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[butterfingers]

I posted about this a short time ago and I think it may have been lost due to the server issues the forum experienced recently.

It is unlikely that I am alone searching eBay and the interweb for spin top stuff. My eBay searches generatlly start with Spintastics and Strummol8. I also look to see if Bearing Kings are on sale - even used BK's interest me. In the last couple months there haven't been any. Online merchants don't have them. I contacted YoYoSam and was advised that they '...can't get any'. They are out of stock just about everywhere online - I just bought a few from yoyoexpert in Orange and Clear but they now appear to be sold out as well. BK's are listed as 'unavailable' on their site. The Duncan site (link provided) shows only a gyroscope and the Imperial under the category of 'spin tops'.

https://www.duncantoys.com/spin-tops

I like the Bearing King. It makes me sad that they are no longer being produced. I sent a message to Duncan asking for more information.

$18 each on this site - Geez! Expensive....

https://www.toyco.co.nz/scooters-outdoor/outdoor/spinning-tops/duncan-bearing-king-top-orange-2828294373028

[Dick Stohr]

How much would you be interested in paying, before shipping? And how many would you want?

[butterfingers]

How much would you be interested in paying, before shipping? And how many would you want?

I wound up with some from YoYoExpert and I'm not looking to buy any more. Just posting regarding the availability. I wasn't sure if the thread belonged in this category ... sorry if the post was confusing.

[butterfingers]

Here is the response email from Duncan confirming what I suspected. Sad news. Looks like the end.
========================================================================
Hello David,

The Bearing King is a discontinued item, We have not made this for about 4 years now, and we do not have any stock.

I am sorry I was unable to help you.

Thank you!

Courtney L. Weaver
Flambeau, Inc.
Customer Service Rep
15981 Valplast Street
Middlefield, OH 44062
Phone: 800-457-5252 3731
Mobile:
Fax: 440-632-1581
Email: cweaver@flambeau.com

[the Earl of Whirl]

Yes, it is too bad that it was discontinued.  Many people liked them and many people used them.

[Neff]

When confronted with the break-ability of the Bearing King shorty after the release, the CFO of Flambeau is quoted as saying, "We will just sell more tops," and they continued to produce the same tops for the next 14 years, with strings that were too short to operate properly. Makes me sick.

Having said that, modded BK's are quite fun (hole in crown, PET shell, balanced). I have modded many, many, many of them, and hope to one day have done so to the majority of all that remain. Also, it is worth noting the BK tips are pretty darn tough compared to some other manufacturers.

[paxl13]

Having said that, modded BK's are quite fun (hole in crown, PET shell, balanced). I have modded many, many, many of them, and hope to one day have done so to the majority of all that remain. Also, it is worth noting the BK tips are pretty darn tough compared to some other manufacturers.

Yep. the hole in crown do make all the difference in the world BUT to be fair, the problem is how bad the bearing are spining in my case. I should try to clean up but I kind of messed the inner bearing seat while making the hole in the crown...

[robtsou]

When confronted with the break-ability of the Bearing King shorty after the release, the CFO of Flambeau is quoted as saying, "We will just sell more tops," and they continued to produce the same tops for the next 14 years, with strings that were too short to operate properly. Makes me sick.

Having said that, modded BK's are quite fun (hole in crown, PET shell, balanced). I have modded many, many, many of them, and hope to one day have done so to the majority of all that remain. Also, it is worth noting the BK tips are pretty darn tough compared to some other manufacturers.

I got some of the first run of the BK's and the Ripcords and they were super fragile (and glued together so you couldn't remove the top).  The Lexan ones were much more durable and I've personally not had a problem with them.

[Softspin]

I also have a couple of the early ones,, neff has modified the newer ones for me . I also remember when all the tip kits went away I was lucky to get the last ones from yoyo Sam. I know people have put strummol 8 tips in them also.. The one thing I have seen in my short time is a lot of tops go by the wayside.  But also how people's creativity comes out to create there own tops and modifying old ones. I guess like a good pair of sneakers you like , buy more than one if it fits good.

[paxl13]

So. this thread made me revisit my BK again. I cleaned the bearings, was able to get one spinning freely... realised that the other one has one sheild broken in the bearing. I sadly don't have a size A bearing on hand ... The BK doesn't use the same size that spintastics does. ( I have a couple of spare of those )... I put that one inside the top.

Anyway turns out now my BK is all unballenced weirdly but it's not a bad top when you have proper cleaned bearing in it... It doesn't feel as agile and as nimble as other tops but I can certainly understand the love for it. Bear in mind that this is with an heavily modified bk ( hole in crown )...

Anyway... Guess I'll need to pickup another size A bearing at some point ! ( if that's size A... not ever sure, I thought spintastics were size A )...

[vegabomb]

The BK takes an A. Isn’t the spintastics a C? I’ll look in a bit.

[paxl13]

S8 takes A's too.. So I bought a bunch of them over the weekend and cleaned them up. I am surprised how nice my modded BK is... I'd take a second one and to do a less
sloppy job at modding it!!!

But yeah. the BK with freely spinning bearing is quite surprising =)
I'd take more weight I think in the shoulder... But appart from that it's quite
fun to lasso from boomerang into crazy 8s ( both sides ) and orbits!

[butterfingers]

Chris Neff is correct, as always, when he says the supplied strings are (were) too short. Ta0 and Mark Hayward taught me that the first time I wrapped and spun a BK. But the tops themselves are wonderful.

I guess I'm alone here as I didn't get anywhere near the response I thought I would when I started this thread.

I think the Short Circuit, with it's attractive price point and pretty colors, has been the go to top for many of us - but I have several BK tops set aside for future use.

BTW - I've given up hope on the metal BK, too.

[paxl13]

BTW - I've given up hope on the metal BK, too.

I've read somewhere that the project was abandonned ... Seeing how well the ordinary modded bk can play. I'd be curious to test / play with a metal BK. Other
fun experiment would be to turn a Delrin BK and see how it turns out!

Cheers,

[ta0]

I've read somewhere that the project was abandonned ... Seeing how well the ordinary modded bk can play. I'd be curious to test / play with a metal BK.

Kyo would probably sell you one of the BK metal prototypes . . . at a collector's price 
But, if you go to worlds, you could ask him to bring one to try.