Latest reviews

Pros
  • Good Dwell
  • Fast – Control
  • Nice Finish
What’s going on guys, this is my review on the Garaydia ALC which has been released in 2015 and designed for the plastic ball. The ALC is a top of the line blade by Butterfly from the new Garaydia series.

The blade is 5 ply and has a really nice smooth finish and also has a holographic lense on the underside of the handle to stop counterfeit products. Watch the video review below, the rubbers used on the blade are the Butterfly Tenergy 05.


Overview

One characteristic we first noticed about this blades is how thick it is in comparison to other traditional carbon blades such as the Jun Mizutani Super ZLC notice how much thicker the wood/core is on the Garaydia in the image below. To be precise the Garaydia ALC blade has a thickness of 6.9mm, whereas the Mizutani Super ZLC has a thickness of 6mm. This core thickness helps promote speed in the blade which has been tailored for the 40+ ball.

thicknessbutterflygaraydia.jpg


The ALC blade uses Japanese hinoki wood which is designed to keep the soft touch maintaining the control of the fast blade. The Carbon used is Arylate Carbon.

The blade weighs 86 grams.

butterflygaraydiaalcweight.jpg


Speed

The Garaydia ALC comes packed with control and its speed is very noticeable. The crisp feeling is very evident with this blade as expected with the arylate Carbon and I would not recommend this blade for beginners. The ALC has a low trajectory and felt slightly faster than a Timo Boll ALC.

When playing 3 point forehands playing at maximum pace and speed preciseness in my technique was required due to the low arc of the blade. Once I had adjusted I could really produce a lot of speed in my strokes something which I really liked.

Spin

When playing against backspin with the ALC the large sweetspot and great dwell helped to counteract the spin and gave us high amounts of accuracy. This helps produce lots of rotation on the ball. If you have tried a Timo Boll or a Zhang Jike ALC the dwell felt quite similar.

Flicks and aggressive shots

This blade really excelled when flicking and playing counter topspins and shots close to the table, due to the low throw generated this helped in this department.

Conclusion

The new Garaydia ALC blade has definitely been developed for the new plastic balls due to its sheer speed and thicker core. One noticeable feature you get with this blades is it’s the crisp feeling and the ability to produce a quality shot with minimal action.

The ALC has a soft feeling when brushing the ball and playing against spin. If you were to choose a blade from the Garaydia series, this one would feel the most controllable as it has a touch more dwell time than the ZLC and a lot more dwell than the T5000. I would not recommend this blade for someone until they are competent in their shot quality and consistency due to the responsiveness of the blade. An advanced top spin attacker would really benefit and like this blade for playing top spin shots from mid distance and close to the table. When going for speed the ball has a low, direct trajectory, and when playing with spin you get good arc on the ball from the blades dwell.
Speed
8.8
Control
9
Hardness
8.5
Durability
9
Pros
  • spinny
  • variations
  • control
Cons
  • speed
I play with mainly spin variations, long pimples for backhand and close to the table.

Control is really great and one can be making a lot of spin with this Hurricane 3 neo

Speed is slow but I forget that default since many qualities !
Speed
6.7
Spin
10
Durability
8.9
Control
10
Pros
  • 4 separate balls
  • heavy spin
  • jam resistent
Cons
  • net durablility
This robot is a very good one. We do have an AMICUS3000pro in our table tennis club and sometimes I play with it to get much safer in the control of motions. It´s nearly impossible to play so much balls in a row with a real partner, but repitition means all to automatism.

There is the possibility to set four different balls with different speed, spin and direction with an overall adjustment of the number of ball which the robot shoots out. If an exercise is good for one, you can save the exercise to the internal memory. (because it´s sometimes hard to get the perfect direction when someone tries this alone! So only load a saved exercise is much easier).
use
7.9
Durability
6.7
Capability
9.5
Resistance
7
Pros
  • Great control
  • Very linear
  • Excellent feel
Cons
  • Low arc
Here is my review of the Nexy Kanaph. I have been playing with this blade since early December and I have already logged around 60 hours with it.

