MKUltras - 14mm Mílos Wood Editions

MKUltras - 14mm Mílos Wood Editions

With all of our other bead options, it's hard to imagine anything minimalist carving out a new space for itself between our mini sigmas, our spherical beads, and the rest of our range. But the Mílos justified their existence from the first samples, and they're set to become a new favourite for many. These apple-shaped beads are a traditional shape, and were originally modelled after our jade bodhis. In terms of weight and feel, the Mílos have a lot in common with our similarly sized spherical beads, but to the tactile and auditory connoisseurs out there, the differences will be immediately clear. The Mílos are essentially short and cylindrical, but with heavily rounded external edges, and a 3mm bore that hugs the cord slightly more than our spherical beads. This makes gives them a very comfortable feel for bead counting, dramatically reducing the potential hot spot where the thumb grabs each bead.

The ebony wood version of our popular MKUltras has turned out beautifully. The 14mm Mílos beads are the perfect size for this material, and work well with both the short and long form ultras setup. The 3mm bore on the beads provides a great experience during bead counting, and the crisp clack of the beads during raindrops is pleasant and fresh. The Ebony material is light enough to flip beautifully, regardless of your skill level, and the beads can be played in two packets, or from the 15mm titanium boss bead.

Short Form

The Short Form Mílos MKUltras feature 17 of our 14mm apple shaped Mílos beads, and are designed to be worn on the wrist in a single loop. The sliding 15mm AO2 etched Lil' Boss bead provides a friction fit locking mechanism to keep the set in place when worn, while sliding down to create slack when the set is being played.  

• 17 x 14mm ebony Mílos + 1x 15mm  AO2 Etched Lil' Boss
• Weight: ~37g 
• Strung on AO2's new custom 12-strand, high density, 2mm Kevlar cord

Long Form

The Long Form Edition of the Mílos features 27 of our 14mm Mílos beads, and are designed to be worn on the wrist in a double loop. The sliding 15mm AO2 boss bead provides a friction fit locking mechanism to keep the set in place when worn, while sliding down to create slack when the set is being played. The long form setup features a slightly weighted tassel, consisting of two 10mm and two 12mm Mílos beyond the boss bead. This provides a nice counterweight when manipulating the set from the boss bead itself.

• 27x 14mm Ebony Mílos + 1x 15mm AO2 Lil' Boss + 2x 10mm Ti Mílos + 2x 12mm Ti Mílos
• Weight: ~ 66g all in
• Strung on AO2's new custom 12-strand, high density, 2mm Kevlar cord

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.