Is there a subjectively perfect weight to every blade?

[Wakkibatty]

it might have to do with sound cues that you use in the neural circuitry you developed for table tennis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34870563/

humidity is a big factor too. in both spin generation and venue acoustics.

i can't think of any explanation(that is not an april fools joke one) of why the size or shape of a venue would measurably affect a racket's performance.

I can't comment much about changes in the size of a hall changing a blades performance, but certainly changes in humidity can play a large factor.

While I've never researched it, it's conceivable to me that the relative humidity in a room can vary depending on its internal volume and air-conditioning status. Assuming that *is* the case, then certainly this could have quite a noticeable effect on the performance consistency of your blade.

While people are generally aware humidity can change the performance of a rubbers, and to a certain degree the weight of a blade, not many are aware that humidity can also change both the playing feel of your blade, and it's overall performance and speed.

When wood researchers test the various mechanical properties of a timber species (eg: MoR, MoE, Compression Strength, impact performance, Janka hardness, etc) they need to measure and stabilise the residual moisture content of the wood first (IIRC they usually they like to go with about 12% moisture content by mass - which is the same baseline figure a lot of the timber industry uses).

The reason they need to stabilise / standardise the moisture content is that it directly affects the mechanical properties of the timber to a staggering degree

As a general rule of thumb, the drier timber gets, the stiffer and harder it gets, whereas the wetter it gets, the more flexible it gets (and wood flexibility in general directly feeds into both the flex and bounce it displays in a blade.)

This explains why over-dry wood is usually hugely stiff and brittle stuff, while damp or green wood is usually far more flexible than wood at a regular moisture content of 12 %. (This also partially explains why steamed wood is so easy to bend, and why veneer manufacturers will soak/immerse their logs in water for days or weeks at a time before trying to cut them -- especially with radial cut veneers. It lowers their Janka hardness, and increases its flexibility)

So basically, if you live in a climate where the relative humidity varies a lot, and you want your blade to behave in a consistent manner from day to day, or even hour to hour, you need to seal the edges / end grain in your blade, not just the playing surface.

Ask any timber worker or mill-hand... It's always the end grain of the timber where moisture loss happens the quickest. On a blade, basically the vast majority of its edge surface area is nothing but end-grain timber (and low density timber for the most part too, which tends to dry out quicker than dense hardwoods anyway!)

If you want your blade to last , and you want to build more consistency into your game, then always, always, always seal your blade everywhere, including on the handle.

 

[Topspinslinger]

for me 157/150 = 90gr
any bigger blade = 87gr

 

[SDC]

Dear @SDC, I can't resist asking following two questions. I know it is taking time, but I think other people will also enjoy your answer. My next blade will be very very similar to the current one, I want the same composition, same woods, i.e Limba, Ayous, Fiber, Ayous (core). And the same size 159x150, or perhaps 158x150. I would also (I hope it's OK) request 2 blades, the 2nd one in 157x150, for my best friend, with the same composition, or very very close. (My nr. is 188, I'm not in a hurry.)

Currently the fiber is AC-#. There is also S-AC and ALC. I only consider these 3 fibers, I don't want any other. I studied your page about the fibers, but I think it would be great, if you'd shortly try to describe the differences of those 3 fibers in my current blade. How would you describe the differences in feeling. E.g. in ALC you mention "crisp" feeling. Would you say AC-# has less crisp feeling? Also, if you would mention the weight difference, if there is any.

Second question is about the middle layer, which in my current blade, as you say, is very dense Ayous (almost as dense) as Limba. Let's say, this layer is less dense. Then again, how would you describe the difference in feeling? Would you feel the fiber (AC-#, or S-AC, or ALC) more? Would it feel more crisp?

The reason why I'm asking. Well I don't want to over-do it. As I said, the difference to my current blade will be very small anyway. The thing is, you can hear slightly different sound when you watch WCQ vs FZD. FZD is outer Viscaria like, it sounds more crisp, but at the same time kind of more shallow. I'd not really want that. Simply your thoughts on this would be nice to hear.

Sure, two blades is not a problem.

So, ALC ("Arylate-Carbon") and AC ("Aramid-Carbon") are very similar, they both belong to the Aramid family of fibers. "Arylate" is just Butterfly's trademark name for Vectran, which is the real name of the fiber. In my specific case I'm also using Kevlar, that's the trademark name, I just call it Aramid because I prefer the name. Vectran and Kevlar are very similar in terms of properties, they are used in many other fields other than TT, and in those fields the difference in their mechanical properties is more noticeable, but in TT it doesn't matter, it just matters how they feels. If you could touch these fibers you could instantly tell what I mean, Vectran has a more plastic texture, while Kevlar feels softer. This translates to how they feel when they are put inside of a blade. If they were woods, Vectran would be Koto and Kevlar would be Limba.

