The spark is a new top from Billetspin. Low cost is the main factor in the design of this top, Rich Stadler of Billetspin has set out with the idea of making a small one piece top that can be marketed to the mass market with a low price. It was released on the 16th August 2017 on Indiegogo.
Billetspin Spark
Billetspin have made their name making high end expensive tops, often with multiple parts. Though they have made one piece tops in the past, like the Paradox, or the Lotus, they were substantially more expensive.
Sparking interest in tops for the masses was the main aim of this design, hence the name “Spark”. It has been said that it is like a mixture between the Paradox, the Infinity, and the Torch. This is easy to see as the body is very similar to that of the Paradox, the stem similar to the torch, and the centre of the top mimics the infinity.
The Spark’s Goal
The whole purpose of this little top is to create a broader scope of interest in spinning tops the world over. At the moment the hobby is understandably very niche. However, Rich at Billetspin hopes that by making a top that is cheap, looks good and is easy to spin, that he can lure more and more people into the community.
Design
The design of the top has a couple of key factors it needs to hit. It needs to look good, whilst not being too complex or expensive to machine. The top needed to be easy to spin, as this is designed for the masses, not just those with good technique. And it needs to look unique and eye catching enough that it will draw the eye of someone that isn’t normally a top person. The top will come in just three material options; Brass, Stainless Steel, and Copper, so there wont be any of the super expensive exotic materials we often see from Billetspin.
As mentioned above the spark draws inspiration from a few different previous Billetspin tops. Namely these are the Paradox, the Torch, and the Infinity It has taken the defining factors from them and combined to make what is a very good looking little guy. It’s not clear whether this was deliberate, or whether it is a product of these designs being the best there is. Either way, it seems as though the best aspects of each are present in this new iteration.
The long and easy to hold grip makes the top much easier and smoother to launch and spin. Other tops from Billetspin have a grip only right at the extreme of the stem. However the spark has grip running the length. The benefit to this is that it gives the user the ability to spin from lower down and closer to the base of the top. This means there is less risk of wobble, and more chance of a nice smooth launch.
Price
In order to keep the price down, and at the $35 mark there will be only three material choices, brass, stainless steel, and copper. All tops will be available on Indiegogo and are due for release in late July.
This is one of two tops being developed in July, the other is the Loki, a trick shot top which is another totally unique endeavour for Billetspin. Both were made in July, but the release has been a little bit staggered due to some other things going on, such as the launch of a couple of Triskelion Tops, and making the Indiegogo campaign look good.