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I've been playing with this blade since 95 or 96 aproximately. Is the regular one, not WRB.

First of all I've to say my wood is from 90's, now I think this model isn't hand made, whatever the actual Stiga OC wood aren't as good as the old ones. If some one are interested I give you some good alternatives similar to the old one.

It's a OFF- blade, it's elastic, thin blade of 5 plys (koto-spruce-ayous-spruce-koto). The blade have a good control, ideal for the short game, and allow a good curve trajectories on topspin. It's a good off- wood for an allround-ofensive game, but not so ofensive since speed glue was banished.

From my experience with this blade and the new rubbers, the rubbers that best fit on it it's the medium or soft rubbers (I don't get good feeling with hard ones on it).

If you used to play with this or you are interested I think today are similar blades but maybe more adapted to the new kind of playing style.

The most similar blade I've found its Avalox P5, indeed I think it's a copy of the old one. The composition and proportions are the same, but it's maybe a little more hard than the old stigas.

Yasaka Ma Lin Extra is also in the same direction, not the same blade, more sweet spot and more consistency but similar feelings.

Waldner Dicon it's more rigid and fast but I think if you like this blade and want to try something similar but faster it's a good option.

There is also other blades like Nittaku ANV (discontinued) or some DHS (sorry I don't remember the name) that has the same or very similar composition but they are more thick.

Welcome to my new reviews! Every week I’ll be reviewing a different rubber, blade, or other equipment from my sponsors TIBHAR, the first of which is my personal favourite - the TIBHAR Evolution MX-P rubber. This rubber is currently available from my UK sponsors Bribar Table Tennis at a sale price of £34.99, reduced from £46.99. You can view and buy it here: http://shop.bribartt.co.uk/tibhar-evolution-mx-p.html

I play with this on both sides of my blade, both backhand and forehand, in 2.1mm sponge thickness which is the thickest sponge available with this rubber in order to ensure the combined thickness of the sponge and top sheet do not exceed ITTF restrictions on these things.

I first tried the TIBHAR Evolution MX-P last year and I was so impressed with it I decided I wanted to change in order to help my game. I had to wait a little while as I had matches approaching, and wanted to get a good week’s worth of practice in after playing with my old rubbers for any matches or competitions after this.

The thing I love about the TIBHAR Evolution MX-P is the medium hard sponge which provides me with just the right level of ‘rebound’ and feeling when I’m serving, opening up with my first heavy topspin loop from my opponents return and then attacking aggressively. The feeling is just right for my game, I never feel that it’s too fast so I still have the right level of control but at the same time it helps me generate a really good level of speed from my rubber which I find really important.

‘Medium-hard’ is difficult to quantify apart from by actually playing with the rubber yourself, but what I mean by this is it’s hard enough to produce really good speed but not so hard that ball dwell time on the bat is too low, making things harder to control and less easy to produce spin with. I have marked the rubber out of 10 on different aspects as above to try to help players with different styles work out if this is the best rubber for your game, if I had to mark this rubber out of 10 for the hardness of the sponge I’d say that if 1 was soft and 10 was hard, this would be around an 8 which for a player with my style is perfect.

The top sheet is a traditional European style rubber, which is slightly tacky but not like a Chinese style very tacky top rubber sheet, and again this is the perfect combination for me. I need a rubber top sheet which has the elasticity to let me produce heavy topspin on my attacking strokes and different levels of spin on my serves, but which is not to tacky as this is a very different type of feeling that isn’t quite suited to the way that I like to play. It’s a TENSOR style highly stretched top sheet and I really like the feeling that it produces.

I have found that the rubber is very durable for an attacking rubber of this level and quality. I change my rubbers regularly for my matches in the Belgian League, when playing for England and at ITTF World Tour events as I like the new and fresh feel, but these rubbers last longer than others I have played with in the past.

For speed, this rubber has to be king. I have scored it 9.5 from 10. It’s very fast, and suits the attacking player who likes to take the ball early at the table or from mid distance and play hard, attacking shots with a huge amount of spin. The rubber is not so quick that it lacks any feeling or control – the balance is excellent.

