What A Review!
As we’ve said in the paste, we LOVE hearing from our AMAZING CUSTOMERS! You guys and ladies out there are seriously so cool!
Sometimes we get really cool responses from the fans out there, and today is one of them. Max is one of our long-time customers and he’s done a few reviews on our products as well as our competitors products. We always love to see our balls run the gambit with our meticulous customers, especially those that juggle professionally and use our balls in shows and other events!
Max is back with another great review, this time of Flying Clipper and his years of experience with our company. Here it is:
I’ve got a few reviews already posted on the site for some of the Tossaballs so I’m probably just going to make this a general review of Flying Clipper as a whole. I’ve also made a video review for the 32-Panel Phat Tyre Tossaballs that is already hosted on Flying Clipper’s Blog: (http://www.flyingclipper.com/blog/index.php/customer-review-of-the-brand-new-32-panel-tossaball/) Like I said, this is just going to be a basic overview/review of the company as a whole with a few specific product mentions added in for good measure.
I’ve been a juggler for about 10 years now. After my first non-learner set of beanbags (millet -filled thuds) became so dilapidated and worthless after less than a year of use I vowed to never use beanbags again. I switched to stage balls and filled stage balls for the first 5 years or so of juggling. One day I was roaming around the internet looking for some new props and new places to purchase props. After following a few links I stumbled upon a website that was completely new to me, www.FlyingClipper.com. FlyingClipper.com immediately caught my eye because the site as a whole has a nice clean look to it; it’s well laid out, easy to navigate and there are a ton of different products.
The only reason I continued to browse after noticing all the beanbags was because they all had mention of some “Hybrid Technology”. I’ll be honest , I was skeptical at first, but after reading more about it on the well put together FAQ area I was intrigued. Not only did the props avoid using millet, but they took it one step further by adding two types of filler to one ball. Twelve panel beanbags with each panel being a pillow filled with crushed quartz all wrapped around plastic pellets to help fill the void. It sounded like an amazing idea to me. Not only did it help to create balls that had even weight and mass, but they would not break down any. I couldn’t resist any longer, I had to buy myself a set. I clicked around and decided on a set of Ultrasuede 2.8″ 130gram Tossaball Hybrids.
I was still slightly skeptical of the Hybrid Technology when my new props arrived. I followed the instructions that came with them and threw them into the washing machine, cold wash/cold rinse/no soap. This was a very impressive new thing to me, washable juggle balls?!?! When the wash had finished and the balls had finally air dried overnight I was thrilled to finally begin using them! I immediately noticed the quality craftsmanship, the stitching was evenly spaced and solid. No gaps between stitches to allow filler to fall out. The Ultrasuede material was clearly the highest quality available. I started throwing them into the air, my 5-ball cascade immediately felt more solid than ever.
Not only did they have a completely dead drop unlike any of my filled stage balls they also had no wobble in the air no matter how much spin I added to them. Five years later, 25 or 30 machine washings, countless drops from 7′s and above and those Ultrasuede Tossaballs are still in prime condition and feel exactly the same as they did during that first 5-ball cascade. That to me is what a juggling prop should be! I shouldn’t have to replace my props every year because they’ve become so soft and wobbly in the air. I shouldn’t have to worry about getting my props dirty for fear of not being able to clean them. I should be able to use a prop for ten’s of years and have it feel just as good as it did on day one.
“That is what Flying Clipper is all about. They’ve created a line of top quality and innovative juggling props with enough variety to meet anyone’s needs.”
Since that first set, I’ve tried quite a few of the Tossaballs from Flying Clipper. Recently, I purchased myself a set of the 32-Panel Phat Tyre Tossaballs. These caught my eye because they combined two of my favorite things. Juggling, and helping the environment. Rather than be filled with sand and plastic pellets like many of their other products, Flying Clipper went above and beyond to create a juggling ball unlike any other on the market. These balls are filled to the perfect volume with ground up, recycled car tires. That heavy duty rubber that you’ve been driving on for years is now the filler for an incredible piece of juggle-able art. They use a few stainless steel pellets to help keep the weight of each prop consistent as well as make sure that the mass of each feels the same. Because none of the filler is organic these props are, like everything else from Flying Clipper, completely machine washable. Since getting these they’ve become my main props for any kind of juggling. They’re slightly underfilled so drops and catches are completely dead; they stop right where they land. Definitely an A+ prop in my book.
Not only has Flying Clipper created an amazing line of juggling props and footbags but they’ve also dedicated themselves to expert customer service. After placing an order you get a confirmation email with details of your order. A little later you receive an email letting you know that the order has shipped. I’m on the east coast and I’ve never waited more than a week for my props, and that wait was only because the color I wanted was out of stock at the time. If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for by browsing online go ahead and contact them. Emails are usually answered the day of or early next day and if need be you can give them a call to help sort out shipping issues or with any questions about your props.
Flying Clipper has become my go to website for new juggling balls or just window shopping. I’ve never had an issue with them and I’m certain that if something did go wrong they would do everything in their power to correct it as soon as they could. They value their customers and they value quality, both in their props and their service. I don’t think you can have a bad experience with them even if you wanted to. Well done www.FlyingClipper.com; you’ve earned my business and respect for life.
jonno | 
05 20th, 2013| 
