Need Advice On Hinoki Blade (J-pen)

[Lando]

I am planning on buying my first 1 ply hinoki blade setup.
After switching from cpen to jpen last year, I have improved quite a bit since I don't rpb, and tpb with jpen just feels right (+power).

I understand that they break, and if that happens, it'll get glued and displayed instead, so win-win.

I am looking at Cypress series G or T (only ones on Butterfly US store), and the Victas Dynam 10.5mm as a last resort.
I've looked for Darker blades but they are rare and have to be shipped from Japan, I am trying to keep it local since the blade is fragile.


Planning to pair it with Tenergy 05, but should I go normal, soft or hard and what sponge thickness? Would a slightly thinner sponge allow the ball to bottom out better and get that hinoki catapult?

Look at this coach go, such a beautiful style

 

[xavi]

Hello Lando

My recommendation is to not go to 10.5. Only do it if you are very experienced.
I have 9 mm and 10 mm blades. Precisely today I returned to 10 mm. The difference in speed is huge.
If you use 10 mm or more, I recommend you to not use max rubbers, just 2.0.

This coach play is hitting related. It is important for you to decide if you want to do more hit or more topspin.

About the tenergy normal, soft or hard, AFAIK it depends on your topspin style. If you want to counter hit a topspin without letting the ball fall: hard is better. If you want to let the ball fall and have a topspin more like throwing the ball with a glove: soft is better. Now it is more common to use hard rubbers, but hinoki with soft rubbers has a really nice touch. Both approaches can provide a very nice winning point, but with soft maybe you will need one topspin more.

My recent experience is: Rakza 7 max with hinoki 9 mm... safe but I need to do too much effort for topspin, and I felt it is difficult to fully activate the max rubber with the 9 mm blade.
Today, trying same rubber on 10 mm was a totally different world. Lot more spin on serves, much easier topspin, fast and without needing so much strength. But racket got heavier and too much fast. I think my next step is 10 mm with rakza 9 (2.0).

I never broke an hinoki racket. Just take care it does not fall vertically to the floor.

 

[Archosaurus]

I doubt you will get a faster setup if you go to a thinner rubber. In general blades are not able to add any pace, they're just able to lose pace less. So I'd probably listen to the practical experience before theorizing.

 

[golden_son]

Unless you're looking to jump straight into the higher-end stuff I'd save a little money and get the Yinhe 982. A friend of mine uses that with AK47 Blue and he has one of the fastest, hardest-kicking, low to the net loops I've ever played against. I imagine T05 would be even deadlier. Regardless, the blade is really nice quality, and if it does break it's less strain on your wallet than BTY or Darker to replace.

 

[b3N]

I have always played with the RSM Max and now it's renamed to V-Max.
When I started playing the T-Max didn't exist but I definitely would have started with that. It's a little slower than V-MAX on the Butterfly scale and super popular.
The other one people rave about is the Darker Speed 15. It's been discontinued but if someone's selling it, then go for it.
Yasaka Musashi is another one that's super popular for beginners.
Keeping it local isn't an option for me, but never had an issue shipping to Europe.
Also, remember to request the weight. I always get 94g. The performance will differ wildly with weight. And when you get it, seal, shave and sand.

 

[b3N]

If you're thinking about the T-Mount ones, coach Ishizuka did this helpful guide from his experience recently

Post from イシコウCH.

虎剣シリーズ選ばれる理由が、ここにある。 同じ木から生まれた3つの個性。あなたのプレースタイルに合わせて、最適な一本を。 自分が1年以上使用して感じたことを、簡単にまとめました。 【虎剣 SILVER】回転・コントロール重視初級者〜上級者向け ✔ 回転がかけやすい✔ あらゆる技術がコントロールしやすい 【虎剣 G...

youtube.com

 

[b3N]

Unless you're looking to jump straight into the higher-end stuff I'd save a little money and get the Yinhe 982. A friend of mine uses that with AK47 Blue and he has one of the fastest, hardest-kicking, low to the net loops I've ever played against. I imagine T05 would be even deadlier. Regardless, the blade is really nice quality, and if it does break it's less strain on your wallet than BTY or Darker to replace.

