Butterfly Korbel

After a short break (of 5 years) I couldn't keep up with my carbon blade (TB ALC) so I decided to go back to a slower 5ply blade. I wish I had this blade when I started table tennis, but oh well! It is soft and pairs well with a lot of rubbers, it is not too fast and it has very good dwell time that helps in spin generation. The only thing I don't like is the handle which is kinda thin for me, but this is not enough to discourage me from using it.

Since I have been using the Butterfly Petr Korbel blade (Japan version) for a very long time and I had the pleasure of trying the Europe version as well, I can give you a full-fledged comparison. Let's start with the visual inspection: The premium machining of the Japan version as opposed to the Europe version is immediately noticeable when both are in front of you, the Japan version has serial numbers.

Handle design: The grip of both is very handy - very comfortable (for small and medium hand players), the handle of the Japan version is a bit wider and flatter, but I have tried it before with a much wider handle - blade made with grip e.g. Gewo Aruna Carbon ALL+ compared to which the Petr Korbel Japanese version is noticeably thinner, the handle of the Europe version is thinner than the Japan version and more convex, when playing, both were very comfortable for me.

Game features: For the sake of the comparison test, I borrowed the Europe version from one of my fellow players, and since I am an attacking player FH Yasaka Rakza X (max version), BH Yasaka Rakza Z (max version) I use 5 layers of Revolution Nr.3 glue, I put the same rubbers on the Europe version, my experience is that the Japan version is noticeably faster, however, the ball detection is very similar, spinning the ball from under the table with both blades is very easy, the extra speed of the Japan blade is provided by modifying the stacking of the changed wooden layers, and the Japan version is a little thicker and heavier, mine is 95 grams, (the Europe version is 88 grams), it is true for both versions that the head size of the blade is larger, which also means a larger hit area, in case of max rubbers or 2.1 spongy rubbers you get a head-heavy racket, the Japan version is a better balanced blade and the handle did not feel hollow during playing, I felt this with the Europe version. I don't like this feeling, but there are players who do, so I won't bring this up as a negative for the Europe version. Both blades use rubbers with a medium-hardness sponge for the best pairing.

Final word: Both blades are great blades in their price range, the Japan version is a premium quality blade that doesn't lack strength and ball sensing. For those who are small and medium-handed players and want a great, premium-crafted blade with great ball detection that doesn't lack speed, I can recommend the Butterfly Petr Korbel Japan version. The Europe version is slower, but with more power and fast rubbers, it will be fast enough for offensive play.

This is my first ever review. As a background, I started playing TT over a year ago to see if I can be a proficient in a new sport in my early-30s. I play a bunch of other sports since I was a kid.

I bought a Korbel Japan when I was starting out based on reviews that say it's a do-it-all offensive blade. I found this to be true and it helped me a lot in learning the basics quickly. The slightly larger head size helps with the feel and control - it's also great for trying out new rubbers as it these would certainly fit most other blades after the Korbel.

It's hard but has more flex compared to, say, a Viscaria. Limba outers offer a bit more dwell too. I started out using this with Hurricane 3 Neo on FH and Acuda P2 on BH. I later changed to Hurricane 8 mid and Tenergy 05. I still have this setup and use it when I want a great workout with the longer FH strokes. Sometimes, I would use the T05 side for FH loop drills and I really enjoy it - less direct than harder 5+2 blades but more controlled and with a nice arc. I find that with Korbel and T05, I can take the ball much later.

The comments about the handle being too thin are quite true though, honestly, I only noticed this when I bought a Viscaria. Some grip tape on the thinnest part took care of it. I'm 6'1" and have fairly large hands.

All in all, a great blade for someone to learn the sport with and progress. I would advise people to try it and stick to it until you find that you absolutely need more power and are willing to sacrifice some control. I've seen a lot of guys at the club I play in use this at a very high level.

The korbel has long been touted as an offensive classic and it does not disappoint. Tested the setup with Andro's hexer duro on the forehand and the Hexer plus on the backhand. The blade has a decent feel and solid touch on all the shots. I would rate it as medium-fast blade, if you have decent technique for looping this blade is a must-have.
The blade has decent power away from the table too. When i held the blade for the first time it seemed eerily similar to the Butterfly power-7 blade. Perhaps it is the handle.. regardless of the similarity, i find it very easy to play with the korbel almost any shot that i like the blade seems to support that. Short game is quite ok too, blocking is fine.
you cant go wrong with this blade, it is a safe option for any developing offensive minded player. Amazing that even after more than 20 years of the first batch of this blade, it is still going on strong. Well done, butterfly.

Hi, this is my review for the Butterfly Korbel FL Handle (Black/Old Tag) in comparison to the Silver Tag model. P.S. I haven't tried the new version with the green gem on the backside of the handle so I can't comment on how different that is.

The Korbel Black has great great feel and feedback. It responds well to the variations in contact points, varying degrees of power and the angles that hit your shots with. Speed is just enough and is just enough to finish points with. You can easily pair this with Fast modern rubbers in Max Thickness and it'll be pretty controllable compared to using other OFF blades.

The basic difference of the Black Tag and the Silver Tag is that the Black Tag feels springy and elastic and has more flex and dwell. Whereas the Silver Tag is stiffer and slightly harder which in turn makes it feel about a notch faster. In terms of feel they are quite different. So I have yet to find a blade that feels just like the Korbel Black Tag that I own.

Only thing I don't like about my Korbel is that it's quite head heavy, so I use a Grip to counteract that. It is one of my favorite blades only 2nd to my Tibhar Samsonov Stratus Carbon.

This blade has great speed and control and i would recommend it to any modern attacking player.It is cheaper in comparison to toher blades but the quality is very good for its price

The Petr Korbel is a great blade. I bought it as a replacement for the Timo Boll Spirit as I was looking for a slightly slower and more controllable blade, the korbel seems to deliver on all counts, I use tenergy with this blade and found this to be a great combination. My serving and receive seems to have improved as a result of the use of the korbel, it allows good feeling and is good for touch play. However the blade can also be used for aggressive topspin shots off both wings including drives. The price of the blade is excellent at around 40 pounds , much cheaper than many carbon blades but in my opinion it's better than many fast blades on the market . I would recommend this blade to any offensive players that strive for control/consistency in their game .

Although I stopped using this blade a year or so ago now (sorry dan, should have updated my profile) it is still up there for me, it it extremely well balanced with a wonderful positive comfy grip(flared) , it seems to do all things well for an attacking game and even the guy I sold it to who uses pips both sides has had an amazing season with it! There is a lot of feel to the blade which is bordering on vibration, which is the only reason I moved on to innerforce AL, overall though, this isnt a great long term favourite of many for nothing, and it's still my no 1 non composite blade!

Good blade! Do it all blade is a good description. Not very fast, good blade as a first off blade. Good control and good feeling. Nice grip. Played with this one as FL handle. Not expensive at all.

I played one year with this blade. The good thing is that you can do every strike with it. But you don't lose power to hit a powerfull topspin away from the table.