Latest reviews

The Nexy 40+ Poly Ball is a SEAMLESS 40+ Poly ball that as of summer 2015 is the best thing out there for players who use a solid impact. Weight is the extreme upper end of specs, bounce is true, ball has the SOLID feel at impact that gives you feedback on your powerloops and drives.

This ball lasts WAY longer than quality Celluloid *** balls. In Korea, I would go through 2-3 packs (6 packs) of cell balls in a month of full time play and I went through only TWO balls in the last month playing full time in Boston.

These Petra Plus shoes are an upgrade to the already Excellent $55 Petra TT shoes. I have have used these for years and I get 9 months of 4 hrs a day play before they get wore enough to lose a little grip. That is astounding life. The Petra Plus have the patent leather look in Black and Red accents. They go good with the Contrast Jersey and their red and blue/black theme.

I was slipping bad on two year old shoes at my club needing water on shoes every point. I put these shoes on and did NOT need the water towel.

I really like how they look with my red/black jersey. Thee shoes are better than many shoes costing 2-3 times the price.

Here are the Nexy Korea Pics...

Der_Echte has made the Tibhar Kim Jung Hoon his primary battle ax for the last week and is ready to report findings...

KJH blade is designed by Nexy for Tibhar. Korea pro Kim Jung Hoon wanted Nexy to design his namesake balde. KJH was impressed with the early versions of the Nexy Peter Pan and told Pr. Moon what he wanted. I watched this exchange at Nexy HQ a few months before I left Korea. The basic things KJH wanted were...

- High spin potential and high arc
- Feel for the ball
- Decent top speed gear
- Controlled pace on shots that are not full swing
- Solid feel on direct struck balls
- Ability to block both fast off the bounce and soft BH defense
- Reliability close to the table on counters and off the bounce loops
- Flip and short touch performance

KJH got what he wanted. This blade isn't a rocket blade, but you make the "bang" impact, the ball will move out. The top end has enough to finish points, but you really have to have the timing of your body parts to make the thing leave a vapor trail.

I REALLY like its ability to fast block close to the table and also soft block when I loosen the hand pressure. I love how it can make good pace with a firm grip right before impact given a short compact swing.

My game relies on an ability to spin the first ball heavy and loop drive or hit the return. This blade does that. On receive, I tend to either be really aggressive or indecisive and ultimately passive, but the touch you can put on the ball can save your bacon. This isn't an OFF+ class blade, but you can still lay the smack down on finishes given the chance. I also like its ability to play more offensive minded close to the table, whether it is fast blocking or countering, you really can apply pressure to an opponent. That counts for a lot.

Arirang is a 3rd Generation Aramid Carbon blade from Nexy. I cannot say the speed of the blade is such and such, because MANY of the Nexy blades have "Dual Impact" engineered as a feature that gives them a different low and top gear depending on the impact and grip of the user. It might be fair to describe a playing range. Arirang plays in the ALL to very low end of OFF range, yes, the range is that wide!

Arirang will best satisfy a player who really values control, creation of extreme spin on openers, construction of the point, and still have enough oomph to finish a point when the chance presents itself. Hey ! that is how I like to play! Arirang doesn't have that WOW top gear most OFF to OFF+ blades have... but who needs that kind of gear when you play close to the table (or a step away) and don't miss too many shots?

Receiving serves is forgiving, touch not to difficult to execute, and you still feel the ball at impact on a soft shot. Serving is also a good point, heavy spin to no spin is a breeze with the right grip and timing.

Opening topspins and continuous topspins are the core strength of this blade, you gotta hit with it to feel what we say when we say it is special. You feel really confident in your strokes and do NOT feel an urge to end the point on the first micro chance. This allows you to rally a shot or two more vefore pulling the trigger on a big swing.

Countering at the table is easier than the stiff OFF blades.

Counter-Looping rallies from mid distance, what most players consider the sexiest rally shots... WOW, you feel like you can counter ANYTHING. You take what opponent tries to shove down your throat and you ADD to his spin! If opponent is playing where he normally is, then he is positioned a bit too far, because your PLUS topspin will bring the ball down sooner than he is anticipating and he is now struggling to be in a position to continue the pressure.

I cannot tell you how many points I won in a match vs a higher grade topspinning player this way using Arirang.

With Tibhar FX-P, a soft defensive topspin game was also possible. One of my coaches from my home club in Korea can play some mean topspins right at your pocket, too fast to get out of the way and open stance to counter. So, I could slide/bend a little and use a forward slower compact swing with a softer hand and WOW! I could get back those balls and stay in the rally, sometimes, get back the initiative if i surprised coach or placed it right.

If you are are the standard I wanna destroy everything in sight with a powerloop blast that ball kinda player, the control and feel of Arirang and just enough finishing power will still allow you to play and succeed using that style, but honestly, Arirang is about feel and control and is best suited for those players who truly appreciate playing a flexible all-out allround topspin attacking style.

