Smoke
We’re so excited to present the third instalment of our Monogram Line, the Smoke — our signature model for Coleman Weimer.
Crafted from Delrin and polycarbonate, the Smoke is full of old school organic goodness, and carefully machined to perfection.
This Design Journal was written by Coleman Weimer.
SPECS
Diameter 55.1mm
Width 46.0mm
Weight 66.0g
Material Delrin & Polycarbonate
The Smoke came out of a meeting of practical and philosophical concerns related to my tendency to play yo-yo for the feeling of it over a predetermined result. I tend toward play without a plan and wanted my signature model to embrace its status as a toy and support a free-flow, feeling-based style of play.
A practical intention we decided on early was to design a delrin signature model that owns its status as being "just a toy." I have always prioritized carrying yo-yos that look welcoming over intimidating. I prefer a friendlier shape. This, paired with my prioritization of how a trick feels more than its technicality led to this classically comfortable design — with mileage to handle both long and short string-length trick structures and both slow and fast play.
Smoke reacts to some movement with resistance and other movement with leniency. Hops and redirects are rounded out by the heavier mass of the yo-yo. But, similar to Tyler Vienneau's Yokel, the Smoke is pliant when string is pulled in opposing directions, keeping the player on their toes and holding them to a certain level of accountability.
These dynamics were accentuated by narrowing the width of the yo-yo and adding Cephas-inspired flush polycarbonate caps. Inspired by the elegance of the Snowberry and Crucial Delrin models, I wanted a heavier delrin body to round-off rigid play, while also reminding myself to follow what the yo-yo itself is doing.
Smoke was designed to support an approach to play I have been developing for a few years, inspired by my favorite poet, William Stafford. Smoke as a physical phenomena has a thick presence but also an unpredictable levity and freedom to it. William Stafford once described his poetry writing process as being likened to "smoke's way", which always finds an opening, a way out.
When I play yo-yo, I also find the yo-yo, like words in a poem, presents its own momentum and direction. When I'm receptive the yo-yo leads the dance, meandering through the string, eventually finding it's way out of a sequence. Even if the sequence has been done a million times, the execution always can change. Often the trick begins and ends not by my intent but by some unpredictable sense of pull the yo-yo and string suggest. Smoke facilitates play without agenda, and I am thrilled to get this yo-yo into people's hands.
The Smoke was first designed in May 2023, and went through four prototypes before we landed on what we felt was perfect. While the Smoke is intentionally designed to be as minimal as possible, there are about a dozen under-the-hood design innovations (adapted from previous projects such as the Snowberry and Arctica) that are hidden from the eye, but help it perform as smoothly as it does.
Smokes will be available in White, Black, White/Black, and Black/Clear.
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The smoke is equipped with
Stratos Pads by Atmos
Type II Concave Bearings by Atmos
First Class XL String by Kitty String
Atmos Carry Pouch
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march 2025
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