[Innova] Innova new Valkyrie mold

[MopMan]

I have been bagging a handful of Pro Valks for several years now and it has become my most frequently lost mold due to its speed and understability... it has just the right combination of characteristics that when a throw gets away from me, it tends to reeealy get away

Recently I picked up a new batch of Pro Valks (seems almost miraculous amidst this current crazy disc shortage, but I did find a few) and after throwing, I found that one of them is just beastly--far, far more stable than the others. It is so much more stable that I think I can definitively state that a throw with this disc would never get away from me. I have to crank it at maximum just to get it to turn over at all, and it never turns very far before stable flight takes over. no butter smooth 400 foot hyzerflips out of this thing, it flies more like a Starfire than a Valk

After stopping to do a comparison between my various Valks, I found that the extra stable Valk is actually an entirely different mold! The older Valks have a clear change in bevel angle partway through the wing bevel. The newer one has a more subtle and rounded change in bevel angle, and the bevel angle change occurs much closer to the inside rim of the disc. Also the new Valks have different text molded into the underside of the flight plate, including the word "VALKYRIE" molded near the center

Is there knowledge of this new mold in the wild? Neither Innova nor the online retailers seem to have communicated this difference anywhere. The disc flies so radically different from the Valks I have been bagging that I can't even treat it as the same disc... the discrepancy goes beyond the normally expected variation between runs

Do we have terminology for communicating the difference between these molds? I am interested in acquiring some of the classic Valk molds, these newer ones just can't do the same job

 

[Three Putt]

Freak Valks happen. I have weirdo OS Champ Valks and Star Valks, most of them molded up weird. I'd hold off a bit before getting too freaked out about a mold change.

Weirdo OS Valks work really well as Firebird replacement BTW.

 

[scooby snack]

I have been bagging a handful of Pro Valks for several years now and it has become my most frequently lost mold due to its speed and understability... it has just the right combination of characteristics that when a throw gets away from me, it tends to reeealy get away

Recently I picked up a new batch of Pro Valks (seems almost miraculous amidst this current crazy disc shortage, but I did find a few) and after throwing, I found that one of them is just beastly--far, far more stable than the others. It is so much more stable that I think I can definitively state that a throw with this disc would never get away from me. I have to crank it at maximum just to get it to turn over at all, and it never turns very far before stable flight takes over. no butter smooth 400 foot hyzerflips out of this thing, it flies more like a Starfire than a Valk

After stopping to do a comparison between my various Valks, I found that the extra stable Valk is actually an entirely different mold! The older Valks have a clear change in bevel angle partway through the wing bevel. The newer one has a more subtle and rounded change in bevel angle, and the bevel angle change occurs much closer to the inside rim of the disc. Also the new Valks have different text molded into the underside of the flight plate, including the word "VALKYRIE" molded near the center

Is there knowledge of this new mold in the wild? Neither Innova nor the online retailers seem to have communicated this difference anywhere. The disc flies so radically different from the Valks I have been bagging that I can't even treat it as the same disc... the discrepancy goes beyond the normally expected variation between runs

Do we have terminology for communicating the difference between these molds? I am interested in acquiring some of the classic Valk molds, these newer ones just can't do the same job

Innova is known for inconsistent runs of various molds.

 

[MopMan]

Whelp, I discovered a second one in my stash and initial physical examination confirms it features the same differences as the other. I will have to throw it to find out for sure, but I am expecting it to be freaky OS just like the one I have already thrown. Will report

 

[MopMan]

yes, but this is for sure a different mold. the text on the underside of the flight plate proves it. we can assume they were aiming to replicate what came before, but the result is not even close

 

[gammaxgoblin]

all of the new runs of innova have the disc name in text near the center. They dont write in pen anymore...for a little while now.

 

[oldmandiscer]

Just molding inconsistencies is my bet.

They likely have a machine that engraves the disc names into them. They are doing that for every disc now, like poster above said. I've noticed it on many recent purchases. They certainly didn't change molds for every disc all of a sudden.

 

[@CD-]

Could be a Viking (Valk-X mold) or Thunderbird based on the bevel description? Maybe they changed the mold out and ran the last of the pro plastic through to warm it up. Was this a Factory second x-out?

The embossed Innova text on the underside comes from the core piece which may be re-used for different molds/combinations for same speed discs. The mold name is added via a stamping press so maybe they didn't switch out that on accident.

 

[oldmandiscer]

Post some profile pictures.

 

[elmexdela]

your lack of knowledge with penned/embossed concerns me that you do not know exactly what you are talking about

agreed i want to see pics and explanations

 

[wolfhaley]

Could be a Viking (Valk-X mold) or Thunderbird based on the bevel description? Maybe they changed the mold out and ran the last of the pro plastic through to warm it up. Was this a Factory second x-out?

The embossed Innova text on the underside comes from the core piece which may be re-used for different molds/combinations for same speed discs. The mold name is added via a stamping press so maybe they didn't switch out that on accident.

