Never thought of using a dremel, what kind of attachment did you use? I've gotta try that.
Let me know how the caiman works out for you. It sounds like you are looking for a disc to fill the exact same slot as me and if the mortar doesn't cut it I am going to keep looking. How is the Aviarx3 in comparison the the mortar/caiman? I know it is a putter and a good deal slower. Would you bag both or do they fill the same slot for you? I also have a rat on the way which I feel like is going to be very similar to the aviarx3.
For reference, I have a Proto Star Stamped Star Caiman, 175g. I have a regular production stamped Star Caiman coming in the mail and should arrive by Thursday.
Plastic: This Star reminds me a lot of the 1.3 Frontline-X. I am not sure of other runs, but it is comparable to that particular run. It is gummy and slightly flexible. The F-X was almost bendable while the Star is closer to GStar in flexibility and grip. In the end, I like the Star better because once it is cleansed of the production slickness, it grips better in my hand, specifically the thumb and the meat of my palm.
High Speed Flight: I am going to preface this with that I only had one day of throwing with the Caiman, but on the lines I threw multiple shots, I think I know what I have. The Caiman is more HSS than the Mortar. The last time I threw my 1.3, it was fairly dead straight out of the hand and up to about 80% of the flight before fading. Unless near-full power, the Caiman does have a touch more HSS, enough where it will immediately start tracking left (assume RHBH). This is nothing a little anhyzer and or a little more power and or a little more seasoning can knock out if it. It is not crazy high stable like my Justice.
I throw both the Fuzion and Lucid Justice. I hate basic plastic simply because its flight characteristics change too dramatically. I prefer something that seasons slowly so I am not surprised and or is too far different from a new disc in case it needs to be replaced. The Justice is a beefcake; super high speed overstable. Most of its throws are for fun when unloading the bag or competing against a friend who also has a Justice, but in serious competition, I rarely break it out because of how niche of a disc it is.
The Caiman is not as HSS as the Justice, so it is much closer to what I can work with. Currently I have the Verdict in that spot, but the Verdict is not overstable. If anything, it is stable, almost identical to an EMac Truth for the first 80% of the flight. Only their fades are different. Even then, the Truth and Verdict are almost hybrid fairway drivers, and I am actually looking for something a little shorter and dumpier. Hence the Caiman or Mortar (again).
I can see the Caiman working once it has some seasoning under it, but for yesterday's lines (flat release, straight flight for at least half of the flight, and then solid finish left but still going somewhat forward), it was still just a touch too HSS, so I could not just reach back and throw. I really had to concentrate on wrist angles to get the flight I was hoping to get out of it.
Low Speed Flight: Despite it starting to track left immediately out of the hand, its fade was not harsh at all. It was dumping, but soft enough where it did not roll away, skip, flare, or finish too far left. This time it reminded me almost exactly of a Mortar. Against my Verdict, it finished strongly, whereas the Verdict has been recently finishing rather flat without almost no tracking to the left unless I underpower it.
AviarX3: Whenever I first pick up a disc, I have a tendency to throw it close to its intended numbers and or what I expect them to throw, and during the course of a few weeks, I start to push them for more distance. That is when I really discover if it is the disc I want it to be. I picked up the Star AviarX3 because I had a lot of spare funny-money from winning a league weekend as well as winning a tournament a few weeks later. I was using the Harp as my overstable putter; the Harp is a great driving putter but I could never dial it in as an approach disc. Plus, I only had two Harps, and I prefer to carry at least four in my inventory as I have a tournament bag, an everyday bag, and want to own two back-ups because of my ability to lose a disc easily. Instead of getting more Harps, I gave the AX3 a try.
All of my AviarX3, in which I now have five, are puddle-tops, so keep that in mind. I think that was almost intentional because I have Proto Stars, a CFR, and two production runs, and they all have sunken tops. Anyway, they are a far better approach disc than a driving putter. Its flight is very similar to what I remember the Mortar to be, just shorter, but it is not as overstable as the Caiman. As for its fade, it is harder than the Caiman, but also a little more glidier, meaning it will likely finish more left if given enough height (and assuming the Caiman did not already finish more left because of the amount it gained during its HSS). The Harp would be the middle ground between the AX3 and Mortar/Caiman, and could cover most of their shots, but could not cover them all. If you have the space in your bag for both the AX3 and Mortar/Caiman, they will play well together.
Dremel: I use the standard wood sanding bit. Just be quick and very careful because it removes plastic fast. I use light strokes and take no more than a few inches at time so it does not create grooves in the plastic. I make two or three passes to make sure I got everything, but the whole process does not take more than a minute or two. My hands thank me because that flashing can be sharp and will definitely mess with my grip if I do nothing about it.
Final Statement: I am only comparing it to the Frontline-X as I do not know how much different the Recon version is. If I had a choice between the Mortar and Caiman, I would take the 1.3 Mortar every time the time because it was exactly what I am looking for now (hence the seller's remorse I have for parting with the three I was carrying last year). If the 1.5 has a micro-bead, my assumption is that it would fly almost identical to the Caiman. I thought I could get by with my Verdicts and sold the 1.3 while I could still get good money for them. Now I wish I could trade for them back. So hopefully, with some seasoning the Caiman will fall into the stability range I want. It is close, but not there yet.
