This really is a beautiful design. Nice clean lines and sharp crisp edges all around. This is from the outset a premium piece of metal and the price is commensurate with the machining here for sure. The detail of the 26 grooves on the inner stainless steel ring can attest to that. This metal laid in metal design give the Maelstrom some really nice effects during spinning. The cutouts in the brass lay inside the stainless steel which gives the spin effect of dueling spins as seen in the spin effect video below. As an aside, I think it would be interesting if the Maelstrom were made into a modular design where the inner metal could be swapped out for brass, copper, aluminum etc. creating an entirely different look and spin feel. Not for me to figure out the logistics of that...The buttons on the Maelstrom are the largest buttons I've seen on a spinner and come in stainless steel with the FlyAway Toys logo etched into them. They're easy to grip and probably appropriately sized for a spinner of this heft.

This spinner is a handful. Literally. I have medium sized hands and did find it a little difficult to manage at first. Catching it correctly with my ring finger on the brass legs is a bit difficult, but thanks to the larger buttons on this spinner, I'm abe to adjust my grip to reach a spin purchase properly. I do find this larger spinner a little easier to spin by holding it with my thumb and middle finger and using my index finger to flick back and forth over the top of it holding it vertically. From a fidgetability standpoint this isn't as much a fidget spinner as a long spinner or table spinner for me. And that's where it excels. Long 5 minute two handed spins and the great stability the heavy brass and steel body provide make for easy finger balancing if that's your game. The r188 hybrid ceramic bearing is buttery smooth and characteristically quiet for surreptitious spins in public, though good luck hiding this beautiful beast.

Flyaway Toys has definitely come up with something unique here, which is increasingly difficult to do as the fidget spinner market expands. If you like big heavy spinners and ultra-long spins, I think you'll be happy with your purchase of the Maelstrom. If you're looking for a small fidget based spinner you might want to look elsewhere for now.