| Silver Bullet | |
|---|---|
| |
| Manufacturer | Tom Kuhn |
| Release date | 1984 |
| Shape | Modified |
| Color | Various |
| Weight | 51 grams |
| Dimensions | Diameter: 56.7mm Width: N/A |
| Material | Aluminum |
| Bearing size | Wooden axle sleeve |
| Response system | None |
The Silver Bullet (also known retrospectively as the SB-1) by Tom Kuhn is a yo-yo first released in 1984. It was the first-ever yo-yo to feature a full-metal body, which is machined out of aircraft-grade aluminum. It was also named for the bullet-shaped axle hubs that it had on its sides. It also boasts a replaceable wooden axle sleeve in the vein of yo-yos like the No Jive 3-in-1 and the ProYo.
At some point in its history, the Silver Bullet underwent a small redesign in profile, and this later model was sold by What's Next Mfg./BC Toys well into the 1990's. The original Silver Bullet, sold out of Doc Kuhn's San Francisco shop, and the more common re-designed version are both highly-prized collector's items by today's standards.
There was also a rare anodized version, of which only fifty were produced. Instead of bare polished aluminum, the yo-yo is clear anodized giving it a dull metallic color (see photo links below).
The Silver Bullet, with its aluminum body, had planted the seed for a new legacy of full-metal yo-yos, such as in 1990, where its successor was introduced to the world. In 2012, the original Silver Bullet returned, alongside the SB-2 and the limited-production SB-3 in a special collector's set, of which only 50 were produced.
Smothers Brothers Silver Bullet[]
This yo-yo is only referenced by Lucky. No pictures or proof has ever surfaced of it. Dr. Tom Kuhn himself has said he cannot recall a special model ever existing.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- The Silver Bullet was released in the same year as Yomega's "Yo-yo with a Brain".
- Coincidentally, both the Silver Bullet and the Brain had come out ten years after the ProYo was patented.
- In addition, both the ProYo and the Silver Bullet are yo-yos that use wooden axle sleeves and were released almost ten years apart from each other.
- A prototype version had angled rims, and the bullet-shaped hubs on its sides are pointed instead of rounded on the finalized version.
- The original prototype, which was sold on eBay in June 2016 for $1500 USD, also had angular rims but did not have bullet-shaped hubs. That particular prototype was known by Tom Kuhn himself to be a rare bird that he did not even have.[1]