Tom Kuhn Appreciation thread.

[yoyodave]

I received some info on the mystery Batiks that arrived last month.  They are prototypes, and pretty unusual ones.  They were test runs on the lasering done on SLEEP MACHINE bodies.  So these are technically Batik Sleep Machines, not No Jive 3s.  The one with the circle around the logo is a test run, that Brad thought looked better.  The other 3 are reduced size logo, and were test runs for the lasering. You'll also notice all three vary in darkness.

If interested in any of these, email me and make an offer.  Including the center, original run, Batik.  EMAIL, do not send a board message.  I seldom check the board and never check board messages.  I'm willing to part with these to people who will appreciate them, and understand the rarity.  Sorry to say I still just don't have much interest in yo-yos, not even Kuhns.

David
whistler@swcp.com

[jblack]

Jason - that metallic black is the Muttz Nutz!  How did the black and red metallics escape me?  were they ever released publicly?

[jasonwongzero]

Jason - that metallic black is the Muttz Nutz!  How did the black and red metallics escape me?  were they ever released publicly?

Hi jblack!  Unfortunately, the red is actually only a red 'stained' (flat paint) No Jive, not a metallic.  I really wanted a metallic too!  (Chris was cool and worked things out with me after though.)  The metallic black, I think might be a rare one.  I actually scored it off of one of Brad's relatives in law.  Not sure if it was ever released.

Ok, I finally had some time to take photos today.  I commissioned a solid walnut case to be made for the collection which is featured in these photos.  The case is great, except for the fact that it is almost more of a trunk!  Two layers, 24 slots a layer, 48 slots total.  In retrospect, I would have had the craftsman use thinner wood and make the dimensions a bit smaller.  I'm actually going to drill in some handles for the sides to make it a bit more manageable.  Oh well, not like this case is coming to any meetups...

Many thanks to Dana, Bud and LJ for the wonderful and generous trades/sales to help with this collection so far!


Walnut case


Tom Kuhn Complete Birthday Set (Thanks Dana!!)


Case opened


Top level, No Jives


Bottom level, RD-1s, RD-2s, Sleeps, Rollers, Mini, etc.

-----------------------

I have a few nice duplicates available for trade and am on the lookout for some No Jives I don't have.  (Rainbow, Filligree, Celtics, other laminated NJs)

[yoyo408]

Wow Jason !  Lookin' good.  Looks like my guys have plenty of company there 

[jasonwongzero]

Wow Jason !  Lookin' good.  Looks like my guys have plenty of company there 

Thanks!   I suspect that 75% of the yoyos in this case were probably owned by you at one time Dana.  ;P

[yotoy]

Looking good Jason.. That custom box is hott..

[attybud]

It is quite deluxe!  Wow. 

[jblack]

Jason - so nice.  I have 2 questions:

1. What did you do with all the original TK boxes for these yos?    Half of the storage of my collection is because of all the darn boxes.

2. I query whether the Yo in Peace belongs with the TK's as it was released as a BC (like the "millenium" misspelled release) and did not carry TK branding on the box.

The community thoughts on the BC/TK divide? 

[oldyoyoguy]

I commissioned a solid walnut case to be made for the collection which is featured in these photos.

Woah, awesome!

[jasonwongzero]

Jason - so nice.  I have 2 questions:

1. What did you do with all the original TK boxes for these yos?    Half of the storage of my collection is because of all the darn boxes.

2. I query whether the Yo in Peace belongs with the TK's as it was released as a BC (like the "millenium" misspelled release) and did not carry TK branding on the box.

The community thoughts on the BC/TK divide? 

Thanks jblack. 

In regards to the original boxes, I took post it notes and inserted a note about which yoyo came in which box so that I can put all the yoyos back into their original cases should I need to.  Then the yoyo boxes are put away into shoeboxes.  I actually do this with all of my yoyos and group the boxes according to region and manufacturer.

(Yes, I know...  I have cardboard boxes filled with empty boxes.  This is about one step away from the nutty people you see on the television show "Animal Hoarding".)

Not sure about the "Yo in Peace"...  but my simplistic, personal, perhaps naive thinking has been "if there's a Tom Kuhn name on the yoyo" it can be considered a TK.  Perhaps some models are not as desirable/collectible as others, but it's still got his name on it.  (Unless BC was using the TK name without consent, then that'd be a different issue.)

[attybud]

Brad was duly licensed to include Tom's name on the Yo In Peace.  I agree with Jason.  

