[center]Pulsefire Ti

It has been nearly 2 months since I unpackaged this yoyo and threw it for the first time. Since then, I’ve barely even thrown the rest of my collection. Even among other super premiums like the Draupnir, the Anglam, and the Palpitation, the Pulsefire Ti manages to stand out.

Intro

The Pulsefire line of yoyos is one that pushes a single design philosophy: no nonsense performance. The designer, Tyler Hsieh, wanted to make a yoyo that could handle anything without featuring anything extra. There is no fancy anodizing, there isn’t an eccentric design, there is no art on the box… there isn’t even a box! They come in a small velvet pouch. Everything that goes into these yoyos is there to make the yoyo perform and thats it. With tweaks for a new material, the Pulsefire Ti manages to improve upon the past design while sticking to the core of what the Pulsefire is.

Specifications

Diameter: 55.5mm

Width: 44mm

Gap Width: 4.75mm

Weight: 64 grams

Response System: IrPads, YoyoRecreation size

Bearing: Trifecta Stainless Steel

Construction

The Pulsefire Ti is, as its name would suggest, made of titanium. The machining is surprisingly high quality and the vibe is comparable to a new YoyoRecreation. It isn’t as smooth as say, a new Turning Point, but I don’t think anyone would claim it has vibe. Smooth as silk. As far as the material use, titanium is excellent and provides a lot of advantages over aluminum. Durability being my favorite. Things that may result in dings on an aluminum yoyo often result in nothing on a titanium and the yoyo will continue to work like new for a very long time. On the downside, most titanium yoyos (like this one) are going to be released raw. This can result in “raw marks”, micro scratching, and some tarnishing over time. All of this is easily remedied with a polishing compound but it is added maintenance.

Play

This yoyo plays phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. Its 64 gram weight is on the lower end of most yoyos released these days, but is not at all detrimental to spin time. It is light on the string, easily sped up or slowed down, and very responsive to user input. This yoyo has a very powerful spin and even after long combos provides tight, reassuring binds that rocket back to your hand. It is more stable than it has any right to be at 64 grams and can handle anything you decide to throw at it with ease… often mocking your decision to bind with a hard return. As far as an objective spin time goes, here is my first test with a stock bearing.



…okay

Aesthetics

The Pulsefire Ti is not a gorgeous yoyo. There isn’t fancy lasering, there isn’t titanium rainbow anodizing, the design isn’t at all eye catching. Its just a yoyo. If you’re okay with your yoyo not being pretty, you’ll love this thing. If you’re not, it probably isn’t for you. I find character in its simplicity and it appeals to me. Others may not enjoy it.

Conclusions

If you’d like a yoyo that can outplay you for the rest of your life, be on the market for the Pulsefire Ti. If you want something pretty, maybe you should ignore it. Either way, this is a competition beast that I think everyone should have the pleasure of throwing at least once.