Duncan Announces FH Zero, the Ultimate Counterweight Yo-Yo
1/15/2004
Duncan Toys Co. is the #1 brand of yo-yos in the world. Through decades of revolutionary product design, a consistent stable of the most talented players in the world, and innovative new manufacturing methods, Duncan Toys has set the standard for quality in both manufacturing and play for the past 75 years.Well, they just raised the bar. Again.
At the 2004 International Toy Fair, Duncan announced the release of the much-anticipated FH Zero yo-yo. The FH Zero, called Zero for short, is the result of more than three years of product design, development, testing, and fine-tuning. The first Freehand yo-yo utilizing the counterweight system of play, developed and patented by U.S. National Yo-Yo Master Steve Brown, was released in 2001 to rave reviews. The Freehand was redesigned in 2002 with a new body shape which further refined its play characteristics for more intricate tricks. Duncan released a second and unique counterweight play yoyo coined the Throw Monkey in 2003. The Throw Monkey is an oversized version of the Freehand, with over-molded rubber rims and uncanny play value; and now in 2004, Duncan is releasing its third and newest design for counterweight play, the FH Zero.
Modeled after the body of the original Freehand, the Zero is a wide, flare-shape yo-yo; allowing for forgiving string play and better stability. The ball-bearing axle has been refined for maximum spin time while the weight has been re-distributed for optimum play. The Friction Stickers, used to make the yo-yo come back, have been changed in order to provide smoother play out of the package. A raised locator rib has been added to the inner wall; this serves the dual function of making it easier for players to replace their stickers with perfect placement, as well as moving the string away from the outer edge of the Friction Stickers in order to lengthen their life and provide smoother play.
The most noticeable addition to the FH Zero is Duncan's exciting introduction of sculpted counterweights. Each FH Zero comes with three different counterweights for different styles and tastes. The FH Zero features a standard die for regular counterweight play and dice grinds, a rubber ball for special bounce-style counterweight tricks, and a new sculpted character head for regular counterweight play and snags, where the player catches the string on the counterweight and uses it to help form mounts. The sculpted counterweights come in six different characters: the Duncan Throw Monkey, the Duncan Panda, the Duncan Man, a Silver Skull, a Grinning Die, and the Freehand inventor himself, Steve Brown.
The FH Zero will be available in three different case packs and in numerous colors. The 3583XP assortment will feature assorted opaque colors of bodies and sidecaps, the 3583TR assortment will feature three different translucent colors of bodies and sidecaps, and the 3583CR assortment will be all clear bodies with clear sidecaps. Special editions for collectors will also be released at the 2004 World Yo-Yo Contest and the 2004 U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest.
The FH Zero will ship in case packs of 12 units each.
For more information on the FH Zero, check out their website at www.yo-yo.com or call Duncan Toys at Flambeau, Inc. at 1-800-457-5252. Building on "the original and world's #1" producer of yo-yos, Duncan is focused to be the brand leader in high quality toys for learning and fun...
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