what is begleri
Begleri is a simple manipulative item with roots in Greece, now played around the world. It’s made from two beads connected by a short cord. Hold one bead, swing the other, transfer grips, and over time, other movements can be unlocked.. rebounds, wraps, rolls, and more. That’s basically it. The object is simple but the possibilities are unlimited.
why begleri
The world is wound a little too tight these days. Begleri is an outlet. No goal, no screen, no batteries. But a few simple movements with this little set of beads can grow into something deep, expressive, and very satisfying.
Begleri gives your attention a concrete focus, and gives your hands something to learn.. the satisfying clack of the beads, and the feeling that comes from linking moves together into a flow. It’s simple practice, discovery, and expression. In a world obsessed with productivity, efficiency, and optimization, play is the radical turn.
Train the hands. Free the mind.
begleri for the people
Begleri for the People is a project of Aroundsquare. Since first encountering begleri in 2015, we’ve been designing and producing our own. We’re firm believers in the value of analogue play, and in the benefits that can compound from having a simple little focus tool in your pocket.. not just something to pass the time, but something that engages your focus and rewards the development of skill, creativity, and personal expression.
Over the years, a robust community of players from all corners of the world has developed around begleri, pushing the possibilities of play, and enjoying the benefits that come with it. But begleri itself remains relatively unknown.
The objective of this campaign is simple: to put this remarkable little skill toy into the hand of people from all walks of life who might not otherwise encounter it.
begleri for you
For this project, we went back to one of our most tried and true designs, the Aroundsquare Titans. These sets are precision machined from 6061 aluminum, and anodized in an assortment of colours. They come in a blind box, complete with a couple stickers and a couple of extra cords. The colours of the beads and cords are random, as are the stickers.
Aroundsquare’s Titans first launched in 2016, and quickly became the standard against which other modern begleri would be compared. The shape is comfortable in the hand, with a domed top that rests easily between the fingers, and straight edges for control during play. The beads are large enough to be satisfying to play as they clack together, while the 6061 aluminum construction brings them in at a casual weight of 21g all in.
For this project, we’ve anodized the beads in a total of 10 colours including the natural aluminum colour, and have mixed the colours at random for the sets. They’re shipped blind box style for a bit of a surprise, with two randomly selected beads. Each set comes pre-strung on a piece of 550 paracord, and ships with two additional cords, and a couple of stickers.
Note that aluminum is a soft metal, and the beads will immediately begin to show wear as you play them and drop them. All of the scratches and dings will become a record of their journey with you. New is not the perfected state of these beads.. new is simply the ready, unfinished state. Rather than seeing the wear as damage, we encourage you to view this as part of the finishing process itself. It’s a patina, developed through honest use. You’re putting your own marks on these beads and cultivating something uniquely personalized with them.