Large Mangas Begleri

Large Mangas Begleri 

The Large Mangas are Aroundsquare's first begleri designed specifically with short game flipping in mind. They play quick and springy, despite their larger than life appearance. While these are not a true sizing up of the original Mangas begleri, they have a similar modified cone shape that anchors the beads nicely due to their end weight, and allows for a unique flipping experience. Although they were designed with short game in mind, they also work quite nicely with long game—carrying more momentum than their light weight might suggest. They play with stability and control, grounded by the bottom-heavy weight distribution. They feature a 3.5mm bore which works with both 2mm (or 275) and 4mm (or 550) cord, but being very lightweight, the thinner 2mm cord is recommended.

The Mangas begleri are named after the Greek manges, a subculture of trouble-makers with a distinctive style and their own moral code. The manges (and their predecessors, the koutsavakides) were prevalent in parts of Greece from the late 1800s to the mid 1900s. If you delve deep enough into the history of begleri and komboloi, you’ll no doubt encounter the manges (singular, mangas), and their beloved rebetiko music. The manges were known as a group to stay away from. They would most likely leave you alone, but they were folks you should nonetheless take very seriously. They were a tough bunch; they were wrapped up in all sorts of mischief, while at the same time being celebrated as folk heroes in song and story. Despite associations with crime and violence, the manges were also known for a distinctive sense of integrity, as well as their stability, and reliability. While there are associations with criminal activity, the manges also worked as bouncers in gambling establishments, and were even hired for protection during political rallies and other large public events. 

Why this name for these beads? Given the connection between the manges and the history of begleri, the name has been awaiting bead design for a long time. But more than that, certain aspects of the Mangas begleri indeed connect with the fabled traits of the manges themselves. The beads are tough, solid, and reliable—inherently possessing a kind of integrity of their own. They’re not afraid to be seen and heard. They move well, and are up to any challenge, but they’re not to be trifled with. With their solid feel and bottom heavy weighting, the beads will treat you with respect, but demand your respect in return.

Acrylic

In terms of durability, the acrylic material is surprisingly robust. The Acrylic Large Mangas can generally withstand reasonable impacts (i.e., drops on hard surfaces), and are not prone to breaking or cracking. The large Acrylic Mangas are lightweight, but play with stability and control, grounded by the bottom-heavy weight distribution. 

Ultem

Ultem is the branded name for a high-performance polymer also known as polyetherimide, or PEI. It's solidly in the category of what we might call badass plastics. These are materials that demonstrate exceptional properties, which truly set them apart from conventional polymers. It's also UV, chemical, and flame resistant, and due to its hardness, it can be machined very precisely, and much thinner than other plastics. Strictly speaking, none of these properties are required for a set of beads, but as with titanium on kevlar, there's just something awesome in knowing that what you have in your hand is exceptional.. that you could, if you wanted, use it for aerospace applications. The material has a crisp and solid feel in the hand. The polished versions have a glossy texture, similar to acrylic, while the machined finished versions have a soft feel, almsot like sea glass. 

Green Sandlewood

The green sandalwood has pronounced grain patterns and colour variation. It is a mid-weight wood, with greenish tones in its colouration. Green sandalwood also has a very nice, though mild, fragrance. 

Details: 

• Material:
  • Blue-Pink-white swirl Acrylic, ~14g 
    
  • Clear Acrylic, ~14g
    • Machined
    • Polished
      
  • Green Sandlewood, ~13g
    •  Machined
    • Polished
  • Dark Amber Ultem, ~14.9g
    •  Machined
    • Polished

Please note that items included in the package (strings, stickers, patches, bags etc.) vary in colour and quantity depending on availability. 

New to begleri? Check out Aroundsquare's AO2 Crew demonstrating what this toy's all about, via the talented guys at Kuma Films (below). You may also want to visit our general information page on begleri, or do a deep dive on the history, configurations, or manipulation of this remarkable little toy.