Look, I have to be honest. As a long time JPen player, I tried the 982 from a clubmate and it feels nothing like Kiso Hinoki. Feels hard and 'flat' with little control and probably you'd end up buying a Kiso Hinoki anyway. So I can only speak from my experience on that one.

 

[b3N]

I am planning on buying my first 1 ply hinoki blade setup.
After switching from cpen to jpen last year, I have improved quite a bit since I don't rpb, and tpb with jpen just feels right (+power).

I understand that they break, and if that happens, it'll get glued and displayed instead, so win-win.

I am looking at Cypress series G or T (only ones on Butterfly US store), and the Victas Dynam 10.5mm as a last resort.
I've looked for Darker blades but they are rare and have to be shipped from Japan, I am trying to keep it local since the blade is fragile.


Planning to pair it with Tenergy 05, but should I go normal, soft or hard and what sponge thickness? Would a slightly thinner sponge allow the ball to bottom out better and get that hinoki catapult?

Look at this coach go, such a beautiful style

Btw about split JPens my RSM Max split and it was reglued in a clamp with some wood glue. Feels 90% the same. Plays good. I use it as a back up and obviously can beat good club players with it. No need to discard it.
Spoke to an older Korean penholder once. He said his blade was 20+ years old. It split once, he told me, but no problem! He just glued it together again. He wasn't the slightest bit bothered and was very satisfied with his lucky blade.

 

[Lando]

Btw about split JPens my RSM Max split and it was reglued in a clamp with some wood glue. Feels 90% the same. Plays good. I use it as a back up and obviously can beat good club players with it. No need to discard it.
Spoke to an older Korean penholder once. He said his blade was 20+ years old. It split once, he told me, but no problem! He just glued it together again. He wasn't the slightest bit bothered and was very satisfied with his lucky blade.

That's good to know. Do you keep yours in a hard case?

 

[Lando]

Hello Lando

My recommendation is to not go to 10.5. Only do it if you are not very experienced.
I have 9 mm and 10 mm blades. Precisely today I returned to 10 mm. The difference in speed is huge.
If you use 10 mm or more, I recommend you to not use max rubbers, just 2.0.

This coach play is hitting related. It is important for you to decide if you want to do more hit or more topspin.

About the tenergy normal, soft or hard, AFAIK it depends on your topspin style. If you want to counter hit a topspin without letting the ball fall: hard is better. If you want to let the ball fall and have a topspin more like throwing the ball with a glove: soft is better. Now it is more common to use hard rubbers, but hinoki with soft rubbers has a really nice touch. Both approaches can provide a very nice winning point, but with soft maybe you will need one topspin more.

My recent experience is: Rakza 7 max with hinoki 9 mm... safe but I need to do too much effort for topspin, and I felt it is difficult to fully activate the max rubber with the 9 mm blade.
Today, trying same rubber on 10 mm was a totally different world. Lot more spin on serves, much easier topspin, fast and without needing so much strength. But racket got heavier and too much fast. I think my next step is 10 mm with rakza 9 (2.0).

I never broke an hinoki racket. Just take care it does not fall vertically to the floor.

Do you think a Baracuda would go well instead of the Tenergy 05?
I like the Baracuda, but I can't find any max sponge in stock. I even have a new sheet of fastarc g1

 

[Lando]

I have always played with the RSM Max and now it's renamed to V-Max.
When I started playing the T-Max didn't exist but I definitely would have started with that. It's a little slower than V-MAX on the Butterfly scale and super popular.
The other one people rave about is the Darker Speed 15. It's been discontinued but if someone's selling it, then go for it.
Yasaka Musashi is another one that's super popular for beginners.
Keeping it local isn't an option for me, but never had an issue shipping to Europe.
Also, remember to request the weight. I always get 94g. The performance will differ wildly with weight. And when you get it, seal, shave and sand.

