015 - 3:25 pm
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I would go with the Gradient, it was made for competition style playing which is what you are describing.