Design/Cosmetics
The Kanaph is a beautiful blade. Initially I wasn not a fan of the purple and black handle color but seeing it person changed my mind, this blade is very pretty to look at. The bottom lens has a unique design, it adds to a more premium look. The hinoki top ply is very smooth and I do not see any imperfections. The burnt core gives this blade a racing stripe look.
I was told by our local reseller that I should give the straight handle a try. He was right. The straight handle is very comfortable. It is not as chunky as other straight handles that I have tried, in fact it is rather slim. It fits my average hands like a glove.

Feel
I really enjoyed the feel of this blade. The hinoki top ply gives the blade a soft feel while the carbon layer and burnt kiri core give it a crisp, sharp feel. I find the feel a bit odd, but in a good way. It is both soft and crisp at the same time. When hitting with medium low power the hinoki top ply feels sort of like a damp layer of wood, abosorbing the impact of the ball. Compared to the Nexy Oscar where you can feel which part of the blade face the ball is hitting, I can feel the impact on the whole face of the blade. So the Oscar feels sharper while the Kanaph feels duller. Which one is better is purely subjective.
On more powerful shots, you can feel the ball dig deeper into the blade. In fact, you can almost feel the core of the blade communicating with your hand. I really enjoyed this feeling since I always know how much power I am putting out unlike some other composite blades that feel numb. The feeling that I am getting is not really typical vibration associated with all wood blades, rather it is more like haptic feedback telling your hand how hard you are hitting and at what angle.

Control
This is a very linear and controllable blade. There is no sudden catapult, no wierd speed jumps, you get what you put out. This feeling of control encourages you to hit harder and faster. I did not feel like I have to hold back, in fact, I feel like I want to hit harder every time. Looping from mid to far distance is a dream. The length and direction of the blade is easily controllable. Short game was also exceptional. On passive shots, this blade is dead. It is not bouncy at all. It is possible to drop the ball very close to the net when recieving serves.

Speed
Since the Kanaph is linear, it is like you are playing with 4 different blades - an ALL+, OFF-, OFF, and OFF+ blade. With passive shots this blade is dead, the ball does not bounce very far. Once you increase the power output the blade starts to come alive. If there is a chance to really rip it, the blade can be an OFF+ - very fast with a direct trajectory. With my stroke during counterlooping, the blade feels right in the middle of OFF range.

Looping
From what I read, I was expecting Kanaph to be more of a hitting blade than looping. But I was surprised the blade did really well in this department. Spin generation is very easy, control is exceptional, ample dwell time, yet crisp and sharp feel at the same time. One thing to note is the arc. The arc seems to be on the low side. Using the same sheet of Sigma 2 Pro on the Lissom and Vege Pro, the arc during loops seem to be on the low side. I tried an Omega V Europe and the arc seems to be even lower. With my normal looping stroke I was hitting the net a lot. I therefore had to do a more vertical stroke to clear the net. But when I switched to Omege V Asia the arc seems to be high enough to safely clear the net during looping rallies. Aside from the low arc, I consider this my almost perfect looping blade.

Conclusion
This is an exceptionally good blade from Nexy. The playing characteristics and feel of the Kanaph are what I have been looking for in a blade. I currently have the Lissom and Vega Pro but I am contemplating selling them both because the Kanaph has the control of the Lissom and the stability and power (actually even more power) of the Vega Pro. If I really have to say something I do not like about the Kanaph it is the arc. But after playing quite a bit with it for the past weeks I have already adjusted very well. So I guess this is my perfect blade. No more blade ej-ing....for now... :)
Speed
8
Control
9
Hardness
5
Durability
8.9
Pros
  • Fast, direct, light
  • For open game
  • Looks sturdy
Cons
  • Expensive
We have had time to test the new Bryce Highspeed this afternoon, a black 2.1 rubber on a Primorac Carbon blade.
The rubber has no obvious weakness and its strength is definetely its directness and speed in the open game, away from the table in spin on spin or close to the table in blocking.
It´s a medium rubber about as hard as tenergy 64 and performs with no noticeable speed glue effect/sound. It´s light, cut to racket size only 42 grams.

