Note: Partial assembly required!
Additional longer microswitch bolts provided for when Shuriken is used.
Mass produced Korean levers are typically made from cheap moulded plastic. They are great at keeping the price down but can have questionable build quality and terrible tolerances such as microswitch spacing. If you demand a high quality no fuss, no nonsense Korean lever then this is it.
Changes to v2 are numerous (see Changes tab below), however the most obvious thing people will notice is the lighter weight, the lever assembly system and the much requested "truncated circle" at the base of the lever. The truncated circle is custom dimension and has been carefully designed to interact with the circular collar. Overall it is still very much a Korean no gate feel but with a subtle hint of square gate mixed in. Previously v1.0 had a satin-glossy finish to the body of the lever, it was very smooth but also prone to hairline scratches. In v2.0 we have adjusted our machining to achieve a more durable grained/textured finish.
Shaft Diameters
The larger the shaft diameter, the less the throw (i.e distance to shaft hitting the collar). If you are new to Korean levers we recommend that you try a 9.0mm shaft as this has the least throw and something you may be more comfortable with if switching from a Sanwa JLF.
Rubber Grommet
The larger the number the stiffer the lever will feel and the faster the return to neutral at the cost of arm fatigue. If you are new to Korean levers we recommend you try a 35A grommet as this will give a less stiff feeling. Stiffness is subjective, however as a guide we would describe Blue grommet as medium and Black grommet as high stiffness.
Actuator Diameters
The larger the actuator diameter the easier it is to find diagonals and the quicker you hit the microswitches. If you are new to Korean levers then we recommend a 15.5 or 15.0mm diameter actuator.
Microswitches
Gersung A3 switches provide nice snappy tactile feedback when engaging the microswitches. If you want a smoother feel with less tactile feedback then please purchase the Cool Bear lever with Omron A5.
Requires 5 pin to 8 pin harness for connection to your arcade stick PCB.
| Average Rating (9 Reviews): | |
Monday, 4 January 2021 | Pim
ive been using this lever for about 8 months now and i litteraly cant go back to my jlf or crown 309. probably the most premium feeling joystick ive ever used.
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This review has not been appraised.
Wednesday, 29 July 2020 | Erik
I ordered this lever, and received it within a few days, I live in the US. I have used the lever mainly for Tekken 7 and SFV. Wave Dashing and movement feels very good in Tekken. My main lever is a Fujin V3, which is much more stiff than the stock cool bear lever, but the build quality and feel is top notch. Would recommend to those willing to spend a little extra on a lever. I got mine with the smallest shaft and actuator.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Thursday, 25 June 2020 | Sam
There are a bunch of different types of joystick out there, I've had most of the popular ones but this is best so far.
There is no wobble and the ability to customise it to your liking means you get just the right stick for you.
The delrin bat top is perfectly smooth with a nice matte finish.
The lever feels nice and tight, doesn't hit any opposite inputs when released and returns to neutral really quick.
I opted for the largest shaft and actuator for a small deadzone and short actuation points. I play a lot of shoot 'em ups (bullet hells) and micro doges are really easy on this stick.
Trying it out in Street Fighter II I thought it would take some time to get used to, but I was hitting moves reliably with no issues, really impressive.
Each switch is perfectly mounted so there is no uneven actuation points at all.
Service from Blunderbuss Designs was flawless too, all questions answered quickly I was kept up to date with the progress of the order. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Wednesday, 20 May 2020 | Zoe
Stuck this in my Etokki Omni upon receiving and was immediately impressed. I also run a Fujin V3 and a full-collar Golden Lever and the Cool Bear is right up there with them. Compared to the Fujin, the overall higher quality package makes for a smoother experience. Compared to the GL, it lacks the bells and whistles (I actually think I prefer the CB's no-frills approach) but still offers all the customization I need and an immaculate fit and finish at a much more reasonable price. I changed out the grommet from the stock 35A to a 40A (I prefer the higher tension for my KBDs and Mishima wavedashes) and it's perfect. The Cool Bear Lever is likely to become my new main and I couldn't be happier with it.
