I'd carry a spare knife, flashlight or fire making thing before a fidget spinner.

There is some speculation as to fidget spinners ameliorate nervous energy or psychological stress, but AFAIK there is no scientific basis for those claims.

That said, a largish keyring carrying useful trinkets can be spun on a finger if the need arises. Unlike the many spinners that can be found in the marketplace, a spinner can be assembled with lots of different useful items. It may not be as precisely balanced and effortless to keep spinning, but should be much more useful overall. YMMV

I always likes gyroscopes as a kid. Do these fidget spinners have the gyroscopic affect of resistance to changing their angle of rotation? I would think they would. Anything spinning on an axis should, if it spins fast enough. I may have to get me one of these. Of course, being an engineer, I would want a finely machined one, probably costing 20x what the ones at store front counters cost. Could easily become an expensive toy!

I am having a difficult time thinking of a gadget that would be more useless than a fidget spinner...

Toys are, in general, useless. They entertain the mind and spur imagination, but pretty much that's the end of it. Nothing wrong with entertaining the mind though.

Someone already did the thinking for you:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidget_Cube

The fidget has been demonstrated to be a decent bearing block for making boww drill fires/embers.

Hi folks

I've seen a lot of these over here in the uk and I've had the same thoughts on their "usefulness".

That said similar things such as worry stones and beads seem to have have existed for thousands of years right back to to ancient world, so I guess there is something about things like them to some people and I have to admit I do use my pocket knive it that manner from time to time.

IIRC, they were originally intended as a focus object for Autistic kids. Something to help them cope with the overload of sensory inputs.


Those are more interesting then spinners to play with. I wouldn't actually pay for one, but I wouldn't refuse one either




Pretty much. I've been seeing Begleri, Komboloi, and various whatnot show up on EDC websites.

The playing with knives is what drove me to take up knotwork. The constant "whack,snick,click" was driving my Wife batty, and she gently "suggested" I go tie some knots.

Challenge accepted!!