MKUltras - Wood Commons Editions

MKUltras - Wood Commons Editions

The Commons get their name from the ubiquity of their shape in traditional Greek begleri and komboloi. These barrel-shaped beads are timeless in their simplicity, and very similar beads can be found in a wide range of materials ranging from inexpensive plastics through to semi-precious stones. The Commons design is our take on this classic shape, and the result is both fresh and familiar. Although they have commonalities with our Standards series, they nonetheless stand out in Aroundsquare's lineup. The stacked bead design has a distinctly traditional vibe, but the choice of lightly polished titanium gives them a clean, minimalist look that fits squarely in our range.

Green Sandalwood

Green sandalwood has quickly become one of our favourite materials around here. It has great weight, pronounced grain patterns and palpable texture, and that wicked scent.. All that and a very distinctive colour give the material heaps of charm and make it pretty perfect for a lot of the products in our range.

Ebony

Our ebony wood creations over the past few months have been extremely popular, and for good reason. The wood is beautiful, dense, nicely weighted, and has fantastically smooth grain, making it a joy to handle. The Ebony wood is a slightly harder and heavier wood, with a darker and more uniform colour, dense, nicely weighted, and has fantastically smooth grain, making it a joy to handle. 

Short Form

The 17 bead Commons embodiment of the MKUltras is satisfying set to carry, play, and wear. The individual Common beads have a 1:1 aspect ratio. The shape and weight of the Commons gives the beads a very distinctive and almost industrial look on the wrist, and results in a warm clacking sound during raindrops and bead counting. When manipulating the ebony version to perform tricks, they play quicker than heavier models due to the light weight of the material. The 15mm titanium lock bead provides good grip and counterweight to help keep the beads from flying out of the hand. While small beads can feel a bit small during bead counting, these larger beads are a treat to cycle through, and have a solid, substantial feel in the hand. 

• Material:
  • Green Sandalwood (polished) ~27g
  • Green Sandalwood (machined) ~27g
  • Ebony ~27.5g
• Components:
  • 17 x  14mm Comm + 1x 15mm Titanium Lil' Boss
    
  • Strung on AO2's new custom 12-strand, high density, 2mm Kevlar cord

Long Form

The 27 bead Ultras embodiment of the Commons is a hefty, and very satisfying set to carry, play, and wear. The individual Common beads have a 1:1 aspect ratio, and the ebony version weighs in at around 1g each. The shape and weight of the Commons gives the beads a very distinctive and almost industrial look on the wrist, and results in a warm clacking sound during raindrops and bead counting. When manipulating the ebony version to perform tricks, they play quicker than heavier models due to the light weight of the material. The 15mm titanium lock bead provides good grip and counterweight to help keep the beads from flying out of the hand. While small beads can feel a bit small during bead counting, these larger beads are a treat to cycle through, and have a solid, substantial feel in the hand. 

• Material:
  • Green Sandalwood (polished) ~40.5g
  • Green Sandalwood (machined) ~40.5g
  • Ebony ~42g
• Components:
  • 27 (+2)x 14mm Comm+ 1x 15mm Titanium Lil' Boss 
    
  • Strung on AO2's new custom 12-strand, high density, 2mm Kevlar cord

Our February 2025 Launch Preview video below dives deep on these guys, and provides some ideas for the types of usage and manipulations possible with them

General Information on the MKUltras

The MKUltras are a hybrid design, combining elements of traditional Mala and Komboloi beads. The MKUltra name gives a nod to this lineage, as well as their expedience as tools to help us focus our minds and still our thoughts. They can be used in a variety of ways, ranging from quiet bead counting, through to raucous flipping. 

The unique setup of the MKUltras allows them to be worn like mala beads, or carried discretely in the pocket. They adjust by means of a simple friction fit through the larger "Micro Boss" bead closure. Although the design is exceedingly simple, we're fairly confident you won't find anything quite like them around. This is a knotless system, and does not require any special lock bead. The cord is simply compressed when threaded through the Micro Boss bead, providing a reliable, secure fastener, that is easy to adjust when needed.

In this way, the Ultras can be worn on the wrist, or loosened and slid up above the elbow to keep them out of the way when needed. Excess cordage can be knotted loosely around the Micro Boss bead when they are worn on the wrist, or left dangling. This modifiable arrangement allows them to be used very quietly, for simple bead counting used in breath work and meditation, to "raindrop" methods marked by the satisfying, rhythmic clacking of the beads, as well as much more physical methods of manipulation which resemble short game begleri play. While they aren't intended as a highly technical skill toy, there are still a solid range of moves you can link together, and lots of ways of working with them.

New to the Ultras? You can wear em on your wrist, or check out the video below for some other examples of what these beads are capable of.