Side note: also shipped and delivered to the US -surprisingly- quick; ordered on Saturday, showed up at my door Wednesday
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Tuesday, 19 May 2020 | Arslan
Very well constructed and the response is excellent would reccomend.
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Tuesday, 21 April 2020 | Shreekant
Everything about this stick is built to the tightest tolerances, as such, has exquisite build quality.
I was using a Crown 309MJ (35A Grommet) in a Hori RAP 4 Kai until I fitted this and this stick has less rattle and everything feels tight and clean compared to the Crown which feels sort of loose.
It fits into a RAP 4 Kai (without the collar of course), but I had to bend one of the pins slightly, but I had to do this with the 309MJ as well.
I use the 9mm shaft + the smallest actuator since I like a larger deadzone before actuation but less throw (I find this easier to dash with).
The delrin bat top also feels really nice, no seams whatsoever and SMOOTH.
Highly recommended!
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1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Wednesday, 12 February 2020 | Saad
It fixes every problem I have had with Korean levers since I started using them, and synthesises all of the best aspects of the most exceptional products available into one elegant, intensely refined lever. Perfect switch spacing guaranteed with every lever because of the bottom plate holding not only the switches, but also the whole assembly together. Incredibly easy to take apart to tinker with because there are no nuts to be found, just four bolts directly threaded to the bottom plate. It feels so even and smooth in the hands and during play, and then there's the additional fact that no matter what type of mount hole my panel has, I can mount it in anything. Just too good. It's best experienced yourself, I've been meaning to write a review for days, but couldn't get my hands off the thing for long enough to do so.
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3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Sunday, 2 February 2020 | James
Top tier lever! Easy to customize and the tolerances on the bushing, shaft, actuator and the housing/chassis are amazing which make for a good fit. Try pulling the lever up, it won't budge. Additionally. it's super hard to spin the lever which makes for nice stable performance with no sliding. Such a great fit and feels great to use!
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2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Saturday, 1 February 2020 | Rhys
Great lever for both beginners and experienced Korean lever users, very customizable and excellent build quality.
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4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
- 303 stainless steel shaft finished to a satin polish.
- Steel plate, powder coated light grey to a flat matt finish.
- Black Delrin bushing and actuator.
- Black Delrin body.
- Mounting dimensions for both Sanwa and Korean centres.
- IST Mall 35A rubber grommet.
- Choice of Gersung A3 or Omron A5 microswitches.
- Choice of removable bat top colour.
- Choice of shaft and actuator diameter.
- Choice of rubber grommet.
- 40mm diameter oversized dust washer.
- 14.00mm diameter bushing.
- 15.6mm switch spacing.
- Low collar (15.3mm internal diameter).
Version 2.1
- Oversized the Sanwa mounting centres.
- Reduce height of microswitch pillar by 0.3mm.
Version 2.0
- Low collar only.
- Delrin now used for body. v1.0 had acetal body.
- Delrin body now has a more durable grained/textured finish which is less prone to hairline scratches.
- Custom dimension truncated circle provided at base of body housing.
- Removed changeable collar feature and adjusted internal diameter of collar to 15.3mm.
- Height of bushing adjusted to 11.8mm high. v1.0 had 11.9mm high bushing. This allows the lever to spin but there will be no vertical wobble.
- 1.5mm mounting plate to reduce weight. v1.0 had a 2.0mm thick plate.
- Fujin V3 style microswitch plate now no longer provided to reduce weight.
- Sanwa JLF mounting centres on mounting plate. v1.0 had both Korean and JLF mounting centres.
- Switches are now mounted via brass threaded inserts located on bottom side of body housing.
- Mounting plate now fastens to top of Delrin body via tapped threads into the Delrin body.
- Option for Omron A5 microswitches. v1.0 came bundled with Gersung A3 only.
- Option for Blue 35A or Black 45A rubber grommet. v1.0 came with Blue 35A grommet only.
- Option for Shuriken Korean PCB. This product did not exist at the time of v1.0.