For spin, this rubber is also really excellent. I have scored it 9.5 from 10, but remember this is when talking about a player with my style. A defensive player for example may like the spin level but might find that a different sponge thickness is suited to them with the range of shots they employ. When it comes to attacking from both wings I find the level of topspin I can produce with the TIBHAR Evolution MX-P to be really brilliant.

For control, I have scored this rubber 9 out of 10. When you consider the speed it can help you to produce on your shots and the topspin it can help you generate, the control level is very, very high. It’s all about the balance and this rubber really excels in that department.

To sum up - If you like to topspin the ball strongly from both wings, open up from a backspin push or chop ball with heavy topspin, attack on the third or fifth ball aggressively, loop with heavy spin and speed from mid distance or block quickly but with control, then the TIBHAR Evolution MX-P is an absolutely first rate choice, and 100% the correct choice for me.

10/10 for me, I love it! Paired with t80fx max both sides it has great control from all areas with loads of spin and enough pace for counter play away from table, has a great feel with not too much vibration, and gives you that" can't miss" feeling even when you're not quite at your best! I've tried dozens of blades but this truly IS the best! I suppose if you're technically a great player and the success of your game depends on all out power and aggression then this may not be for you, Dan / Tom, please do a vid review on this blade! 😬

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!

I think it's true to say, there is no "best rubber" , another mans meat,, and all that, but in my opinion after using dozens and dozens of rubbers costing me a fortune to experiment over some 20 years now, I've come to settle on t80 fx both sides, for me, it is so forgiving under pressure with the ability to turn a point round to your advantage, I used to play 90pc fh loop drive but this rubber (and a fair bit of practice) has helped me develope the backhand to a similar level, probably 60/40 now.
Its not the fastest, prob not the spiniest (must be close though) but for feel, consistency and General spin/power, it will take some knocking off my top spot!

As you can discern out of the pros insertion above the Li Ping KiTex is a blade which provides very good control in passive play for a OFF+ blade due to it's relatively soft wood-composition along with it's compared to simple Carbon or Aramid Carbon soft Texalium layers.
The only problem for me is that this blade isn't really something for amateur players who practice 'only' three times or less a week in my opinion as with this blade you have to have a solid technique to produce heavy spin especially in terms of the third ball attack because with that blade I have the feeling that if you were not playing with a soft rubber, which semi-pro or pro players mostly don't use as they use medium-hard or hard rubbers like Tenergys, it is very hard to produce spin but if you want to play fast topspins all the time this blade is a very good choice.

I tried this rubber on my friends blade for an hour. I found it had great control and would suggest this would be a very good rubber for someone who is trying to learn stroke play. The rubber is not to responsive like Tenergy. The Calibra Tour M has a lot of control, my only concern was the amount of spin. I struggled to get a lot of spin on service. I am a player who relies on spin, so this rubber is not for me. However this rubber would suit blockers and counter hitters very well.

soft rubber with very good spin and control. its not very fast its a bit slower than calibra tour m but you feel anything you do with this rubber due to his soft sponge and elastic surface. suitable for FH and BH . throw is medium , loops are perfect ,chops perfect and spinny, flicks very good , serves with nice spin. for heavy under spin shots works excellent blocks are easy ,its a rubber that you will like it !

I use this on my backhand.

It's one of the most fastest rubber I ever played with. The hardness is medium, it has very good feeling, and very good control on blocking between the new after glue-banish era rubbers. Not so much curve in the topspin trajectory, at the beginning it seems to don't have a great spin but when you get used to the rubber you can manage to do really spinny topspins.

But I'm not agree in one thing with other users seeing the numbers of T05 and T05 FX. For me FX it's faster than the regular version and T05 is more spinny than FX version. I don't understand why people think or feel this that way... maybe because FX it's softer, but for me there is a falacy that says that softer rubbers are more spinny. Softer versions of a rubber have usually a most curve trajectory but less spin IMHO.

As a nostalgic and after having problems to find some setup that allows me to play in forehand as before the banish of the glue I actually still use this rubber on my forehand. As it was a rubber from the glue era I use it with optimizer, the result is not the same, but it's pretty similar. The result is a high re-bounce rubber, pretty fast, with a good spin but not so grippy. So it's good for attack if you like to go for a "killer topspin", but the control in the reception of the serve or the short game can be hard to handle.

