I have had a prototype for the last two days to play.
First I want to say that this is a high quality, precision part, well deserving to go into an S8 top.
Compared to an S8 tip it has a bigger groove which I prefer.
The fit into the Giulia and STB 2.0 was perfect. Here it is besides a S8 owb tip:
As the two bearings are inside the tip, you just press the assembly into the top and put the washer and nut. The nut tended to loosen up after some play, so I would recommend adding a spring washer.
As a fixed tip it plays as good or better as the original S8 tip. I am sure the Czech group is going to break some Staircase to Heaven records with it. I also tried long-setup wire walkers like Formula 1 and Crossover and it did help quite a bit. It was also useful for consecutive Walk the Plank and for doing wire walkers after regeneration runs. In fact, I had some success doing Staircase to Heaven after a snap start (but Daniel did it in the middle of run with a standard fixed tip at the Euro Contest!
) These are tricks that cannot be done with a owb (contrary to Roller Coaster to hand).
When I received it, the point spun very smooth. Alas, after playing for a while over commercial carpet at the office, it became noticeable noisier and rough. In fact, on the hand the STB2.0 spun as long with the bearing-point tip than with a standard fixed tip (on the carpet it still out-spun the fixed tip considerably). I disassembled it but could not tell which bearing was bad. I then re-assembled it swapping the position of the two bearings and, voila!, it was spinning great again. I measured 145 seconds compared to 60 seconds on the hand with an STB 2.0. But I am a little concerned that the small bearings may get damaged easily.
This tip should be able to do any trick that a fixed tip can do and extend what is possible. The only exception I can think of is a true arm walker, where you use the friction of the tip to walk the top. The only other very minor drawbacks would be that it does not automatically stand up when spinning on the ground and that the bearing noise may make some spectator say that the tip is tricked.
I want to have two of these tips (for two-top tricks) in my spinning toolbox! Great job Spintowin!