I was thinking a Viking too at first. Never heard of it as a Valk-X, but that's what they are basically. Innova is wildly inconsistant in QC, and it's seems magnified in pro plastic. They're all over the place. The Valkyrie is one of the molds that they won't F with though. At least I hope. Innova will Innova though.

 

[Streets]

I was thinking a Viking too at first. Never heard of it as a Valk-X, but that's what they are basically. Innova is wildly inconsistant in QC, and it's seems magnified in pro plastic. They're all over the place. The Valkyrie is one of the molds that they won't F with though. At least I hope. Innova will Innova though.

I get the occasional turd plus mold. Usually more with Champ Valks than anything else. So far, G* has not had this problem.

 

[@CD-]

I was thinking a Viking too at first. Never heard of it as a Valk-X, but that's what they are basically. Innova is wildly inconsistant in QC, and it's seems magnified in pro plastic. They're all over the place. The Valkyrie is one of the molds that they won't F with though. At least I hope. Innova will Innova though.

I'm not really certain what difference the Viking mold has (maybe a blunter rim?) but they haven't made it in pro plastic to my knowledge so hard to know. Maybe running the Hyzerbomb Marksman (supposedly the Viking mold) in a new plastic?

Doubtful Innova changed the Valkyrie mold but there may be multiple different Valkyrie molds since its been around a while and is made in all the plastic blends.

 

[GripEnemy]

Resident Valk whore here.

VK (eventually became VG) is the Vikings marking...there was a test run of Vikings marked as Valks a good 2-3 years before the Viking mold was approved. The rim is different on the Viking but it shares the same top as the Valkyrie.

I've owned well over 50 I'd say, from SE to CE to Pro, Glow, Champ, and everything inbetween. Even owned a couple of those Valkyrie Monarch hybrids believe it or not. All newer ones I've thrown (currently rotate a pair of twin Stars in my bag) have started more overstable than years past. New Champs are the most overstable, doesn't mean there can't be a freak in say Pro.

What IS written on the bottom? You said it's different but didn't state what's there. Without pictures it's gonna be near impossible to decide whether it's misstamped or just an oddball.

 

[BillFleming]

Could it be a mis-marked disc.....not really a Valkyrie? Someone grabbed discs to be stamped and some strays got mixed in?

 

[Innova63]

From my hazy memory regarding the Valk...
not to be confused with the CE version of Valks...

The Proto/First Runs in DX had the Innova Bar Stamp, mostly yellow discs I think, might have been some white as well.

Those DX Valks were actually more over-stable then what was intended for that plastic.

Then there were some DX Valks with the traditional stamp that actually said "FIRST RUN"

Absolutely no idea of what changes were actually made to the molds, I liked the "FIRST RUN" DX Valks for hyzer-flips and a buddy of mine swore by the Proto/First Runs...

I know even less now as I have not thrown any Valks in like 5 years...

 

[MopMan]

Could be a Viking (Valk-X mold) or Thunderbird based on the bevel description? Maybe they changed the mold out and ran the last of the pro plastic through to warm it up. Was this a Factory second x-out?

The embossed Innova text on the underside comes from the core piece which may be re-used for different molds/combinations for same speed discs. The mold name is added via a stamping press so maybe they didn't switch out that on accident.

not a factory second

 

[MopMan]

your lack of knowledge with penned/embossed concerns me that you do not know exactly what you are talking about

agreed i want to see pics and explanations

hehe if I knew what I was talking about I wouldn't be here asking questions. been using the same molds for years and just now got my first two without pen. I have stacks of discs in reserve for my main molds and I only lose a handful every season, so really it isn't surprising to me that I am behind the times in this regard

 

[MopMan]

Resident Valk whore here.

VK (eventually became VG) is the Vikings marking...there was a test run of Vikings marked as Valks a good 2-3 years before the Viking mold was approved. The rim is different on the Viking but it shares the same top as the Valkyrie.

I've owned well over 50 I'd say, from SE to CE to Pro, Glow, Champ, and everything inbetween. Even owned a couple of those Valkyrie Monarch hybrids believe it or not. All newer ones I've thrown (currently rotate a pair of twin Stars in my bag) have started more overstable than years past. New Champs are the most overstable, doesn't mean there can't be a freak in say Pro.

What IS written on the bottom? You said it's different but didn't state what's there. Without pictures it's gonna be near impossible to decide whether it's misstamped or just an oddball.

I mentioned in the OP that it has the word "VALKYRIE" molded near the center. They also have "MADE IN U.S.A." and "INNOVA CHAMPION DISCS, INC. WWW.INNOVADISCS.COM" molded around the rim. No Rancho address like on my older Valks. Also Penned in the center on the new ones "PRO" where the old ones are penned "P.VL"

 

[MopMan]

sorry to disappoint, but I just don't have the appropriate technology on hand for taking pictures

thanks for the thoughts and feedback. I guess I'll buy some more (when they become available) and gather more data. Hopefully they will fly more like I have become accustomed to