King Yo Star K!T Specs:
Diameter: 57mm / 2.24 inches
Width: 46mm / 1.81 inches
Gap Width: 4.49 mm / 0.176 inches
Weight: 67.3 grams
Bearing Size: Size C (Large) (.250 x .500 x .187)
Response: KYS Pad (19mm slim pad)
PLAY
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The K!T is the latest design from China-based King Yo Star. It’s not an oversized yoyo, but it’s definitely on the larger side of “full size” and the shape and angles of the yoyo make it feel a bit larger than it actually is. It really feels big in the hands and on the string, and I had to compare it to several other yoyos that I use more often to convince myself that it’s really not oversized at all. If you are looking for something that feels big but without the drawbacks of oversized yoyos, the K!T could be a great choice for you. Made from 7075 aluminum, the K!T has a solid and substantial feel, although it also comes across a bit clunky. It’s a fast player, smooth and fairly stable, but the gap is a hair wider than it should be and the pads seem to recess a bit, making it bind really loose with their stock pads. Luckily, they use a standard 19mm pad, so you have a ton of options to get the response dialed in the way you like it. Using a fatter string, the response is loose and inconsistent…with a slimmer string it can take multiple tries to bind. Not a deal breaker for something at this price, but something to be aware of. But unlike many yoyos from smaller China-based manufacturers, the K!T really does have a solid, quality feel to it and holds spin well.
LOOKS
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The machining on the King Yo Star K!T is quite good, although close inspection does reveal some minor flaws in the anodization. Nothing dramatic, just a few spots where the color seems to darken or lighten a *tiny* bit…nothing noticeable unless you’re really looking for it. The machined steps on the inner rim and hubs are purely aesthetic, and were a common design choice in a lot of random aluminum yoyos in the early 2000s. The effect is more often a cheapening of the yoyo’s appearance. The K!T could easily lose half those grooves and probably look better. Less is more! The packaging is the industry standard small, square plastic box with a one color print on the lid and the front. The art, to be blunt, is not very good. There is an image of a slot on the top of the lid with the text “Saving For a Dream!”, implying you should cut out the slot and use the box as a bank to save up for your next yoyo? Inside the box are two sets of pads in pink and blue (perhaps a grippier material that would increase the level of response), a spare axle, a string, and a King Yo Star sticker. Nice touches, except that the pink pads were not properly die-cut from the material. So what I got was a spare set of blue pads, and a rectangle of pink pad material that is of no use. This is exactly the sort of quality that people complain about with Chinese manufacturing, and it’s a shame to see a perfectly good yoyo fall short with simple things like this. The only art on the yoyo is an engraving on the rim of the K!T logo (which looks nice) and a plain text “KYS” that overlaps the K!T logo, thereby ruining it. The King Yo Star K!T had the choice to be good looking or good playing, and it chose the latter.
VALUE
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King Yo Star is a budget-friendly brand, and at $75 for a smooth, well-balanced 7075 aluminum yoyo, the K!T is a pretty good deal. But with so many amazing players coming in at the $50 price point these days, the K!T could stand an improvement in the response department, and possibly a drop to 6061 aluminum to hit that same $50-$60 price point. If you’re looking for a durable throw from 7075 aluminum that won’t break the bank, the K!T is a great choice.
Click Here To Buy The King Yo Star K!T