San Francisco looking for training partner.

[zeio]

I have it. $100 for that. Piggy bank in my signature.

 

[Konrad Bak]

deleted

 

[God-scrubplayer]

About myself: 2100usatt (Rated)
me in training: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-KKMH-CETA

tl;dr my videos: Basically I am good enough to tell whether a blade is good or not.

My order:

I was trying to get a custom made blade and I heard robin w provide such service. Viscaria is koto > alc -> limba -> kiri(core). I felt viscaria was slow when going full power and too fast on soft touch so I request limba > alc > limba -> ayous(core). Robin w happily comply. The price is $85 + 15(shipping).

Image: https://imgur.com/a/vEyiB42

he is also able to give me the exact custom weight i want which is 92g.

Summary:
Build quality is good but unfortunately the blade doesn't play well. It plays like a broken blade as if the wood inside is shattered. I can tell it's something to do with the carbon layer. For real carbon blade we normally get from BTY/DHS when the ball impact and go to the carbon, the layer will rebound the ball, but this blade the impact is shattered away thus losing power. Also I would like to note note, although robin w is from USA the product is from CHINA, he is not the person who make the blade.

tl;dr blade doesn't play nice but it could be because of my requested composition since I was told ayous normally works better when carbon direct to it like BTY innerforce.

 

[Haito]

Base on that image, what you were told to be limba between ALC and core, looks not much like a limba ply to me.

 

[SDC]

Medial ply is most definitely Limba, but the Viscaria doesn't have a Limba medial and that's not ALC. That's "chinese ALC" aka Diolen-Carbon, many manufactures use and knowingly or unknowingly call it ALC. Nothing wrong with Diolen if you disclose what it is, but it's not the same as ALC.

 

[Haito]

Medial ply is most definitely Limba, but the Viscaria doesn't have a Limba medial and that's not ALC. That's "chinese ALC" aka Diolen-Carbon, many manufactures use and knowingly or unknowingly call it ALC. Nothing wrong with Diolen if you disclose what it is, but it's not the same as ALC.

I respect you knowledge kind sir, but how did you picked up that this is not ALC, but diolen? Based on that Blue is darker?

 

[SpinSquid]

About myself: 2100usatt (Rated)
me in training:
tl;dr my videos: Basically I am good enough to tell whether a blade is good or not.

My order:

I was trying to get a custom made blade and I heard robin w provide such service. Viscaria is koto > alc -> limba -> kiri(core). I felt viscaria was slow when going full power and too fast on soft touch so I request limba > alc > limba -> ayous(core). Robin w happily comply. The price is $85 + 15(shipping).

Image:
he is also able to give me the exact custom weight i want which is 92g.

Summary:
Build quality is good but unfortunately the blade doesn't play well. It plays like a broken blade as if the wood inside is shattered. I can tell it's something to do with the carbon layer. For real carbon blade we normally get from BTY/DHS when the ball impact and go to the carbon, the layer will rebound the ball, but this blade the impact is shattered away thus losing power. Also I would like to note note, although robin w is from USA the product is from CHINA, he is not the person who make the blade.

tl;dr blade doesn't play nice but it could be because of my requested composition since I was told ayous normally works better when carbon direct to it like BTY innerforce.

I recently received a blade from Robin.W as well. The blade that I requested was the following composition:

limba - limba - ALC - special kiri core - limba - ALC - koto (a mix of Hurricane Long 5 and Viscaria)

I'm rated at 1800 USATT and this was my first carbon blade, so I was unsure of how carbon feels.

However, when my coach (former Chinese provincial team player, highest USATT rating of 2500) used it, he said it felt really weird. He said the feeling of the blade was very hollow and there felt like there was no impact with the carbon at all. I agreed with him 100%. I'm assuming, from your post, that you experienced the same feeling.

I tried friends' Harimoto ALC, Mizutani ALC, and Timo Boll ZLC with the same forehand rubber as myself (Hurricane 3 Provincial Blue Sponge) and I completely agree with you. I could definitely feel with those Butterfly blades when the ball impacted the carbon and rebounded off. The difference in the feeling between the Butterfly blades and Robin.W blade was night and day.

