The very best Spinning tops have come on leaps and bounds in recent years, and that is due mainly to the increase in capabilities for computer manufacturing. With recent developments in the machinery used to make tops the scope for makers has broadened exponentially. Where once tops were made by hand, or on a lathe. Manufacturers now have access to machines such as a 5-axis CNC machine which can have a tolerance of two thousandths of a degree
This means that the designs made by high end top makers can become more and more outlandish, whilst the spin quality improves due to the precision of the manufacturing.
One thing is abundantly clear however, and that is the price. High spec spinning tops don’t come cheap. That’s because neither do the machines, or the people that are qualified to use them. A top of the range machine can start at around $100,000 and range up to an almost unlimited cost. Though the software to use these machines is becoming far more user friendly, the people with the knowhow and the ability to both create and program such fine designs are few and far between.
If we factor in the cost of the machines and the cost of the time it takes to make the tops then add on the cost of the materials, it’s easy to see how the prices stack up.
Materials
The materials that tops are made from are something else that has seen a rapid development in recent years. After all, if you’re going to drop a bunch of money on a precision top you at least want the option of a fancy metal no one has ever heard of right? Well, chances are that if you’re in the market for a precision top, then you aren’t sold on the idea of a basic $2 top from the toy store. Therefore makers are constantly coming up with different material combinations that are both pleasing to the eye, and also functional in a spinning top.
One thing is for sure, as the market for high end tops continues to grow, makers are going to become more and more adventurous to capture the imaginations of those waiting to add to their collection.