Sorry, forgot to ask. Why 94g? What weight do you recommend for close/mid distance playing?

 

[kase]

Estern dragon blades from aliexpress are really good for the money. They come in a, aa, aaa etc grades. The worksmanship is great. I have aa ones that are ~115g and ~135g. The ~135g blade is a monster, especially with certain rubbers - faster than the fastest 10mm balsa-carbon by far. So weight makes a huge difference. But of course those are harder to handle.

If you want light, see if you can get a ProPro blade from taiwan (yellow hinoki). I have one around ~85g and it's good (just not super fast).

 

[passifid]

Xiom katana platinum is great value often popping up on tt11 for 1/2 price of cypress but just as good

 

[b3N]

Sorry, forgot to ask. Why 94g? What weight do you recommend for close/mid distance playing?

Honestly I remember going on the forums as you're doing now, in around 2013, looking for advice. And I remember finding people recommend 95-100g. So that's what I asked for.
The store said "the heaviest we have is 94", so going forward I just kept at that weight for new blades so I didn't need to adjust. My backup and main blade weigh the same which is important for the swing.

I remember Ryu's was about 105g but he uses 10.5mm. He signed my RSM Max a few days ago at the WTTC

 

[b3N]

Xiom katana platinum is great value often popping up on tt11 for 1/2 price of cypress but just as good

I used this in CPen version. It had a sharper feel than the V-Max which has a softer mushier feel with more dwell.

 

[golden_son]

Look, I have to be honest. As a long time JPen player, I tried the 982 from a clubmate and it feels nothing like Kiso Hinoki. Feels hard and 'flat' with little control and probably you'd end up buying a Kiso Hinoki anyway. So I can only speak from my experience on that one.

Yeah, it's Canadian cypress, not true hinoki. So I would expect a similar but less premium feel, but also a less premium price. Kiso is expensive. But if budget isn't a concern, definitely get the good stuff! Even the smell is better👃🥰

 

[kobe23]

Do you think a Baracuda would go well instead of the Tenergy 05?
I like the Baracuda, but I can't find any max sponge in stock. I even have a new sheet of fastarc g1

G1 in max please. Lets do it!

 

[Archosaurus]

Honestly I remember going on the forums as you're doing now, in around 2013, looking for advice. And I remember finding people recommend 95-100g. So that's what I asked for.
The store said "the heaviest we have is 94", so going forward I just kept at that weight for new blades so I didn't need to adjust. My backup and main blade weigh the same which is important for the swing.

I remember Ryu's was about 105g but he uses 10.5mm. He signed my RSM Max a few days ago at the WTTC

If you really care, you will calculate the pitch moment that the blade imparts on your fingers, based on its CG and mass. That way you will know the mass each blade needs to be. Of course finding the CG is sometimes impossible beforehand as it's not usually listed.

 

[Lando]

Honestly I remember going on the forums as you're doing now, in around 2013, looking for advice. And I remember finding people recommend 95-100g. So that's what I asked for.
The store said "the heaviest we have is 94", so going forward I just kept at that weight for new blades so I didn't need to adjust. My backup and main blade weigh the same which is important for the swing.

I remember Ryu's was about 105g but he uses 10.5mm. He signed my RSM Max a few days ago at the WTTC

I'll probably ask for the same, just so they think I know what I'm talking about haha.

Holy cow, that's awesome. I'd love to get one of those old school blades to display it like a kts etc

 

[Lando]

I was looking at the T max, but with shipping, it would cost almost the same as the he V max. So screw it, V max it is.
Is it blasphemous to slap on a red paint sheet on the back instead of leaving it black? I already have a new sheet of black fastarc g1, and would hate to have to buy a new one just for the color.