The Remnant by String Theory YoYos
Reviewed by Chris Rhoads
December 4th 2009

Remnant 2

Introduction

Ok, before we get too far into the review, I have to commend Mark on the awesome name he chose for his company. Being the “Big Bang Theory” loving geek that I am (my wife says I am a cross between Leonard and Sheldon), a name like String Theory YoYo was bound to catch my attention quickly. The Remnant is the first release from start up company, String Theory YoYos. When talking to Mark you can’t help but love his enthusiasm for design, this enthusiasm was readily apparent when I asked him why he decided to design a yo-yo.

“I work at a CAD company and after falling in love with yoyo’s again I thought to myself I can do it better!! The rest is history.”

Sure it sounds cocky, but you need that to build up the nerve to strike out into a crowded market and make a name for yourself. Now lets see what sort of name he is making for himself. Will this one stand with the crowd or should we just cut it loose?

Specs

  • Weight: 65 Grams
  • Diameter: 50mm
  • Width: 41mm
  • Gap: 3.95mm
  • Bearing: C-Sized Dif-E-Yo KonKave Bearing
  • Response: Theory Pads

Remnant 3

Construction

Taking a page from the SPYY packaging playbook, String Theory packages each Remnant in a brown box with a sticker on the front and the yo-yo is in a cloth bag. Although, where SPYY uses a standard black bag String Theory color matches the bag with the yo-yo inside; mine came in a dark red bag. Also in the box was a Remnant sticker, a welcome bonus for all of us who love adding stickers to their case.

The Remnant has a unique shape to it that sets itself apart, from most of the newer yo-yos coming out. It is one of those rare few that dare use the H-Shape instead of the more traditional butterfly that is common these days. The Flat rims, angled step and then concave wall make for a nice wide opening into the gap, perfect for catching any string thrown at it. And string will be thrown at this gap. This yo-yo was designed from the ground up for 5A play in mind. Here is what Mark had to say when asked what influenced his design:

“I started with 5A almost immediately after starting to throw. I wanted a catch zone that would slide the string on to the bearing rather than having to go over the hump that a normal butterfly shape creates. After that I worked on weight distribution starting with lots or outside rim weight and then dialing back until it was vibe free”

The inner cups are deep enough for my thumb but there is no IGR cut into the inner rims making catching a thumb grind a little difficult but not impossible. The spikes on the hubs are not sharp enough to do much in the way of matador play, but I really cannot hold it against this yo-yo. You do not see many thumb grinds or matador play in 5A.

The finish of the Remnant has left me very conflicted. It is a sticky finish, meaning poor finger and arm grinds. It is something that even Mark has said he would go back and change. Now while that is the negative, here is the positive. This is the toughest finish I have ever used on a yo-yo. Lets go over the list of thing I have smacked this yo-yo into, hardwood floor, Corian countertop, ceiling, metal table, and my printer. This is the most I have ever abused a yo-yo and even with all of these hits, and these were hard hits, I have not put even a scuff on the finish. I did end up cracking the casing on my printer. One thing I can say about the Remnant is that when it hits something it makes the most god-awful sound I have ever heard come from a yo-yo.

Weight

The weighting on this yo-yo is pretty much spot on. It has insane amounts of spin time while staying very smooth and stable on the string. There is not a wobble or vibe to be had out of it and when I purposely throw it wonky it corrects itself quickly. Not much more to say other than great job on the weight distribution.

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Response and Bearing

The response used in the Remnant is String Theory’s own Theory Pads. Now before anyone else says it, yes those are rebadged One Drop flow groove pads. No, String Theory is not ripping off One Drop. It was David and Shawn who sent Mark to the same manufacturer that they use for the flow groove pads. I am all for this because I know how capable a pad the flow groove is. Also, String Theory has taken it a step further and offers half height pads. Mixing and matching the pads allows you a little extra control over your preferred response feel without having to mess with flowable silicone. Being a fan of thicker sting, I use G-String PX format, I have found one thick pad and one thin pad are just about perfect.

String Theory decided to go with a KonKave bearing in the Remnant. The theory behind a KK bearing is that it is going to give you better play because it centers the string, keeping it away from the edges. Personally I have no problem with the KK bearing but I do not see a point in having one. I have tested the Remnant with two of my favorite bearings in it, the One Drop 10-Ball and the General-Yo AIGR, both of them gave smooth play and I found them to improve the overall play of the Remnant. The KK was not bad, there was just something lacking. If I were to change one thing about the Remnant, I would drop the KonKave bearing and contact One Drop about using their 10-Ball; they have already been supportive with their pads. I can’t see them saying no on this one.

Remnant 1

Playability

First throw of the Remnant proved that it was no slouch in the performance department. It is extremely smooth on the string. After ditching the KonKave bearing and swapping pads so that I could dial in the response to my liking I began to put it through its paces. The H-shape lends itself well to catching the string with ease. Just as Mark said, it guides the string into the gap making even my sloppy catches look good. The extreme rim weight gives excellent spin times, making it difficult to spin out on combos. The lightweight gives it a little extra float when popped off the string and the lightweight makes it react fast when you need it to.

About the only thing this yo-yo is lacking is a good surface for grinding. Being a 5A yo-yo may cut it some slack when it comes to lack of an IGR and matador play but I have seen many a 5A freestyle that has arm grinds in it. This sticky finish will shoot the yo-yo off your arm most of the time. If there is a second release of the Remnant, this finish needs to be addressed. This is the only major flaw I can find with it.

Final Thoughts

This is how you release a new yo-yo into the market. The Remnant is an excellent first release from String Theory. Yes it does have its flaw, but it is still an incredible performer. I am positive that future releases from String Theory will address the finish. I just hope they can make it grind without messing up the almost indestructible nature of the current surface. I have no problems recommending this newcomer to anyone looking for a good yo-yo; although I have a feeling that they will not be that new or unknown for long.

Remnant 5