AlumaFX Clamshell Fidget Spinner in Copper and Aluminum Review
I chased the AlumaFX Clamshell Fidget Spinner for ages, and finally grabbed this aluminum and copper version. Read on for some photos!
Official Product Page
Here’s a link to the AlumaFX Clamshell Fidget Spinner page. These aren’t orderable there, but you can still have a look.
Short Review
I love this one so much that I’ve chased down every one I see in a post and buy every one I can on secondary. I really love these. The very similar Oyster, too.
Price
$100 (ish) when new. Unavailable now except on the used market, so good luck.
Long Review
Versions
The Clamshell is its own version. There’s a similar, slightly smaller version called the Oyster.
Among Clamshells, there were multiple body metals available: Aluminum, brass, and copper. And the ball bearings that are in the periphery of these were available in stainless steel and tungsten. The metals were also available in different finishes: Satin, Stonewashed, and RAW CNC Machined.
What’s Included
- AlumaFX Clamshell spinner
I don’t know that anything else was included with the original package.
Size
Officially:
0.375 Ball weights
0.218 Diameter
22mm Buttons
The size isn’t otherwise mentioned. I measure it this way:
55.45mm long
35.43mm wide
5.59mm thick
9.52mm ball thickness
Weight will vary with all the options. Official weights are listed on the site, too.
Look
I personally think this is one of the best-looking spinners. Aside from actual playability. The copper seen here looks great. The brass I also have looks great. The aluminum Oyster I have looks great.
But it’s impossible to comment on the look without mentioning the ubiquitous (nearly?) plastic version. It goes by many names, and I won’t even try to name the most / best one for it. But I did review that one ages ago, too. See that one here. Along the way, I lost that red plastic version.
I love the seam between the halves!
In case you’re keeping score, this copper version is the Satin finish. The brass one you’ll see below is the Machined finish. And just to let you know, I’ve seen them all, my Oyster is the Stonewashed.
Of the three, Machined is my least favorite. Satin and Stonewashed are a bit of a wash to pick the top – I love them both. Satin looks great on the copper, for sure.
Feel
Hefty. Weighty. Interesting. Wait: Feels interesting? Yeah. The thing is, those ball bearings are sandwiched between the body halves. And the body is built so that those are movable. So whichever way this spinner is held, there’s something to do.
Rolling these bearings around is one of the best things. Possible to do this without being distracting, in a meeting or whatever. It’s a very appealing aspect.
Other spinners that also use bearings (See: FocusWorks Axis Micro Mini) have ball bearings in the body that are press-fit, and lack the movable fidgetablness that the Clamshell has.
Bearing / Spin Times
The bearing is a R188. The way this spinner is built, the bearing is sandwiched between the two halves and “captured.”
The spin footprint is the same as the length, 55.45mm long. That’s another thing I like about the size and shape. It’s as if it were stamped out of a circle
Yes, I love this model enough to have two nearly identical versions:
I did some spintime tests and the results are as follows:
| Spin | Time (m:s) |
|---|---|
| 1 (table top) | 5:43.40 |
| 2 (table top) | 5:30.90 |
| 3 (table top) | 6:29.51 |
| 4 (table top) | 7:05.00 |
I consider these spin times to be quite good. Better than some of the other spinners I’ve reviewed recently.
Buttons
These buttons are 22mm in diameter, and they screw together. There’s room for bigger buttons, and Wes at AlumaFX did (does?) offer bigger buttons. This is a common “mod” (or upgrade?).
I’m perfectly satisfied with the 22mm stock buttons. They have a fantastic shape and feel.
Maintenance / Disassembly
As stated above, the buttons screw together. Unscrewing them is easy, revealing the below:
There are two set screws holding the halves together. And in good form, they’re opposite each other. Perfectly balanced indeed.
Removing those two set screws takes a very small Hex wrench. I had one on hand – it’s a standard size, just very, very tiny. Once the two set screws are removed, you’ll likely have to wedge something between these halves to get them separated.
And once separated, you’ll get this. First is the “outside” sides. Pretty usual, you’ve already seen this.
But now the “inside” sides. Note that there are two positioning pins, too, for absolutely perfect alignment! Also, see how the bearing sits into the body.
The thumb pads unscrew very easily. They’re screwed to each other and fit into the collar of the bearing. The bearing can be pushed out, but it is press-fit in, so this could be a little difficult.
Conclusion
What I like
- Literally everything?
- Spin times seem respectable! Incredible even, for something whose primary focus is split between spinning and ball-bearing play.
- Finish options: Satin, Stonewashed, RAW CNC Machined (I have all 3 now, and can say it’s great to have the options).
- SS and Tungsten ball options. The Tung adds a nice weight!
- That the balls are rotatable aside from this being a spinner.
- Wes, as a person, makes AlumaFX a great company to support. He seems like a stand-up guy.
- Ease of maintenance
What I don’t like
- The lack of current availability
- Small screws can be very easy to lose (and I’m not sure they’re replaceable)
Notes
- I purchased this spinner (used) with my own money. I was not paid to write this review.
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