Sengoku Nobunaga
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
May 17, 2015
Introduction
So a Mexican-Canadian decides to build a yo-yo while living in Japan. Sounds like the start to some sort of off-color joke but in this case it is the story of Julio Robles and his new company Sengoku. Robles took the name for his company from the Sengoku era of Japan focusing on the era’s warring clans and its ultimate unification under the leadership of the mighty shogun. Julio’s plan is to name each release after one of the powerful clan leaders from the era, starting off with Nobunaga. Nobunaga was considered one of Japan’s most brutal warriors of the time and later recognized as one of Japan’s greatest rulers. If not for the betrayal and forced suicide by one of his generals, Nobunaga may very well have succeeded in completely conquering and then unifying all of Japan. Quite a heady backstory for a simple toy, but being a huge history buff I loved researching it. For Sengoku’s first release Robles decided to forgo playing it safe and instead went for a much harder to make and higher priced bi-metal design. A gamble for sure but one that will help Sengoku seize the interests of the masses who have a multitude of yo-yo choices from many established companies. Whether that gamble will pay off is to be seen.
Specs
• Diameter: 53.5 mm
• Width: 41 mm
• Gap: 4.62 mm
• Weight: 63.4 grams
• Response: IrPad Slim
• Bearing: YYR DS bearing
Construction
As stated above, Sengoku decided to release a bimetal as their freshman effort. The Nobunaga is a wing shape design with the steel portion encompassing the entire rim right up to the angled start of the catch zone. I have to give Sengoku credit, they did an excellent job blending the edge of the steel with the aluminum, which allows the transition to feel almost seamless. After the steel there is an unobstructed v-shaped catch zone leading to the gap. Looking at the face, you can see the steel rim wrap around to the front where it also seamlessly meets the anodized aluminum body. The cup is a multi-stepped design with an inner stabilizing step just before the angled inner wall travels down to the completely flat, laser etched floor. The aluminum body has a blasted, solid colored finish while the steel rims remain polished. Overall the design is pretty stunning with its contrast between the raw and anodized metals. I must say I am a fan of the wing shape being so subtle that it could almost be considered a true V-Shape design. I would have liked it if there was an IGR but I have a feeling it would have negatively impacted attaching the rims to the yo-yo.
Weight
I was expecting the Nobunaga to be heavier and was surprised that this mid-sized yo-yo with dense steel rims clocked in at just over 63 grams. It is fast and stable on the string with long spin times. The only downside I had with the weight distribution came when I would do a bind. The spins were still strong enough, even after long combos, that when it returned to the hand it would hit like a truck. By no means a bad problem to have… more something to be aware of if you are not use to using a bimetal.
Response and Bearing
IrPads are a good all purpose pad that I have played in the past. They do need a little bit of a break in period before they play perfectly unresponsive and can cause some knuckle dusters on a fresh set but once broken in they play perfectly unresponsive.
I was impressed with the bearing included in the Nobunaga. Sengoku included a YYR DS bearing which is a groove cut, string centering bearing. Normally I am not a gimmick bearing fan at all and prefer companies stick with a high quality flat bearing but this one did not bother me. It was a little on the noisy side even after applying some V4M lube but it was smooth as silk during play.
Playability
I have already touched on the bimetal benefits in the sections above. This is by no means the first bimetal I have played but I can say, out of the few that have crossed my desk, this is one of the nicest. The play is top notch, but anyone buying it will have to like speed demons. This is not a yo-yo that likes to play it slow. While it is not overpoweringly quick, you may have to speed up to match the yo-yo. I never felt rushed while playing it but I did make mistakes due to the Nobunaga’s quickness. The plus side is that even when I made a mistake, I had plenty of spin left in the yo-yo to try again, and again… and again. In fact, I don’t remember a time during play testing that I ever had it spin out on me. The catch zone is quite wide and easy to hit, which also aided in ramping up the speed speed of my trick execution. Finger grinds were great thanks to the blasted catch zone and the extended spin times. Arm and palm grinds ended up being just decent due to the raw rims. We all know that raw metal does not make for the best grinding surfaces.
Final Thoughts
While it sound like I am only so-so about this yo-yo due to the higher speed, at the end of the day I had an absolute blast with it. I didn’t mind stepping up my game to match the speed and always found myself wanting to see how far I push my own skills while throwing it. At $168 it isn’t an inexpensive throw but when compared to the higher profile Japanese made bimetals it is a downright bargain. Going off the quality of this yo-yo I have no problem saying that Sengoku is going to be a company you will want to keep an eye on. I have a feeling we are going to see some pretty interesting things out of them in the future.
#1 by Robb Weinstock on June 1, 2015 - 7:34 am
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This is a great review! I received mine on Saturday and The Nobunga is everything you detailed. The size is just perfect to navigate through the strings and I found that second Spirit Bomb hop so much easier as this trick has been eluding me with many other throws. The weight and stability are just perfect and it doesn’t play as fast as a Draupnir, which for me is good. I find the faster they are, the less personality the throw exhibits. Nobunga plays faster than my personal style, but not at he sacrifice of personality and fun….which is why I’m in this. I am very proud to have gotten one of these and it will be in my “play” box for a long time. There was no ramp up time or “getting used to” the Nobunga. It felt like it was in the right place to unify my “most played” collection!
#2 by yoyoagent on June 17, 2015 - 8:49 am
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Sengoku annunced thier products are made in Japan,but in fact,Julio Robles cheatted whole yoyo community.
Sengoku’s yoyo were made in China,manufactured by notorious Magicyoyo.
#3 by Julio Robles on June 21, 2015 - 4:58 pm
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lol, and you forgot to say the Nobunaga was designed by Elvis Presley!
Actually this kind of rumor is generated in Japan, is not new to me.
Seems like some people doesn’t want to accept a foreigner to make yoyos in Japan. But before attempting to damage someone´s hard work you need to provide clear evidence.
And evidence that is something more than a childish accusation hiding behind a nickname.
My name is Julio Robles and I say that all this is BS, by the simply fact that I have the balls to say my name and back my words and my company´s reputation, do you have the balls to say your real name and back your words as well yoyoagent?
#4 by Jose Luis Quevedo Figueroa on November 8, 2015 - 10:18 am
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Congratulations Julio! This is something you create and nobody can say anything negative about it. Recently we dont have so much communication, but im very happy for you! Have good luck and make your company grow bigger and bigger! Good job! My best wishes!
#5 by Glen Kempster on February 26, 2016 - 7:54 pm
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A really good review, Chris! Thanks. It helped me in deciding to take the plunge and get one.
The Nobunaga is easily one of the best bimetals I’ve used.
The quality of the yoyo is apparent on first sight. I have green with the flower engraving in the cup which is the most attractive laser engraving I’ve seen.
Like it says in the review, it’s super fast, but it also retains a strong and confident feeling throughout combos. It never makes you feel like you’re out of control. It’s difficult to get this balance with a fast yoyo.
This is a fantastic first effort from Sengoku, and Julio’s products only appear to be getting better and better.