Need advice from jpen experts

says [IMG]
says [IMG]
Member
Oct 2011
42
2
44
Am thinking of getting a top quality jpen to further my penhold trad bh.
I can get either the black label kim taek Soo, rsm gmax or cypress max. Which would our kind jpen masters suggest? I am only buying one top quality one and won't buy any more jpens, so need all the advice before I jump head in
 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,146
17,686
54,748
Read 11 reviews
I think Ryu Seung Min used the Kim Taek Soo blade when he won gold in the Olympics if that helps any. :) I am not a penhold specialist but 10.3 mm of Hinoki will probably feel amazing. I know I have played with a shakehand version of the Darker Speed 90 9 mm 1 ply Hinoki and it is crazy how good that blade feels. It is too thick to be a realistic blade for a shakehand player, but 10.3 mm for a Penholder who only uses one side, should be a dream blade.

I am guessing you know that 1 ply Hinoki blades are delicate though and sometimes they break right at one the grains in the wood and you might not even know it and you are playing and you are thinking, "what is wrong" and then you see that the wood split.

I guess with no rubber on one side you would see that quicker though.

Nothing feels as good as a one ply Hinoki blade.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Dec 2011
109
10
140
heeey, what kind of game do you like more? Kim Taek Soo or Ryu Seung Min? If I was you, i'd buy a Kim Taek Soo... not exactly because the kind of game, but the 10.3 blade would be amazing! It has good control and an impressive speed! But a Cypress MAX would be great too! But i think it doesn´t have any blades like Kim Taek Soo ;D
 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,146
17,686
54,748
Read 11 reviews
Get Darker Speed 90 (10mm) hinoki, the wood,grains, the workmanship are better than Bty. And, cheaper. Last time, presports still carry, but now only left the Speed 70.

I have to say, the Darker Speed 90 is amazing as well. But for a JPEN I still might go for the Kim Taek Soo if price was not an issue. An extra .3 mm of wood when you only have one rubber on the blade gives some extra kick. But in terms of craftstmanship, there is no company that does it better than Darker's Hinoki blades. They are almost like works of art.

But the Darker Speed 90 does split. I know two people who had that happen to them. One of them had it happen twice where the blade just split at one of the grains. One guy had it happen and was playing a tournament and it took him a little while to realize what had happened and why the ball kept falling off his racket like it was a mi****.

I don't know if that could happen the same way with the Kim Taek Soo. But, I assume, if it is a 1 ply Hinoki, it actually could even though it is thicker.
 
Last edited:
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
says 2023 Certified Organ Donor
Well-Known Member
Sep 2011
12,822
13,216
30,390
Read 27 reviews
Haha, our club ace just got a new KTS a few months ago and BAM! it Split right down the entire blade vertical just tot eh right of center. A friend used some industrial wood glue and inserted a light piece to strengthen the area behind the break on the back side, sanded it off, and gave it back next day. That sucker will NEVER break on that spot again! It took a week or two for our club ace to re-adjust to its new feel. He was shaking his head the first week.
 
says Spin and more spin.
says Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Dec 2010
16,146
17,686
54,748
Read 11 reviews
jpen blades break that easily?

One ply Hinoki is a tricky thing. Sometimes a blade will last an amazingly long time. Sometimes the same kind of blade will split at the grain for almost no aparent reason.

I will put it this way, I know 3 people who had one play Hinoki blades that, in the last year, all had at least one split in half. One of the people had two split in half. 3 of those blades were Darker Speed 90s. All of those players had rubber on both sides. One person was shakehand using a one ply blade. The other two were penholders using RPB.

But a one ply Hinoki blade is a rare thing of beauty.
 
Top