I vastly enjoyed the Butterfly blades (my favorite was the Harimoto ALC) more. The feeling was so much more superior.

Honestly, I'm pretty disappointed. Over at the mytabletennis forums, so many members lauded how well the blades played, but for me it didn't turn out that way.

Next time, I'm buying from a more reputable blade builder or just buying from quality table tennis manufacturers rather than saving a quick buck.

 

[SDC]

Base on that image, what you were told to be limba between ALC and core, looks not much like a limba ply to me.

I'm guilty of using this in the beginning without knowing what it really was. After I found out I stopped calling it ALC and just use the real name. I still use it from time to time. The darker blue is a give away, it can also be Dyed in several different colors, but the way the fibers fray on the edge is obvious. Because the fibers are so soft it's hard to get a clean cut, so it just ends up looking like a blurred blue line. Vectran (arylate) is more brittle, so you can get a cleaner cut and a visible distinction between the blue fiber and the black one.

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

 

[SpinSquid]

I'm guilty of using this in the beginning without knowing what it really was. After I found out I stopped calling it ALC and just use the real name. I still use it from time to time. The darker blue is a give away, it can also be Dyed in several different colors, but the way the fibers fray on the edge is obvious. Because the fibers are so soft it's hard to get a clean cut, so it just ends up looking like a blurred blue line. Vectran (arylate) is more brittle, so you can get a cleaner cut and a visible distinction between the blue fiber and the black one.

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

That's very interesting. What are the playing characteristics of Diolen-Carbon? How does it play compared to real ALC?

 

[God-scrubplayer]

I recently received a blade from Robin.W as well. The blade that I requested was the following composition:

limba - limba - ALC - special kiri core - limba - ALC - koto (a mix of Hurricane Long 5 and Viscaria)

I'm rated at 1800 USATT and this was my first carbon blade, so I was unsure of how carbon feels.

However, when my coach (former Chinese provincial team player, highest USATT rating of 2500) used it, he said it felt really weird. He said the feeling of the blade was very hollow and there felt like there was no impact with the carbon at all. I agreed with him 100%. I'm assuming, from your post, that you experienced the same feeling.

I tried friends' Harimoto ALC, Mizutani ALC, and Timo Boll ZLC with the same forehand rubber as myself (Hurricane 3 Provincial Blue Sponge) and I completely agree with you. I could definitely feel with those Butterfly blades when the ball impacted the carbon and rebounded off. The difference in the feeling between the Butterfly blades and Robin.W blade was night and day.

I vastly enjoyed the Butterfly blades (my favorite was the Harimoto ALC) more. The feeling was so much more superior.

Honestly, I'm pretty disappointed. Over at the mytabletennis forums, so many members lauded how well the blades played, but for me it didn't turn out that way.

Next time, I'm buying from a more reputable blade builder or just buying from quality table tennis manufacturers rather than saving a quick buck.

Yes, spot on, it's "hollow" my power got dissipated when I hit hard.

 

[SDC]

That's very interesting. What are the playing characteristics of Diolen-Carbon? How does it play compared to real ALC?

Diolen is softer so it does everything a little less. Less speed, smaller sweetspot, but it can give more control depending on the perspective. It also feels a little different, not so dynamic and crisp, more numb perhaps?

 

[yogi_bear]

Robin Wood?? Hehhe nice name for a blade.

 

[lodro]

may we assume that the goal of this "review" is that you kinda got done to the tune of $100, got an inferior product in the process and would like us to know that we should be careful when dealing with a robin wood ?

You should at least claim your money back .

 

[God-scrubplayer]

may we assume that the goal of this "review" is that you kinda got done to the tune of $100, got an inferior product in the process and would like us to know that we should be careful when dealing with a robin wood ?

You should at least claim your money back .

