Sovereign by One Drop Yo-Yos

Reviewed by Chris Rhoads

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Introduction

Affordable, high quality, metal yo-yos for everyone. That has been the driving force behind One Drop Yo-Yos for quite some time. Their Project and Project 2 lines sold well under the $99 mark when they were brought out. The M1 (Metal for Everyone) debuted at a $60 price tag. Because of this, the M1 has been THE choice for first time metal users. Today marks a new first for the yo-yoing community; One Drop is introducing an affordable, titanium yo-yo for the masses. When talking to Shawn Nelson, the machinist for One Drop, here is what he had to say about the company’s intentions for the Sovereign:

“I guess it would help to understand what the Sovereign is trying to be.  The most playable Titanium yoyo we can make.  That means affordability, availability, and most of all playability.  Most Ti yoyos I’ve seen are novelties or rarities but not many are true players.  Usually because of the weight, some because of the rudimentary design/machining.  There are exceptions of course.  We want the Sovereign to be a real performer not just a Ti novelty.”

Lets see if the Sovereign meets these lofty goals and becomes Titanium for Everyone.

One little disclaimer, this is a prototype. While it is extremely close to being the final product there are some tweaks planned for the final run.

Specs

  • Diameter 50.8mm
  • Width 38.33mm
  • Weight 64.5g
  • Gap 4.00mm
  • Flow groove response
  • C size bearing

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Construction

The Sovereign is a departure from the normal One Drop design. Gone are the flat rims, angular body, industrial looking nuts, and projection profiles. Instead this new yo-yo is an elegant looking, curvy yo-yo. The only real “edge” on the Sovereign is a slight step when it transitions from rim to inner wall. It is quite a different design from what you normally see come from One Drop. The inner cups house an angled IRG making for some nice thumb grinds. The yo-yo itself is currently bare titanium, but I have been told that they are looking to put some sort of finish on it to aid in grinding. I am conflicted on this. I love grinding, but I also love the looks of polished titanium. I would have to play a blasted version before I could make a final decision on this. Knowing One Drop, they will offer multiple options for their fans, so I am hoping I can get a raw, polished Sovereign from them when they are released. All in all, the design is a total win; the only thing I would change is the small step from rim to inner wall. I personally think it would look better with a continuous curve, but if it would adversely affect play leave the step in.

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Weight

Weight distribution on this yo-yo is darn near perfect. It has incredible spin times and insane stability. There is a slight amount of vibe that corrects itself after a second or two, nothing that can be felt on the string. I am not going to hold the vibe against the yo-yo because I like a tiny amount of vibe and this is a prototype. When it comes to the actual weight of the yo-yo, it is light. At 64.5 grams it is a lighter than all other One Drop offerings save the original Project. The weight of the Sovereign gives it quickness on the string. This is a very nimble yo-yo. The fast play and long spin times allow it to perform multiple combinations without spinning out.

Response and Bearing

There is not much to say about the bearing or response. One Drop introduced the flow groove pads in the Flow Groove M1 and used them again in the Project 2. They are pretty much the best alternative to using actual flowable silicone and have the advantage of not needing to cure for 24 hours. I am not the biggest fan of pads and even I will say that if I could get One Drop Flow Groove pads for all my silicone recessed yo-yos, I would. The exception being my ILOVEYOYO yo-yos, red sILLYcone is just too sexy to mess with.

The 10-Ball bearing used in all One Drop products is my defacto bearing in all of my C-Bearing yo-yos. It is smooth and silent even when cleaned and dry. The only bearing that even comes close to the 10-Ball is the General-Yo bearing. That is saying something because the General-Yo bearing is used in precision military aircraft.

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Playability

There seems to be a theme when it comes to titanium yo-yos, they are not the best grinders. Every 100% titanium yo-yo that I have used has had lack luster palm and finger grinds due to the raw or non-blasted surface. In its current form, the Sovereign is no exception. I can pull off palm or finger grinds with it but it will sometimes grab and shoot off. If it doesn’t grab, it loses too much power and I have to bind and rethrow. There is not a lot of grind comboing to be had with this yo-yo and I am fine with that. As I said above, I love, love, LOVE the look of polished titanium. If I want to grind, I will pull out my Hat Trick.

Now that the grinding issue has been put to bed, lets talk about the rest of this yo-yo’s performance. I said it above; this is a stable and long spinning beast. On a throw it is very smooth and forgiving. I like to give a yo-yo a bad throw when I first get it to see how unforgiving it is and this yo-yo is very forgiving on a bad throw. This was a pleasant surprise. Most titanium yo-yos are designed to be these super elite yo-yos that only the most experienced players can use. With the Sovereign you get more of a players yo-yo. Everyone from novices who have just learned how to bind, all the way up to the Pros who win Worlds, Nats, and IYYO can use it.

On the string this yo-yo is fast, very fast. It reacts instantly to any and all string movements and just feels great when playing. It spins forever, allowing you to combo quite a few tricks together. I have been working on a combo that starts with my favorite, McBride Rollercoaster, then to Chocolate Bucket, and ends in a GT.  After pulling off that combo with the Sovereign, I had enough spin left to pop out of the GT and perform a Buddha’s Revenge before having to bind.

Even in the prototype stages, this is a near perfectly designed yo-yo. With the exception of the grinding ability, this yo-yo meets or exceeds every criterion that I look for in a yo-yo.

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Final Thoughts

I can’t wait to see the final release of this yo-yo. This is not a novelty toy in the least; this is a phenomenally performing, precision yo-yo. If they can bring it out under the $200 price tag that they are hoping for, I can see this yo-yo becoming a part of everyone’s collection and that would be awesome. There is no need for titanium to be unobtainable, all players should have the chance to experience the joys of a finely crafted titanium yo-yo and I can think of nobody better suited to give it to them than One Drop yo-yos.

One final note, the yo-yo I have reviewed today is on loan. It is now on its way back and I am in the same boat as everyone else reading this review, eagerly awaiting my chance to pick up a Sovereign. Excellent job One Drop.