However, the most important aspect in a hybrid fabric is the carbon content. Carbon is still the stiffest and hardest fiber out there, the other fibers are just there to balance it out. Both ALC and AC# have the same weave pattern, which both fibers in both directions, and they both have the same approximate density (I actually had a lower density AC fabric, but I haven't been able to get it anymore). If the carbon content is the same, and the weave pattern too, then in this case the difference comes down to the other fibers. AC# feels slightly softer and more numb, due to how Kevlar absorbs vibrations, and ALC feels slightly crisper . These differences are very subtle, and can easily be compensated by other factors in the composition. S-AC is just a higher density version of AC#, so it has more carbon content but also more Kevlar.

By middle do you mean the core? Or the medial layer, between the top ply and core? I don't have my notes at the moment, but I do recall I used a dense core in your blade, not sure about the medial. The medial has a bigger impact on the hardness of the blade, but if we increase the density it feels harder, not necessarily crisper. If you want to feel the fiber more and have a crisper feeling, that has to do with the lamination process.

Well, WCQ and FZD blades are very different, one is inner, the other outer, but the shallowness you hear is the core. WCQ's blade uses an Ayous core, but the FZD has a kiri core. Kiri is less dense than Ayous, so on harder shots it may feel hollow.

 

[Tyce]

Ask any timber worker or mill-hand... It's always the end grain of the timber where moisture loss happens the quickest. On a blade, basically the vast majority of its edge surface area is nothing but end-grain timber (and low density timber for the most part too, which tends to dry out quicker than dense hardwoods anyway!)

If you want your blade to last , and you want to build more consistency into your game, then always, always, always seal your blade everywhere, including on the handle.

So regarding this, I've learned to "seal" logs I want to use for carving by putting wood glue on the cut ends. How would you rate a smear of wood glue around the edge of a blade as a sensible solution? Would it be better than lacquer?

 

[Wakkibatty]

So regarding this, I've learned to "seal" logs I want to use for carving by putting wood glue on the cut ends. How would you rate a smear of wood glue around the edge of a blade as a sensible solution? Would it be better than lacquer?

Yeah that can work 🙂 Wood glue can seal wood pretty well on principle, but it's performance really depends on the type of glue. 🙂 As for glue being a better approach than lacquer, that's debatable.

The main key issues I consider when assessing a sealant are:

• how does the stuff react to water
• How does it react to accidental impact
• How heavy is it
• How much does it cost in total
• How long will it last? (Ie: Does it strengthen the wood at all?)
• Is it biodegradable / sustainable
• Does it affect the performance of the blade (eg: vibration, playing feel, hardness, etc...)

Regular old PVA wood glue can function as wood sealer perfectly well (matter of fact a lot of commercial sanding sealers are nothing more but really diluted PVA wood glue).

However, regular old Type 1 PVA wood glue is also water soluble, and using a water soluble substance to try and create a waterproof barrier isn't a good idea. So if you're going to use pva, then you need to use multiple coats to prevent it degrading. Plus if it's going on a handle, its best to use water-resistant Type 3 PVA instead of a Type 1, as excess sweat is going to dissolve the Type 1 glue and make the handle sticky.

Polyurethane glue however is every bit as impervious to water as regular poly wood sealant is. That stuff does a great job of sealing wood, it just doesn't provide a nice attractive & shiny surface.... It's a great wood sealant, but a bad wood finish. If you don't mind a slightly scruffy looking blade, then yes, a smear of PU glue works great as a sealant.

Thing is, regular old poly surface sealant works every bit as well as PU glue. It looks a hell of a lot better, it's made of the same active ingredient, and costs a lot less, so why then bother using PU glue?

A layer of epoxy also works great -- it's a great waterproof seal, is hard wearing, it strengthens and preserves the wood, but on the flip-side it is also far from environmentally friendly or sustainable, as it doesn't naturally break down in landfill.

Is glue better than lacquer? Potentially yes, depending on how you measure its effectiveness against the above criteria. If it's not water soluble, and is lighter than lacquer, then yeah, you could argue glue is better stuff to use on that basis alone. But nitrocellulose lacquer would probably stand up better to accidental impacts than something like a thin layer of watered down PVA, and would look better to boot.

