Pure by SPYY
Reviewed by Brett Grimes
1/09/2010

Introduction:
Jon Rob’s signature 5A yoyo from Saturn Precision YoYos is quite a stunner. With its solid looking design and various versions available, it has become one of my favorite throws. In this review I will be taking on the task of reviewing all four variations with the pros and cons to each model. This is simply a review in its purest form.

** Side Note**
This yoyo was designed with the 5A player in mind; I do not throw 5A so this review will be based off the opinions on how these yo-yos perform in a 1A situation.

Specs:

Gold Pure
Weight 66 Grams
Width 39.82 mm
Diameter 53.04
Gap Width 3.39mm
Bearing Size 5x11x5mm Dif-E-Yo KonKave Bearing
Response Custom Yellow/Black Chaz Pad

XO Pure
Weight: 69 grams
Diameter: 53mm
Width: 39.7mm
Gap width: 3.3mm
Bearing: 5x11x5mm Dif-E-Yo KonKave Bearing
Response: Deep recessed with a combination of silicone and Dif pads

VSOP Pure
Weight 68.00g
Width 39.66mm
Diameter 52.65mm
Gap Width 3.39mm
Bearing 5x11x5mm
Gap 3.39mm
Response Dif-E-Yo Dif-Pad/Silicone Sticker

Pure (Blue)
Weight 66.50g
Width 39.54mm
Diameter 52.13mm
Gap Width 3.39mm
Bearing Size 5x11x5mm
Gap 3.39mm
Response Dif-E-Yo Dif-Pad/Silicone Sticker

Look and Feel
Here we go, each yoyo has a different look and feel, for instance the Blue is a solid anodized color with no bead blasting, the VSOP has bead blasting and features the Pure logo on the face, the XO is painted and pad printed with the Hennessy XO vine work, and finally we have the gold Pure.

So I will break this down by each yoyo for the review sections. General features they all share is in the hand all these yo-yos feel well machined and constructed, no flaws were found anywhere upon opening.

XO Pure, this is simply a stunning yoyo, painted by the master Levi McCarroll. The color is a wonderful Cadillac white pearl. Then it receives a pad printed with the vine work from liquor Hennessey XO (extra old). This is by far one of my favorites it just looks incredible. The paint feels great but we will get more into the play later on. This yoyo comes in a Rosewood Box lined with white leather and features a Pillow for it to lay on, a gold metallic pouch, and a signature card hand signed by Steve Buffel of SPYY.

Gold Pure, what more can you say, this thing shines like crazy, it is coated in 18k Gold, and simply looks beautiful, the down fall to this is that it is a fingerprint magnet. Just touching it leaves your fingerprint on the yoyo. The engraving is classy and elegant and as a whole this one exudes elegance. This yoyo comes in a Walnut box with the Pure logo on the front. It also has the pillow and gold metallic bag, as well as the signed card and a few metallic gold/white polyester G-Strings.

VSOP Pure, this is similar to the blue Pure with a few differences. First, you will notice the face features the same logo as the Gold Pure. Second, the inside catch area is bead blasted. This provides the VSOP Pure with the ability to grind better then the other three.

Blue Pure, this is the bare bones Pure but do not consider this a low end yo-yo. This was made for the masses and was available in Blue, Black and Red. It features an anodized finish in the catch area and raw rims and face. On my Blue Pure I took an extra step and polished the raw aluminum.

Weight
All the Pures fall right into the 66-69 category, obviously the painted XO is going to weigh a tad more since the paint adds weight, same goes for the VSOP with its printing on the side. The all feel floaty and smooth, not a boat anchor in the bunch.

Response and Bearings
The Gold Pure and XO Pure feature Dif-E-Yo KonKave bearings, while the Blue and VSOP feature flat 5x11x5 Bearings. I found I had to clean all of them upon deshielding. After a good cleaning all were smooth and spun incredibly well.

The response of the Pure is where I hit my first negative for the collection. I absolutely despise Dif-E-Yo Pads. I think they are horrible. This is my opinion of course but they seem to slip and the binds are neither tight nor snappy. I resolved this by putting in a set of One Drop thin Silicone pads in each and every Pure. The binds are incredible and come back with authority. Again this is simply an issue of how I personally like my binds your mileage may very.

Playability
Ok lets get this out of the way right now, I love these yo-yos if I didn’t I wouldn’t have one of each, but this is a very quirky yoyo. It is not forgiving on a bad throw, and at times can be down right un-smooth. To me this was what attracted me to them. It is a fun yoyo, but it will greet you with a vibe if you don’t throw perfectly. It became a game and actually helped me improve my throw, a game that I play to this very day. I would see if I could get it to not vibe. Now on a good throw this yoyo will reward you with the smoothness that SPYY is known for. So beware, I have heard and seen a lot of people get a Pure and put it right back in the buy/sell/trade due to this. The yo-yos move around swiftly and with authority, they never feel to fast or to slow, it is an excellent balance of speed on the string. At times the small gaps can get a bit snaggy depending on string layers introduced into the gap, suicides and slacks are wonderful, whips are one of my favorites to do with the Pure as its floaty nature seems to defy gravity and hang in the air. Ok let’s get to the nitty gritty and discuss the differences in play for each Pure.

XO Pure, the paint on this is done by Levi McCarroll and is applied perfectly. When I traded for this one I was hoping it would feel like my Original Painted CLYW Peak. The OG Peak grinds wonderfully, something rarely available on painted yo-yos. Unfortunately this paint is nothing like the OG Peak and will shoot off your finger or arm on a grind just like the majority of painted yo-yos. This was disappointing. Other then that this is one of my favorites in the group, its wonderful to look at as well as play.

VSOP Pure, this is the workhorse in the group. Its bead blasted finish gives the end user the ability to grind, adding a new element to the 1A users like myself out there.

Blue Pure, this is also a workhorse the difference is negligible in play; this is the bare bones stripped down Pure.

Gold Pure, this yoyo is so fun to play, it also garners the most stares from the crowds who watch me use it. They cannot believe someone owns a Gold yo-yo. Like all yo-yos, the Gold Pure should be thrown. It’s just too fun to leave in its box. I am not a collector. There will be no case candy here.

Final Thoughts
The Pures have a few flaws in my eyes, this is to some a real issue but to me this was what grew my love for them. They have character. I would recommend anyone reading this to try a Pure before buying or trading your collection for one; this might not be the yoyo for you. If you’re in to consistent smoothness throw to throw you will need to try it first.

With the pads changed out this yoyo is awesome, each version has its pros and cons, but at the same time the overall feeling remains the same. Fun throwing through and through.

In closing I cannot recommend it to everyone, but if you have the opportunity to try one, and give it some time, you will see this yoyo has a wonderful character that just grows on you.