I'm not a spinning top aficionado, and I have always wondered what was the attraction. To be frank, I might also have found it childish at some point; but my philosophy is "to each their own", and I have not been judging that hobby. Merely wondering what makes people willing to spend so much money on such a tiny thing (some of these are gorgeous, but frikking expensive - says the guy who bought a Mini-Maelstrom and a Maelstrom fidget spinner in titanium, as well as a Mini-falcom and a Tsunami; just Google those and weep for me).
However as someone who has been trained as an industrial designer, I have always loved well designed, and well made products. As a "stuff" lover I have written short reviews, here and there, on things I find beautiful: motorcycles, cars, furniture, knives, flashlights, spinners (I've always had to fidget with something - see my other posts on that subject). As as such I was lucky to get a sample of this spinning top from Massdrop, to review.
I have to say, without knowing anything about the intricacies of the world of tops (I can talk about spinners and knives, but not tops), that there is something strangely hypnotic and soothing in spinning this top, and watching it spin for minutes. I found myself doing this a few times, with my mind wandering while watching the top spin. Once I was spinning it, then the phone rang, and after a five minutes call, I was flabbergasted to realize the top was still spinning!
This top, from designer Mitch Lum (I've admired some of his non-spinning top work over the years; knives, pens, etc.) is a gorgeous object for sure (and I'm now afraid to fall in love with spin tops as a result), and tremendously enjoy the hypnotic and soothing effect it provides (is that what attracts people to this? If yes I get it now!).
This particular one has a perfect balance and weight distribution, which I guess bring long spin times; when it spins you think it's immobile! The brass is gorgeous, I think it will eventually get a nice patina.
The stem is very grippy, because of the pattern machined in this particular grade of aluminum (it's denser than regular aluminum), and that same pattern makes for a mesmerizing blur when the top spins. The tip is gorgeous, all black ceramic, it shines like liquid ink (I learned that's the bearing in Massdrop's description).
The overall shape of it, the overall look and design and finish, makes this correspond to the ideal spinning top I would see in my mind's eye. Bottom line, I don't know why or how, but I love it. Would I have bought it without experiencing one beforehand? Probably not. But now that I have one, and now that I've spun it, I just want to start again and again. Am I falling in a new rabbit hole?
However as someone who has been trained as an industrial designer, I have always loved well designed, and well made products. As a "stuff" lover I have written short reviews, here and there, on things I find beautiful: motorcycles, cars, furniture, knives, flashlights, spinners (I've always had to fidget with something - see my other posts on that subject). As as such I was lucky to get a sample of this spinning top from Massdrop, to review.
I have to say, without knowing anything about the intricacies of the world of tops (I can talk about spinners and knives, but not tops), that there is something strangely hypnotic and soothing in spinning this top, and watching it spin for minutes. I found myself doing this a few times, with my mind wandering while watching the top spin. Once I was spinning it, then the phone rang, and after a five minutes call, I was flabbergasted to realize the top was still spinning!
This top, from designer Mitch Lum (I've admired some of his non-spinning top work over the years; knives, pens, etc.) is a gorgeous object for sure (and I'm now afraid to fall in love with spin tops as a result), and tremendously enjoy the hypnotic and soothing effect it provides (is that what attracts people to this? If yes I get it now!).
This particular one has a perfect balance and weight distribution, which I guess bring long spin times; when it spins you think it's immobile! The brass is gorgeous, I think it will eventually get a nice patina.
The stem is very grippy, because of the pattern machined in this particular grade of aluminum (it's denser than regular aluminum), and that same pattern makes for a mesmerizing blur when the top spins. The tip is gorgeous, all black ceramic, it shines like liquid ink (I learned that's the bearing in Massdrop's description).
The overall shape of it, the overall look and design and finish, makes this correspond to the ideal spinning top I would see in my mind's eye. Bottom line, I don't know why or how, but I love it. Would I have bought it without experiencing one beforehand? Probably not. But now that I have one, and now that I've spun it, I just want to start again and again. Am I falling in a new rabbit hole?