I played the rubber on my forehand first and had little trouble opening vs strong underspin from a defense player several levels above mine. In direct comparison I felt my other rubber, in this case a Bluefire M1, produced more spin, but not more speed.
I tried the Bryce on the backhand then and found it easy to control and ultra-precise in blocking the heavy topspin balls from my partner. The blocks are fast and difficult to handle for the attacking player.

Later I tested the rubber in matchplay versus another attacking player (approx my level). On the forehand everything felt easy enough, spinnier balls for opening or fast balls for direct points were no problem. Maybe I´d like a little more contact, but the balls landed where they were intended and control was good.
When I tried the Bryce as backhand rubber I found that I like a lot more contact on that side, or a softer rubber. While blocking was good, the topspin rate was below average.

I played a few more games vs another defense player and came to the same conclusion, on forehand the Bryce Highspeed works ok for me, on backhand it feels difficult except when blocking.

Lastly, a friend tried the rubber and also found the Bluefire considerably more spinny, the Bryce overall good, but nothing we haven´t seen before.

I think players going for the maximum speed will find Bryce Highspeed an attractive rubber. But I think there are direct and fast tensor rubbers already that cost less, and an Acuda turbo might do the same job as efficiently.

If your game is fast and straight, try this rubber. But if you´re happy with the speed and especially the spin of something like a Tibhar Evolution MX-P there is quite probably no reason to be tempted.
Speed
9.8
Spin
8.5
Control
8.1
The rubbers with best durability on the market. Get them
Speed
7.4
Spin
10
Durability
10
Control
10
Not much to say about them. regular table tennis shoes, the only specific thing is that they are very wide just like the old Ma Lin shoe
Comfort
8.9
Grip
8.6
Durability
8.6
Weight
7.2
Pros
  • control
  • fast when needed
Cons
  • a bit slow
This rubber is very good for people who control the game as there is lots of control and decent spin. It is generally quite slow but can be quite fast if hit hard. It is pretty durable from my experience. It is also quite good for beginners and I used it when I was playing regionally. It allows beginners to develop their strokes more. Overall very good control, decent spin and decent speed.
Speed
7.3
Spin
7.6
Durability
8
Control
9
Pros
  • Decently fast
  • Control
  • Spin
Cons
  • Durability
I have had this rubber for a few weeks and it is pretty good. The first thing I noticed was that it was not as fast as I expected, but had more control and spin. It has more spin than my bluefire m2 but has less feeling. It is slightly softer than my bluefire and has more control. It is not tacky at all. However, if you hit it hard enough the rubber will feel a bit harder.
Speed
7.9
Spin
9
Control
8.6
Pros
  • Comfortab!e
  • Stability
  • Balenced
Very comfortable blade (st handle), nice speed, nice stability and very balanced, this blade will optimized your rubbers. High quality blade. Worth your money.
Speed
8
Control
7.4
Hardness
8
Pros
  • Affordable
  • Spin
  • Fast
Cons
  • Blocking
I have used this rubber when I started playing table tennis, My DHS Hurricane 3 Neo (FH) was partnered with a Tenergy 05 (BH) and DHS PG-7 as the blade.
In terms of speed, This rubber is fast because of it's hardness. Mostly my flat drives go zoom when I hit the ball very hard. My only problem with this rubber is when I'm playing defense, It's kinda hard to block using Chinese Rubbers IMO. But overall it's a very good rubber, very suitable for players who have an all-out offensive style. I used mine for about 1 year and a half, and IMO it's durable.
Speed
8
Spin
8.5
Durability
8.5
Control
8
Pros
  • Incredible spin
  • Long-lasting!
  • Quite fast
This is a very welcome surprise. A rubber for those that likes a sticky surface, and a speedy sponge. It is not as tacky as a chinese rubber, and is speedier with a medium/low throw angle. Its like the description: Spin of China, speed of Euro, and touch of Japan. It plays more like a euro/japan-rubber than a chinese tacky H3/Neo.