The T-4 is a hardened Carbon blade that is OFF+++ top gear. No kidding, you want to do the equivilant of drag racing in TT, you chose the right blade.

If you play a flexible attacking topsin oriented game like most aspiring players, the T-4 is not a suitable choice at all.

The T-4 is for those who like to park themselves at teh table and block or counterhit, or pick hit you to death. You hit a drive at your opponent, and it migh go through both the player and the 3 ft concrete wall behind him leaving a flaming vapor trail. That all makes for a nice viral vid, but it doesn't make you a sucessful typical OFF topsin oriented player.

The T-4 can also be effective for those who like to camp out at mid and very far distance and powerloop away like there is no tomorrow. The T-4 reqards such a powerloop with a very powerpacked heavy topspin ball. taht is the only way to generate topspin, if you slow loop, you wont like T-4, but you can battle away at distance all day long like you are in WWII doing an artillery barrage.

Combination players who use OX LP on BH wing and a control rubber on FH who like to use the OX to disrupt and get a loose ball to pound... these players will wet their pants liking this balde for the putaway power and stable feel. You make a shot like that, and somewhere, a controller at NASA Houston will make the famous announcement report of BLAST OFF.

The T-7 is a medium (think OFF - range pace top end) speed class blade with composite construction.

It is billed as a slower controllable looping blade, but in practice, this blade is for hitters or combination players, NOT those who want to topspin the ball.

Drives and powerloops and the sweet spot of this blade. Slow topsins... you better be 100% right on it or you will not make your topspin. The problem here is the ball leaves the bat too soon, there is no dwell on this blade. The feeling of a well struck ball for a hit or powerloop is great. Everything wlse... poor unacceptable control.

Another positive thing is in an emergency when you run out of ammo and you cannot draw your RAMBO knife to face and engage the enemy... you could always wield the T-7 like a Tomahawk and if you strike first, the fight is OVER.

Tibhar Genius is another one of those modern SGE rubbers that doesn't come close to glue feel, spin or performance... but don't hate on this rubber, even the market leader for almost a decade (Tenergy) doesn't either. There is no out of the packet rubber that will be just like, or even close to the old glory days so get over Ur drunk y'all, you are all barking up the wrong tree.

What Genius does is provide stability, control and spin to all your shots. Top end gear is not a rocket, like say Calibra LT, but what Genius does well is everything... with great control and spin. It will not set a speed record, not will it generate heavy spin with a weak stroke (like T05 does), but if you want an allround rubber that does everything, but with more pace and spin than the market benchmark standard (Sriver) this is your rubber. Genius will perform on ANY blade you slap it on (just like T05 perms well on whatever blade) so you know what you are getting and can depend on it. Nexy Korea president likes to use this rubber on one side of his display test blade models in his HQ in Seoul. Same reason, good allround OFF performance that will let you know what is good or bad with the blade.

The Nexy Spear is one of the first attempts at a Dual Impact effect wood blade. It works as you get a lower gear and when you make that "Bang" impact coveted by Koreans, you get rewarded with a fast ball.

This blade is for a player who wants a blade that can feel at home both hitting and topspinning while learning your game. It doesn't do everything outstanding, but does most things very well. That is the attribute you look for when selecting a blade that you will learn the game with.

Spear is typical of most OFF- class blade in the things it does well and the degree it does them too, but with Spear, you get a good low end, a little better top end, and a blade face that has a Spear poking through something and spilling blood.

Isn't that what you want to do to opponents in TT?

The Nexy Petra and Petra plus are excellent shoes for the money. the grip is there, and they last forever. I would wear them for 4-5 of play for 9 months before I would even look at them to see if they were worn.

The Petra plus adds some great looking accents that are super in their own right and match well with their new Contrast uniform.

Who says you can't look good while laying the smack down on an opponent?

The Peter Pan is a 5 Ply wood OFF- class blade with moderate Dual Impact effect that gives you a lower gear and a diffferent high gear. This is in a lot of Nexy blades. Like many blades of this category (Off - class 5 Ply) the strong suits are wood feel, control, spin, and the possibility to hit a little hard when you need to.

This blade has a burned core and different construction to give it a different feel doing those same tasks that you come to expect out of a control looping blade.

If you are a player who likes to spin it up with teh right placement and have the options to blow away the next ball or make another pressure shot before going on the attack like a Viking, then this is your blade.

it is good to have options.

The Oscar is an ALC blade that the NexyUSA.com website bills as an ALC blade with a knockout punch. That is about the best one sentence summary of this blade, but it doesnt say it all. You get nice reduced vibration ALC feel, great spin on power loops, some ability to open with topspin, and that coverted KNOCKOUT of your opponent on power shots.

