Aroundsquare's "Standards" Series

Aroundsquare's "Standards" begleri series is our homage to the ubiquitous “standard issue” Greek barrel shaped begleri. This series is a contemporary adaptation of the original timeless design, with a slightly refined shape, precision machined and polished to perfection. They feature the same 1:1 aspect ratio favoured by most players, and a compact form factor that is small enough to slip easily past the string instead of binding, and sufficiently rounded for comfortable play. The right angles in the design provide excellent bead control without compromising on nimbleness. 

The Mini Standards

The Mini Standard series is sized at 14mm tall by 14mm wide, making it the most compact standalone set we have produced to date. The beads are noticeably smaller than our other begleri, but due to the angles and compact weight, they still feel substantial in the hand, and during play. Note that unlike the Modern Standard beads, the Mini Standards are not Hardcore Compatible, meaning the inner bore is not large enough to accommodate the beads of the Hardcore Gut System. This shouldn’t be a concern for most players, as the Mini Standard beads are sufficiently weighted to play very well on their own.

The Damascus Steel Mini Standards

The Damascus Mini Standards are made from damascus steel, forged from folds of raw material, giving it a natural knurled grain through the whole bead. Completely unlike the other beads in the Standards series, the Damascus Mini Standards are not precision machined. Instead, they have been hand ground, hand drilled, and hand finished. This process helps to accentuate the natural look and feel of the material, making the grains more pronounced. Naturally, this process is also less controlled than computerized machining, meaning that there are irregularities in all beads: grind lines on edges are uneven, holes are slightly off centre, weights are variable, and so on. Please expect this, and if you want a more precision-machined look and feel, any of our other sets can provide that (at less cost)! That said, these beads have been carefully sorted and any beads with irregularities that might compromise playability or durability have been sorted out.

A note on weight: 

The Damascus Mini Standards have been designed to be relatively lightweight. The individual beads average around 8.9g each, for an average set weight of right around 19g including the cord. The compact shape of the beads, along with the angles of the design, give them a solid feel and performance despite their light weight. Players slinging long hours day after day will appreciate the ease of play and casual feel of the sets, but rest assured, these little beads perform at the top tier. Playing with lighter sets is less forgiving than heavier sets, and can therefore help players clean up their form, but with a nice soft string, and perhaps a little adjustment to length (add 0.5cm or so) and timing, we're confident you won't feel you're sacrificing anything performance-wise. To the contrary, these little sets are incredibly nimble, and folks that have been struggling with advanced tricks like bead rolls may feel like they have just found a cheat code. The beads have been sorted into weight-matched pairs (within 0.3g of one another--small enough to be basically imperceptible).

The Damascus Mini Standard beads ship with six strands of luxurious 550 paracord, five stickers, and our Aroundsquare logo velcro-backed patch. Note that although these sets are NOT Hardcore Compatible, they do not ship with additional beads. 

Everyman Damascus Details: 

• Damascus Steel..
  • Hard, durable material, can scratch and ding, but the textured finish of the beads hides most scratches well
  • Natural grain, giving the beads a light knurled texture, which may smooth slightly over time depending on use 
  • May develop slight patina over time, but not pronounced.. depends greatly on factors such as climate, washing, and skin pH
  • Nearly odourless (very faint steel smell at times)
• Not hardcore compatible (you're stuck with the weight you get)
• Weight per bead: 
  • Varies slightly because they are hand made from a non-uniform material, but averages around 8.9g per bead
  • Comparison of bead weights are as follows: 
    - Mini Standard - Bronze: 9.7g
    - Mini Standard - Titanium: 7.5g
    - Mini Standard - Copper: 14.8g
    - Mini Standard - Brass: 13.9g
    - Mini Standard - Stainless: 13.0g

All sets come with extra cords, stickers, and a carry bag, although colours and quantities may not be as shown in the photos.