Why should I get my money back? He did not advertise that it is a BTY blade. I customize the plys and the exact weight, I get exactly what I paid for, a $85 knockoff. Compare to BTY or other good blades which cost over 150 easily, this is just lesson learned. Tough for me sure; but robin did nothing wrong.

Lesson for everyone here is. If its too good to be true then it is, you get what you paid for.

Update: I am also unssure if his name is robin wood but he is https://mytabletennis.net/forum/fs-custom-made-blade-shipped-by-dhl-now_topic83445.html this guy.

 

[lodro]

Why should I get my money back? He did not advertise that it is a BTY blade. I customize the plys and the exact weight, I get exactly what I paid for, a $85 knockoff. Compare to BTY or other good blades which cost over 150 easily, this is just lesson learned. Tough for me sure; but robin did nothing wrong.

Lesson for everyone here is. If its too good to be true then it is, you get what you paid for.

Update: I am also unssure if his name is robin wood but he is https://mytabletennis.net/forum/fs-custom-made-blade-shipped-by-dhl-now_topic83445.html this guy.

well, considering he even says the blade is made in china......................
I looked a the handles and they are the same as advertised on aliexpress.

But then again, you ordered and paid for ALC and all you got was a layer of Dyolin and there is actually no carbon in it at all................right ?

 

[Trayanee]

This is a nice table. It shows the properties of most fibers used in blade building these days. Please note that diolen, vectran etc are just product marketing names. Arylate is even bigger masquerade because is how butterfly named and trademarked vectran they use. For me it is interesting that Tibhar uses Dyneema which is in fact polyethylene. I thought Yinhe was alone on this boat.

https://www.gleistein.com/en/technical-properties-of-synthetic-fibres/

 

[God-scrubplayer]

well, considering he even says the blade is made in china......................
I looked a the handles and they are the same as advertised on aliexpress.

But then again, you ordered and paid for ALC and all you got was a layer of Dyolin and there is actually no carbon in it at all................right ?

Well burden of proof lies upon the accuser, if I were to accuse he is a scammer or false advertising then I need proof that the layer is Dyolin not alc. Eye test won't cut it. The resource or hours I need to put for such proof will exceed $100. Unless someone in this forum is willing to take up the proving job in which I'll pay the shipping, else it's not worth it.

 

[SpinSquid]

I think the main point I took away from this topic is as follows:

1. Buyer beware: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.
2. You cannot trust other people's opinions/reviews on blades and rubbers because of how different everyone plays.
3. If you're going for a custom blade build, aim for a renowned blade maker like @hipnotic (https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/showthread.php?19018-SDC-Handmade-Blades)
4. Blade composition is not the only thing to pay attention to. Even blades with the same composition may play wildly different depending on manufacturer.
5. To reiterate again, BUYER BEWARE

I do not believe that I got scammed or burned on my purchase of the robin.w blade. I got exactly what I asked for.

The blade was well made, shipping and communication were quick and easy. The only thing, was that the blade did not play well, in my opinion (and in scrubplayer's opinion as well)

 

[Haito]

I think the main point I took away from this topic is as follows:

1. Buyer beware: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.
2. You cannot trust other people's opinions/reviews on blades and rubbers because of how different everyone plays.
3. If you're going for a custom blade build, aim for a renowned blade maker like @hipnotic (https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/showthread.php?19018-SDC-Handmade-Blades)
4. Blade composition is not the only thing to pay attention to. Even blades with the same composition may play wildly different depending on manufacturer.
5. To reiterate again, BUYER BEWARE

I do not believe that I got scammed or burned on my purchase of the robin.w blade. I got exactly what I asked for.

The blade was well made, shipping and communication were quick and easy. The only thing, was that the blade did not play well, in my opinion (and in scrubplayer's opinion as well)

I would also add a point to be beware of composing the blade yourself without experience. Subsequent kinds of wood isn't the only factor to consider. For example layer thickness is also very important.

 

[diavolo]

Robin W is a good guy. I bought a lot of DHS H3 rubbers from him. A Dignics O9C as well. Always shipped it very fast. Never tried his blades though.