The drawback for me is I wanted just a little more dwell time. You cannot say dwell time and OFF+ in the same sentence and keep a straight face, but this blade tries. I just wanted a little more.

If you are the 2-Wing looping wannabe like me, you can use this blade is you choose more direct strokes over 30% power graze shots.

If you are a power looper who seeks to finish the point ASAP with a fast loop, this is your blade and a good choice. Your power loops will be packed with spin and pace using your average modern rubber.

If you are a hitter, you'll love the solid and stable base for your hitting game and the top end pace.

If you are a combination player with LP on one side who pick hits, this blade can work too. A Nexy Korea sponsored female LP player won several amature National Open series using this balde with a control rubber and a sponged LP. She would disrupt at the table, drop back to fish, and counter a tospin or blast away a weak safe ball you give her.

If you park at the table and either counter drive, drive or block, this is your weapon as well.

Just dont expect it to fell like an ALL+ looping balde, it isn't. It will offer about as much control for an OFF+ class blade that you can hope for, and you shouldn't be having any expectations of control in the OFF+ generally. (except for fast drives, blocks and powerloops - those shots usually have good control in an OFF+ balde)

Nexy Kanaph is a Gen 3.5 blade made for both hitters and loopers. The low range of OFF+ is the top end. If that isn't enough power to finish a point... dude you gotta hit the gym !! Although it has Dual Impact effect, you feel it more on the touch shots. The top end is already very high. This blade is a lot more linear and direct than most Nexy blade. Nexy made this blade with Poly ball in mind, but you can smack the heck outta a celluloid ball as well.

Players who have used classic ALC blades like say TBS will REALLY appreciate the unique feel, response, and high end performance of Kanaph. You can play the same style, but just a bit more powerfully and just as safe. You also get a more direct feel for the ball and the blade's properties ENCOURAGE and reward you for FORWARD strokes making SOLID impact.

If you are a player who likes to give opponent a tricky serve, then smash the ball to Smithereens, this is your blade.

If you are a player who likes to serve underspin, loop the 3rd ball, then smash the 5th ball for a winner and cho out loud like you are Howling at the Moon... this is your blade.

If you like to park yourself at the table and drive, counterdrive, or block your opponent silly, this is your blade.

If you like a blade with wood combination and craftsmanship not found often, this is your blade.

If your Mamma told you to not go faster than ALL+, and you get caught using this blade, then you are in for some serious timeout detention.

The Nexy Qabod is the third in the line of Calix Blades. Very thin, burned core, uses combinations no one else tries. Unique feel, moderate dual impact effect. make no mistake, this OFF+ top end will make you buckle Ur seatbelt or pay the price. Opening topspins are of course possible, but Nexy designed this blade for the player who wants to put away the ball at the earliest opportunity and do it with an Exclamation Point !!! (or several !) Powerloops become a weapon of mass destruction, loaded with spin and extreme pace. Lost in the translation is like all OFF+ blades, most of the middle gears. Nexy adjusts for this by designing dual impact effect and making the blade very thin. Still, if you make the top end so brutal fast, you are not gonna have the same control as ALL+ or OFF- blades. So you gotta ask yourself and get real with your expectations. If you can play a short game, and you can play powerloops as the great majority of your game, then you might have your name written on the Qabod.

If you want a blade that can really spin it up, has a couple gears, and has barely enough power to finish points outright, then this is the blade for you. Top end is just short of the mid OFF range, but many nexy blades have more than one gear and it is difficult to assign one speed to them. This blade has moderate "Dual Impact" effect. After I performed my now famous mod (remove handle and add glue/nail) this was by far the best blade I ever operated. Spin is massive, control is better than most OFF- to OFF class blades and the top end is enough, not exciting, but enough. We would REALLY love to have the same properties to the same degree and have a top end a half step faster, but we cant have everything, can we? If Nexy made this faster, it would have to give up something (usually some spin and a little control) so if you want OFF+ speed in a thin carbon blade and want to leave a vapor trail as the ball blasts THROUGH your opponent, go get the Qabod (3rd in Calix Line) don't expect this property out of Calix II. This blade is for a controlled looper who seeks to put away the ball after a spin setup.

The Calix is the original Nexy 2nd Gen blade designed with "Dual Impact" which means it has low and high gears on different impacts. this can help your soft topspin defence and your power attacks, even if the overall speed of the blade isn't in the knockout class. You are not seeking to knockout your opponent on the first ball with this blade. Calix has all the control and flex of an ALL+ blade, but a higher top end, yet it still has that short game touch. Some players (like me !!!) want a blade with better top end. You are not gunna have it with Calix. This blade is all about control and spin with a reasonable fast top end. Go to the Calix II if you want a higher top end and similar feel for the ball while giving up a step of control. This blade doesn't compromise on a lot.

