Solution to a turning problem

Really nice one Ed. Losing sleep is a constant battle innit?

Outstanding, as are all of your other yo-yos. I googled terror top to find out what they are. The result was pictures of your tops and triceratops.

I think I see an opportunity to make a triceratops terror top.

Pretty cool - how do you spin it as a top?

To maybe rephrase Jim's question: do you throw this using 4A (off-string) yoyo technique and just alternate between top/4A throwing? Or is this intended for another approach? (Also, I'd need a very large carpeted surface to even dare off-string with *that* yoyo 😂)

OK, maybe answering my own question: one style of terror top is shown in the animated GIF partway down this page. For those who haven't thrown a new yoyo in ... over 25 years ... that's a ball-bearing yoyo. It requires a special trick called a "bind" to return, and has absolutely incredible spin times and trick possibilities. That's why the yoyo in the GIF can spin like a top without retracting the string.

All of the yo-yos I make are wood and fixed axle...no bearings. So yeah, the top element of my TT design would really only work if you pull the sting like a lawnmower starter, allowing the string to fully separate from the TT as it spins-up. Guess that's technically "freehand". There's too much friction from the wood axle on the string loop to use the string like on a conventional yo-yo, with the loop captured by the axle.

They are hard to make...I only put four or five out every year, and they always sell fast. I think they're mainly looked at as a collectible novelty, but they do yo-yo really well.

The name "Terror-Top" came from a friend who was visiting my shop back around 1998..."it would be really terrible if you landed that thing the wrong way".

Another beauty Ed! I cannot see anyone throwing these tops....at least on my watch! These are eye candy only, hands off!! I love that crazy lasering!

Russ Braun said:

Another beauty Ed! I cannot see anyone throwing these tops....at least on my watch! These are eye candy only, hands off!! I love that crazy lasering!

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HI Ed, fabulous yo-yo! --- funny ... it got me thinking about Russ' comment - when I was a kid, I don't think my parents would've let me touch let alone "spin" one of our yo-yo's either --- if I got caught "walking the dog" with it, I would've been grounded for a month!

David Croxton said:

HI Ed, fabulous yo-yo! --- funny ... it got me thinking about Russ' comment - when I was a kid, I don't think my parents would've let me touch let alone "spin" one of our yo-yo's either --- if I got caught "walking the dog" with it, I would've been grounded for a month!

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Thanks...here's another one (English Walnut) that popped out last week: