Custom blade builders.

I've had good results with https://www.dattblades.com/, proposing and discussing blade designs directly with the blade builder — who's not just sitting there awaiting your orders, but is an opinionated and experienced man who'll really try to think things though with you, sometimes challenging your assumptions and suggesting other options.

it might be my personal TT guise of the placebo, of course, but having a blade built that intimately feels right has starved my EJ curiosity in TT blades out entirely.

There are more blade builders out there, of course, with different processes, level of productization — Ross Leidy, Soulspin, OSP (Original Stiga by Palatinus, iirc), BBC (Blades By Charly), and more. Some of them are active on this forum, check the blade builder's threads; and on other TT fora as well.

Hi Joe,

yoass (anyone else feel weirded out mentioning you ) has a great list. BBC seems to be the most affordable from those, but a true custom should run you quite a bit higher than the listed prices.

Also,be careful about assumptions. As yoass said, a good blade maker will challenge those assumptions and most likely tell you that one side Apolonia one side Diode is not possible because the feel you get comes from the total construction and not just a mix of 2 sides. Having that composition will feel completely different from both blades.

I had 7 customs blades (specifically optimized for short pips) made by an engineer TT enthusiast from OOAK Forums and even after months of correspondence (+100 theories/challenges) and extensive testing, I still prefer the feel of some readily available blades.

BTW, yoass, can you tell me about your custom? Construction, shape, thesis and actual playing characteristics? Call it intellectual curiosity.

Is it possible? More or less. Will it work? No, at least not how you want it to work.

Those blades are too far apart, and a combination of both will not play like either, or the sum of both. It will be something entirely different.

The Diode has a large face and the apolonia is standard, that's a big difference.
The Diode is 5 ply and the apolonia is 5+2. Even if you only put ZLC on one side it affects the whole balance, stiffness, flex of the blade.
The Diode is 5.3mm and the apolonia 5.7/5.8mm. Again, balance, stiffness, flex.

lasta said:

BTW, yoass, can you tell me about your custom? Construction, shape, thesis and actual playing characteristics? Call it intellectual curiosity.

Click to expand...

I have two, that are quite similar. Both have a conical handle loosely modeled after the Kjell Johanson one, and a head shape/size commonly used in most offensive(ish) blades, abt. 157x150.

1. Koto/Limba/ALC/Kiri/ALC/Limba/Anegre, 5.8mm thick, 89g.
2. Koto/Limba/ALC/Kiri/ALC/Limba/Koto, 6.1mm, slightly heavier handle and hence slightly less head-heavy, 92g.

The first was my first foray, After it got damaged it was repaired (for free), but I ordered the slightly different second one anyway seeing the use of having a spare.

Both blades are recognizable as members of the Viscaria family, and might as well be described as inner layer variations of the Viscaria with a vastly superior handle. The difference between Anegre and Koto is slight and subtle - the "bite" differs a bit, in a way that I find hard to describe. I could say the Anegre chews on the ball a bit longer, but that's overstating it; it's much subtler.

Anyway. Both blades are squarely OFF- with many gears, that play relatively subdued in passive play but have additional levels of power to offer the more active you play. I don't think terms like "dwell" and "throw" can be applied easily, but if I'd be forced to I'd say they have medium throw and high dwell for a blade with hardish outers.

My level isn't that high and I can't loop everything. Not so much due to technical limitations, but the years do count and my agility isn't what it used to be 40 years ago — and also, sometimes my game tactics are a mess. Maybe as a result (and maybe as a cause) my gameplay is varied. Yes, offensive and I'm always seeking to gain the upper hand by creating pressure in rallies, but I do so by seeking initiative. Brush loops, powerloops, counterloops, the usual. But I'm also more old-skool in making direct hits; a countering game over the table, with active blocks and flat kills.

Long story, but it's in the tradeoffs between three aspects of the game were my blade, for me, excels: control and feeling in passive play (the short game); confidence and quality of shots (in terms of placement, spinlevel, speed) in opening up the game; and raw power in the direct game.