This spin machine, i think, plays best on a speedier blade like carbon/fast wood. Tried it on Donic Diacon, Nittaku Redshank (thin carbon) and Stiga Rosewood NCT 7. Speed is very good for a tacky rubber. Very good for serves, service-return and top-spin play. Touch shots also very good. Recommended as a forehand-rubber. Its easily the best sticky rubber i have tried and incredibly fun to play with. When i played for the first time, i hit quite a few heavy sidespin-loops that had so much spin that it actually went past my opponents blade! I just laughed, and he too!
Speed
8.5
Spin
9.9
Durability
9.1
Control
9.1
Pros
  • Good Spin
  • Fair Price
  • Good Short Game
Cons
  • Fragile TopSheet
  • Hard to block
I'm referring to a DHS Hurricane 3 NEO rubber glued on the blade with VOC free glue (butterfly chack).
To my amateur hand I didn't feel this rubber lacking in any area of the game comparing to my previous rubber XIOM Sigma I Europe.
I have to admit I quite enjoyed the change. Of course blocking isn't exceptional with this rubber and it requires some precision.
The durability of the rubber is really low. When it contacts the table there will probably be a piece of it cut. The thing that saves it though is that it is on my forehand and I usually get the table with the backhand rubber. Next rubber I am going to get for my forehand will be h3 boosted because I'm curious, how a boosted rubber feels like. I have read people saying that this rubber was significantly different from a typical tensor, I didn't notice this to be honest. For me the rubber felt similar, as for it collecting dust, it does, like every rubber, not more. Also some people think this rubber is slow, I don't agree, I did try a TIBHAR EL-P and it felt slow comparing to H3 when looping.

Overall I think Hurricane 3 NEO is a fair rubber for the forehand and I suggest it to people looking for a cheap blade to begin with.
Speed
8.1
Spin
8.3
Durability
4
Control
6.8
Pros
  • light
  • control
  • blocking
Cons
  • mushy
Very picky rubber.

Avoid using this rubber if you are not a fan of mushy rubbers.

This rubber's sponge is very soft, almost to the level of mushy.
Because of that softness, it is good for blocking and control.
In my opinion, I would say this rubber is good for beginners or people who wanna switch to shakehand from penhold.

I used this rubber when I switched from penhold to shakehand racket.
At that time, I could not do any backhand basics of shakehand, so I chose this rubber.

At first, Although this rubber is quite bouncy, I could not perform aggressive backhand loop.
It was because of the softness of the sponge. The sponge prevents players from adding speed to the balls.
So, if you have confidence in your backhand skills, I would not recommend you to use this rubber. Go for Rakza X or Rakza 7.

However, I liked this rubber's softness since this rubber's blocking and control was so good.

I would not say that this rubber is for everyone.
Maybe this is for players who are not very confident in their backhand skills like me.
Speed
7
Spin
8.5
Durability
8.5
Control
9.5
Pros
  • price
  • very spinny
  • good short game
Cons
  • speed
Just boost it.

This rubber is made to be boosted.
I applied 2 layers of booster and this rubber became a monster in terms of balance of spins and speed.
Highly recommended to boost this rubber!

The other good thing about this rubber is that it forces you to place your feet in a proper position otherwise your balls would be slow and not spinny.
Good for training, I would recommend this for beginners in stead of Tenergy series, which is undoubtedly the most popular rubber for pros.