For me it was the best rubber during the apeed glue era, now I don't recommend it to the kids, I think there are better options, especially now with the plastic ball.

So for all of that it's difficult to give it numbers, as you get the rubber from the factory it's a good rubber for control, but not good for intermediate or high level players in my opinion, unless you give it some "help" with optimizer/boost.

I actually use these shoes as a part of the gift from Stiga on winning the trickshot showdown.

I can say these shoes are very good and I have been using them since when I received them. They are light and very comfortable, they have a very good grip and a thin base and feels soft during lateral movements.

I've been playing with these shoes for two months now so I cannot talk about the durability but it seems to be a very good build and a good material so I think the durability will be really good!

The andro blowfish is a fast and spinny short pimples rubber. The switchover from an inverted rubber to blowfish is relatively easy. Compared to other short pimple rubbers, the blowfish creates much backspin, when you push or chop. The control for service receiving is relatively low compared to other short pimples. I think the andro blowfish is a good rubber, if you like to attack aggressively by yourself with the short pimples. It's also possible to play a kind of topspin with andro blowfish.

The Stiga Allround Classic is a blade with much control and feeling. It is not too fast. I think it's a very good blade for players starting playing tabletennis.
In my club beginners usually get this blade, when they start playing tabletennis. They all like the blade and are very satisfied with the Stiga Classic allround. When the players get better, we usually change the rubbers (faster ones). Advanced players can also use the Stiga Classic Allround, if they prefer control in their game.

Sadly like many of the other new balls the quality is far from okay, so many breaks just in one practice. I like the design but I'm disappointed with the durability and I also find the the ball surprisingly slow.

Best shoe I've ever used. All round comfort, durability and grip is fantastic. Good as, if not better, then my old butterfly energy force shoes and much cheaper. Available for £70 in the Uk From Bribar

I'm a relatively new player to the sport, having played a bit in my teens and then given the game a nice 15-ish year hiatus. Recently getting back in the sport, I quickly got past the premade bat level (played for a bit with a Stiga Fury which felt good and fast, if a bit inconsistent.)

After reviewing my options, and checking some other forums and threads, the general consensus was that a "middle of the road" blade will help teach good control, touch and stroke mechanics. To that end, I bought a Butterfly Timo Boll All+, well rated and reasonably priced, and paired it with the classical Butterfly Sriver L in 1.7mm for both forehand and backhand. I paid a bit extra for the professional makeup after sweating over how to glue rubbers and watching a few youtube videos.

When I first started playing with it the bat felt heavy compared to my premade bat and other bats I'd tried.. Part of this was due to different balance in the blade, this blade is a bit more top heavy. The other part was because... well, it's heavier.
The second thing was the feedback. I could almost directly "feel" if I made a good shot, and making good shots felt much better. I can completely see what most experienced players meant when they talked about "feedback".
The third part was the increased control. It felt like I could really put the ball wherever I wanted, unless I messed my shot up.
And the fourth part was the speed... it felt slower.

Don't get me wrong, I can still generate speed, but this blade and combination doesn't give me anything for free, I really do have to ~generate~ that speed.

My block and backhand percentage, which was sort of iffy before, started steadily rising (and it's still rising.). 2 months in, backhands do not feel so much like a gamble any more. My forehand loops, especially against backspin, are much more consistent. (We have a really good defensive player where I play.) My serves are now mediocre, up from "I'll just put the ball into play". I'm still working on getting them short enough without popping them up too much. The blade performs solidly throughout everything I try with it. I feel like it has a good amount of dwell time. The only thing that I seem to struggle with is defensive cutting/chopping - I'm still a bit inconsistent here, probably moreso because it's not a shot I practice a lot rather than the blade being unable to produce it. That said, this setup isn't very tacky. I'd say middle of the road.