[ed]

beautiful case box and great collection!

i would say the batik belongs in the 2nd level and the world on a string on the first (that'll always be more of a "no jive" than the "no jive 3", but that's neither here nor there). although honestly, i can't even nitpick over that. i think you have it set up wonderfully; that's the kind of collection that should make any old tk fiend salivate.

[attybud]

Magnificent collection you've assembled thus far, Jason.  

I predict you'll enjoy the No Jive 3.  Tom intended his NJ3 to be just that.  It's wasn't meant to emulate the designs of the NJ1 or NJ2.   The NJ3's design pleases Dr. Kuhn.   I enjoy it, too.   Once produced, others will, as well.  

I encourage my friends here to look to the future, toward a No Jive 4!  Tom is a genius.   I'm confident he'd welcome good, constructive design input - from all customer base segments - including those fond of bearings, and those who are not.  

[ed]

I encourage my friends here to look to the future, toward a No Jive 4!  Tom is a genius.   I'm confident he'd welcome good, constructive design input - from all customer base segments - including those fond of bearings, and those who are not.

k.
hi tom! please make more no jives... or... no jive 2's... or whatever they were (like the one in attybud's avatar there). i really don't believe that anyone has ever made a better yo-yo than what you produced in your san francisco workshop. i think it's a crying shame that they're no longer made can't be found anyplace but ebay. there's an innocence, mystique, and cache held together by those little hex-nuts which has never been replicated. its likeness is tattooed on my arm and its lessons inform everything i ever do with a yo-yo (and much that i do without one). i don't know what happened, but there is a place for that yo-yo here and now. it offers a point of balance with respect to the status quo, and represents a lifelong challenge to which modern players need & deserve to be exposed. many thanks.

[attybud]

Agreed. 100%. 

[jblack]

The more I see the case, the more I appreciate the contrast between the dark color of the case and the lovely honey TKs.  Would love to scale it up and give my collection a home!

The hex nut will always be am important part to the feel, weight and concept of a No Jive - that is not to say that the NJ3 won't be a great player.  I am hoping we see an evolution of the Redline/Sleep Machine.

Too bad we won't see any laminates again - the laminated No Jives were so wonderfully weighted.

My TKs are what draw the most attention, living wood sculture with wonderful pantina that warns to the hand.

My wish list - license to One Drop to produce Side Effect-enabled TK yoyos.  Wood bodies, modern, interchangeable guts - oh MY! 

[oldyoyoguy]

please make more no jives... or... no jive 2's... or whatever they were (like the one in attybud's avatar there).

A possible problem is that a yo-yo done with that much care now would probably retail for $50 or more.  Not that collectors and serious wood players wouldn't pay that, given what others will pay for high-end metals these days.  But like those it would have to be a limited-run, boutique item, just to keep the quality up.

[oldyoyoguy]

Just stumbled upon these:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1126250/index.htm

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1136126/index.htm

Filled in a few gaps for me.

[jasonwongzero]

The more I see the case, the more I appreciate the contrast between the dark color of the case and the lovely honey TKs.  Would love to scale it up and give my collection a home!

The hex nut will always be am important part to the feel, weight and concept of a No Jive - that is not to say that the NJ3 won't be a great player.  I am hoping we see an evolution of the Redline/Sleep Machine.

Too bad we won't see any laminates again - the laminated No Jives were so wonderfully weighted.

My TKs are what draw the most attention, living wood sculture with wonderful pantina that warns to the hand.

My wish list - license to One Drop to produce Side Effect-enabled TK yoyos.  Wood bodies, modern, interchangeable guts - oh MY! 

I second the SE enabled TK wooden yoyo...  that would be really fun and fantastic!

Jason

[Crow]

I'm with Ed. Please Tom, get back to wood with a fixed axle. The hobby needs to maintain some amount of purity. The 3-in-1 was just that. It is a travesty that the original No-Jive 3-in-1 is no longer available. It forever remains the vision I see in my mind's eye, when I think of the yo-yo.

A dedicated wooden butterfly fixed axle take-apart Kuhn yo-yo would be pretty cool. Something with some more rim weighting than a standard Flying Camel. Maybe play a bit with the axle shape, or an adjustable gap. Something beautifully finished and presented. If you need a new mandala design for it, just email me. I could pump another one out in a couple of weeks, free to Tom. I still have some concept designs that were never finished, from back when I made the Celtic and Quatl designs.