I have, over the past couple of months, been playing with a slower blade and rubbers in an attempt to work on my technical abilities better - something that I have to say I recommend wholeheartedly as the loss of speed has been minimal but the increase in confidence and consistency has been marked..
I have been lucky enough to have three 5 ply blades to try, and thought it may be of some use to share my rather non-technical observations of these in case it benefits anybody considering one or other.
My blades are a Violin (large straight handle) a Butterfly Falcima and a Xiom Off S (both flared) - weight of all of them is 87/88g. Frequencies are;
1. Violin : 1148
2. Falcima : 1380
3. Off S : 1377
All were paired with the same rubbers - Rozena max both sides.
The Violin is noticeably harder in feel but also slightly more flexible than the others - it is obviously slower too, but not to the extent that it feels in any way sluggish and still has plenty of power when looping or smashing. I like the large straight handle on this one better than any previous Nittaku handles (small and large flared) but I still prefer a larger flared handle such as the Off S. The Violin is a beautifully crafted blade and very well balanced - if it has a failing for me it is that the flex makes it a little harder to block and the hardness in combination with the flex needs some adjustment.
The Falcima is (I am pretty sure) a Koto outer and feels stiffer than the Violin as well as crisp (like a Viscaria feels in some ways - direct) The handle is typical, slightly small, Butterfly flared but is very comfortable. The blade is also well balanced and easy to control. It feels to me the fastest of the three and I was quite surprised just how much speed it offered for a 5 ply wood blade (Certainly feels faster than Korbel/Primorac) It pairs well with the Rozena rubbers and makes for a very good all round offensive set up, that could be upgraded with Tenergy or similar as you progress.
The Off s is the cheapest of the three by some margin (50% of the Falcima and 23% of the Violin) so in my view is very good value. Build quality and finish may not quite match the Falcima and certainly not the Violin, but it is pretty good regardless. It has a Limba outer ply, which to me lends it a really nice feel on impact which is slightly more muted and softer than either of the others. I feel it is also better at blocking safely and pushing short. Balance is great and for me, the handle is really nice (but it is quite wide and flat and so may not suit everyone)
The truth is that I could happily play with any of these and not feel in any way seriously compromised - they are all great blades and all suit my offensive, spin focused style very well. That having been said, the one I feel most comfortable with is the Off S - I just find that the feel it gives me generates confidence and a willingness to commit to shots such as looping vs underspin or short touches (both of which are a challenge for me in matches)
Not what I expected - if you had asked me beforehand I would have thought that the slower Violin would have met those requirements best, but I had underestimated how hard it feels on impact compared to the others.
Happy to answer any questions and hope this is of some limited use to anybody looking for an all wood 5 ply (It might save you some money ;-)