In summary, I would rate this blade and rubber combo a solid performer, with a few gears that you can work through. And in another 2 months or so I'll probably "graduate" to some slightly faster rubbers, like Yasaka V - I expect the blade to perform just as consistently. It won't generate hurricane loops or tornado spins, but it'll more or less force you to develop good touch, good technique and good stroke mechanics. I would recommend it to anyone starting out in the sport with serious intent, or someone who's a novice and wants to work on their game.

Tried it on Tibar IV-S blade,it was ok for that price.Pretty good catapult effect and speed,great spin,and very controlable.It is good for any kind of player,from off to def

Great blade for precision play. Loops, smashes and drives are good and blocking is great. I play it with JOOLA Maxxx 500 on both sides. Very good. I can only recommend it to advanced players.


Joola MAXXX 500 was too hard for this blade and I switched to Bluefire JP1 and M3, then changed the M3 to Tibhar MX-P. Then changed to JP01 and MX-P.
This is a modern type loopng blade, quite stiff and the koto outer wood ply is a bit hard for me, but I can get used to it. This blade needs fast and short moves to generate agressive and fast loops, and the loops become quite effective. Old style big arm swing loops are possible too but this blade does not like that, there isn't that much dwell time for that type of stroke. If you love the tempo and the characteristics but want a little softer touch try Tibhar RedCypress.

My problem with this blade was, that I bought in with flared handle. The neck of the handle was very narrow so the blade vibrated much, annoyingly. I also tried the blade with straight handle with T05 on both sides and the vibration was gone mostly, only a nice faint of woody vibration was present. As far as I know and I experienced, the Tenergy rubbers absorb many vibrations, and numben the blade. Actually I don't teally like this, but in this particular case it was a good and a sad thing, this blade only feels good with Tenergy or a similar resonation swelling rubber.

My second problem was weight distribution. T05 in max thickness has an average weight of 0,24g/sq mm. Both Bluefire JP01 and Tibhar MX-P has the same average weight. So besides the resonation there should not be any disturbing in the weight distribution of the blade. The blade was 85,7g and the cut rubbers were around 47g each. When glued togerther the blade had the weight center near my index finger, so nearly at the top of the handle. The blade was a bit more than 190g assembled. Heavy blades are good when they are a bit head heavy, to help the player utilise the weight of the blade in a swing. Well this blade was nearly centered so it would not rotate with my wrist, making backhand swings requre an effort and time consuming. Latter nearly resulted in an injury, when you want to snap and twist your wrist to get a fast counterloop and the blade won't turn with your hand, and you twist your hand in unusual and painful way.

So buy it with Tenergy and straight handle. A very nice OFF blade, with woody feel.

This blade from butterfly is a bullet hitter if you have a strong wrist. First of all the packaging is the usual blue paper box from butterfly. The handle on my model is straight, quite small in diameter, so girls can have a good grip on it too.

Without rubbers the resonation of the blade is quite high, but fine, no harsh vibrations. Sound is quite pitched, so it is definetly an OFF+ blade.
Testing rubbers were chosen to be Bluefire M2 on both sides, to compensate for the low throw of the blade, but I also tried it with T80.

Because of the inner fibre Tamca5000 composite layer, this blade is a speed hitter when hitting directly. The blade is quite stiff and hard, but retains a nice woody feel. Looping is nice, controllable, because the composite layer is on the core veener and does not interfere much with the brush. So I may say, that this blade is fast when hitting (OFF+), but slower when looping (OFF).

Hits and counterhits are very direct and kind of flat, but nicely controlled without effort. Actually I found it hard to hit the ball long, but I only play soft OFF/OFF- blades usually.
Looping is great, but the stiffness bothers me a bit, I like spin elastic blades. The arc of the ball is agressive, but quite high to give you safety. Counterlooping is very consistent, you have more than enough power to counter any attack even from the dressing room.
Dropshots are a bit hard, because the blade is fast and you must develope a fine touch for this stroke or your shots will fly away.

Pair this blade with higher throw rubbers to acieve a nice setup.
I see this blade as a counterhit-smash blade, whith a bit of a fine touch to loop. So you can do opening loops, then wipe your opponent from the table with powerful smashes. Mostly for fact paced women or recreational bullet hitter/bragger type of play.