However, I think this rubber is also tricky rubber to use because of its tackiness.
When I loop or drive, I have to move my forearm very fast.
However, when you can hit balls with your maximum power, your loop and drive will be super spinny and super fast.
Because of its tackiness, it's also good for short games like stops, push and flick.

Overall, I really enjoy playing with this rubber and I think I won't change my FH rubber for a while.
Speed
5
Spin
10
Durability
9
Control
9.5
Pros
  • Spin
  • Speed
  • Control
Cons
  • Price
  • Durability
This rubber is great for backhand.It feels like I can't miss.Very good for every playing style, it has lower throw angle than Tenergy 05 rubber.
It feels soft,great contol,great spin ,good speed .
The biggest problem as all we know is price of Tenergy rubbers :D


Speed
9.4
Spin
9.2
Durability
8
Control
9.5
Pros
  • fast
  • flexible
  • good looking
Cons
  • not very durable
  • thin handle
A great blade to match any type of player! (except choppers)

180$ = Worth buying.

You can hit very fast balls without much effort and still have some control on small plays.
This blade goes great with Tenergy series or any tensor rubbers.
I personally like to use this blade with Chinese rubbers and it performs quite well.
When I loop the ball with this blade, I can hit the ball in the corner of table.
When I make small plays like stop, push or even flick, this blade gave me nice control on the ball.

Summery ; quite well made blade which goes well with any types of rubbers!
Speed
9.5
Control
9.2
Hardness
9.7
Durability
7.5
Pros
  • Long Lasting
  • Controllable
  • Non-hollow
Cons
  • Lack of Fastness
This blade is great for the developing player. It has a good feeling and I like how it doesn't have a hollow handle. It's not too slow yet not as fast as the carbon blade. It is very durable ( I already had mine for 3 years). The Primorac is a very good classic all-wood blade.
Speed
6
Control
8.5
Hardness
4.5
Durability
9
Pros
  • high speed
  • good control
  • unbreakable
Cons
  • price
I had this blade (Primorac Off+, which is on the photograph) since the last 15 years. ...one blade... It is expensive (in Germany ~120€) but the durability is amazing, nearly unbreakable. I flip out sometimes after hard matches and smack it against my upper leg and so on (nothing cool though) but the blade was at every time fully intact. The blade is very hard and stiff, so you can feel the ball touching via vibrating. It´s a fast blade, able to generate maximum speed but with good control. I think it´s perfect for players in middle distance with offensive topspin play style.
Speed
8.7
Control
7.7
Hardness
8
Durability
10
Pros
  • Straight Handle
  • Overall looping
  • Short game
Cons
  • Timing
  • Price
Having played with it for about 4 hours on 2 separate training sessions, here are my thoughts (playing with 2 Tenergy 05's):

Design & Handle: I really like the design with the phoenix print up front and the nice and classy straight handle. Nothing too out of the ordinary.
The straight handle is a big plus, especially compared to the flared one. It fits nice in the hand.
Serving: Great for serving. Low and spinny serves, short, half-long, long, you name it, very easy.
Short game: Best aspect of this blade. As this has ZL Fiber, and no carbon layers, you get a lot more feedback. The touch is amazing.
Looping: Very easy to generate a lot of power from short and mid distance. Also does the spin shots very well. You notice the control and forgiveness on every stroke. Timing needs to be accurate though.
Far away from the table: Some people complain about the lack of power, I don't really know why. Speed is more than enough. Counter topspins from far away are a joy. Surprised at how well the blade smashes.

Conclusion:
I was looking for a replacement for the DHS W997, which was a bit too powerful and lacked (with Tenergy 05 on the FH side) touch and control. This blade gives me the control and balance that I was looking for. I don't know why it isn't very popular, I don't know anyone who plays with it. Would definetely recommend it to a variety of players. If you have any questions, feel free to ask :)
Speed
9
Control
9.5
Hardness
5.4
Durability
8.3
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