Myself I get around all these I various issues by just using Osmo oil. It seals the blade, it beautifies the wood, it uses natural ingredients, it is biodegradable, creates no microplastic, and is really hard wearing. Only real point against it is the cost, but given I make so many blades, and only ever want to use premium materials in my blades anyway, it's the best all-round option for me personally. 🙂

If I'm just temporarily sealing some end grain on a slab of rough cut timber though, then I usually go with whatever is handy and not too expensive (ie: whatever leftover sealants are hanging around).

I've used acrylic house paint, PU sealant, PVA glue, candle wax, linseed oil, nitro lacquer, Danish oil, or even a bit of left over shellac/ french polish on occasion.

 

[merlin el mago]

For every blade I don't know but for playing style yes.

 

[latej]

So, ALC ("Arylate-Carbon") and AC ("Aramid-Carbon") are very similar, they both belong to the Aramid family of fibers. "Arylate" is just Butterfly's trademark name for Vectran, which is the real name of the fiber. In my specific case I'm also using Kevlar, that's the trademark name, I just call it Aramid because I prefer the name. Vectran and Kevlar are very similar in terms of properties, they are used in many other fields other than TT, and in those fields the difference in their mechanical properties is more noticeable, but in TT it doesn't matter, it just matters how they feels. If you could touch these fibers you could instantly tell what I mean, Vectran has a more plastic texture, while Kevlar feels softer. This translates to how they feel when they are put inside of a blade. If they were woods, Vectran would be Koto and Kevlar would be Limba.

However, the most important aspect in a hybrid fabric is the carbon content. Carbon is still the stiffest and hardest fiber out there, the other fibers are just there to balance it out. Both ALC and AC# have the same weave pattern, which both fibers in both directions, and they both have the same approximate density (I actually had a lower density AC fabric, but I haven't been able to get it anymore). If the carbon content is the same, and the weave pattern too, then in this case the difference comes down to the other fibers. AC# feels slightly softer and more numb, due to how Kevlar absorbs vibrations, and ALC feels slightly crisper . These differences are very subtle, and can easily be compensated by other factors in the composition. S-AC is just a higher density version of AC#, so it has more carbon content but also more Kevlar.

Thanks a lot Sergio, for the explanation. It makes it clearer for me.

By middle do you mean the core? Or the medial layer, between the top ply and core? I don't have my notes at the moment, but I do recall I used a dense core in your blade, not sure about the medial. The medial has a bigger impact on the hardness of the blade, but if we increase the density it feels harder, not necessarily crisper. If you want to feel the fiber more and have a crisper feeling, that has to do with the lamination process.

Yes, I mean the medial layer, I remember you said once you used very dense ayous for the medial layer, almost as dense as limba. But I can't find the message/mail now.

Now I think I'll stay with the AC#, so that the whole composition is the same, and you'll make the fiber a bit more feelable/crisper with the lamination process. It will be cool that the only diff. is basically just the lamination process.

Well, WCQ and FZD blades are very different, one is inner, the other outer, but the shallowness you hear is the core. WCQ's blade uses an Ayous core, but the FZD has a kiri core. Kiri is less dense than Ayous, so on harder shots it may feel hollow.

The more I play with the blade, the less I want to change it... Sometimes I play with other peoples blades and I then can't imagine switching. The blade has some dents, and it will be good to have a sibling. Speak in cca 6 months.

 

[Tiber1337]

honestly, weight is less important than balance .

Headheavy -better for FH
Headlight - better for BH /Flicks

a 185g head heavy blade can feel heavier than 195g head light blade .

I tested all variants

 

[returnee]

I would also add the following…
A top-quality blade will show far fewer of these negative effects, regardless of where you play or which rubbers you use. I’m referring to playing with smooth inverted rubbers on both sides.
Not all blades are the same, even within the same model from a single manufacturer. There can be significant differences between individual pieces.
And this is not some “unnecessary” observation from my side. I’m not a top-level player—I compete in division 3 in my country. But that’s simply how it is. 🙂
I once had the chance to hold and try for about 10 minutes a Viscaria used by the top-ranked player from Austria (a blade I also play with myself). The rubbers were not exactly the same as the ones I use, although they had very similar characteristics. Still, the feeling was like night and day compared to my own racket, which I previously thought was excellent. 🙂
I also managed to talk with him a little. Around 2015, when he switched to the Viscaria, he tried at least about ten different Viscaria blades over the course of a year before choosing the one he now plays with.
He probably also fine-tunes and boosts his rubbers, but we didn’t talk about that.
According to him, all of this primarily begins and ends with an excellent blade specimen. After that, everything becomes easier — dealing with different types of rubbers and adapting to various playing conditions.
I wrote something similar earlier in this topic about the TB Alc:

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/variations-within-the-same-blade-model.38602/