It has very smooth outer ply, so you gotta really make your glue job strong, or it will not adhere. this is common with sealed blades or blades with a really smooth outer ply. It is also very thin, so if you do a John McEnroe and throw your blade all over the place, you just threw away some serious money!

Nexy Lissom is a "Dual Impact" offering from Nexy. We all know how great All+ 5 ply wood blades are for feel and control, but Nexy One-Ups the field by making a blade with "Dual Impact" (basically a SLOW gear and a TOP End Gear on different strength impacts) and a White Ash outer veener (Think of the famous Nittaku Violin). The result is a blade whose top end bottoms out around the ALL+ range, but there is SO MUCH spin and control and feel with this blade it is insane.

Normally, Der_Echte is not an ALL+ blade toting player (Except for when I am in between blades using my famous modified Der_Echte Special) but when I long term tested this blade, it really made me focus on spin and placement connected to a game plan of constructing points more carefully before going for the jugular. Anytime one plays with this more flexible OFF style, then goes back to his previous (faster) blade, the overall playing level is better - there are now more options other than Brute Force and Ignorance (Think Rory Gallagher guitarist in action)

This blade is for the player who will bend like Gumby himself to execute a very flexible all out OFF attacking game predicated on placement, spin, and control of the ball while constructing the point to his advantage. Players who want a hitting blade and want to blast the ball to eternity need to look somewhere else.

The Galaxy 896 made by Yinhe (also known as Milky Way) (Confusing, isn't it?) I picked up this blade's product description from Colestt.com and usually, product descriptions are as accurate as a politician's political promises to the public. In this case, Cole hit the nail on the head. There isn't a whole lot you can say about this blade that hasn't been said already. This ALL+ to OFF- (depending on weight of blade and batch) does everything well enough, but has the control with the right mid soft rubbers. It also is very inexpensive. This blade can really spin it up, but it isn't a terrible slouch in the other areas. I recommend this blade to the player who needs a blade to function with, doesn't want to spend a lot of money, and wants to learn to SPIN the ball. When players forst start their TT life, they seem to be very reluctant to spend a lot of money. That is where Cole, eacheng.net, and any one else who resells this fine blade comes in to help out with this blade offering.

I further modify it by taking off the handle, inserting nails or whatever, then fill the empty hollow space in the handle area with wood glue and put it all back together, slap on my favored FH/BH rubber combo, and call it a "Der_Echte Special". Indeed you can create your own weapon of mass destruction for less then the cost of a sheet of modern rubber (if you slap on a USED FH rubber of your choice). I pimp this combo on forums a lot. newer players need a blade that can do many things acceptably well, and spin with control. That is the strength of this blade and new players want 'em cheap in price, but full in function. It doesn't get any better. Don't expect to be blasting balls through walls with this (even with my mod) (Unless you got my BH) but you don't need that if you are well suited for a blade of this speed class. You will make your coach and your wallet happy, then later buy something else you discover and like.

My Coach in Korea used this one on a daily basis, so you can understand its durability, she gives lessons non-stop 10-12 hrs a day.

ZXi is a spin machine for loops that packs both a punch and control of where you put the ball if you pair it with the right rubber, like Sigma II Euro or a similar softish modern rubber. You got about everything you can ask for: Spin in bucket loads, control, good feel, no crazy earthquake vibrations, and a feeling that you are a Korean ace. Blade is medium feel, moderate vibration, and low to medium OFF range on powerloops. Blocks like crazy if you can take it off the bounce. Coach will block you off the table using this blade.

This blade IS an ALC blade, so you would think it would have TBS class speed and allround nice powerful offensive performance, right? Well, you got this blade all wrong. This blade is a spin machine for the player who wants control of spin and placement. Think of what you do when you wield a Stiga Allround Classic... You play a flexible offensive attacking game where you use spin and placement to setup points and you take control of a rally early, because you can park yourself at the table and counter anything and still land it with spin and placement.

This blade is not stiff and fast like you would expect of an ALC blade. Top end is in the ALL+ to low OFF- range. YES, this blade is that slow, but it wasn't advertised to be a speed rocket. This blade is for those who like to loop and spin the cover off the ball, or play the placement game until opponent is sick of blocking or countering.

The W-1 is billed as the "Wood King" in the lineup of Yinhe/Galaxy blades. There are two thin layers of carbon and you really dont feel them at all. This is a control looping blade, NOT some OFF+ hitting machine. Just like Nacy Sinatra sang "These boots were meant for Walking" the W1 is meant for LOOPING... over and over. There isnt a whole lot of power in it. Speed tops out at low end of OFF on your power hits. Feel is there with some decent vibration feedback. Strength of blade is continuous loop attack and control of placement. This balde has the control of what you expect out of a classic ALL+ blade, but a better top end. Still, dont expect to blast through everyone on your first loop using it.