Nice of you to care , good luck with that.Not if you read that I feel strongly about carbon in an ecological sense. It's not a very environmentally friendly material and very hard to recycle.
That should not exclude all composite blades. I mean carbon is only one type. There's fiberglass in example and others.Not if you read that I feel strongly about carbon in an ecological sense. It's not a very environmentally friendly material and very hard to recycle.
Absolutely. Of course we are not talking pingpong blades here anymore, we are talking about saving the planet. Carbon burning emits nasty green house gases.That should not exclude all composite blades. I mean carbon is only one type. There's fiberglass in example and others.
Actually the carbon in blades is more or less permanently captured. Probably not done in a particularly energy efficient manner, but they're not released into the atmosphere.Absolutely. Of course we are not talking pingpong blades here anymore, we are talking about saving the planet. Carbon burning emits nasty green house gases.
Personally speaking, I have done my research and concluded that the planet is safe. It might not be possible anymore for many creatures to live on its crust for a while but planet earth will keep on keepin on. 😁
Of course but our friend the OP looks at it from a ecological point of view and at one stage every pingpongblade needs to be recycled. It is at that time when the individual parts of the blade, like carbon, wood, resins etc might become harmful to the environment.Actually the carbon in blades is more or less permanently captured. Probably not done in a particularly energy efficient manner, but they're not released into the atmosphere.
I’m sorry but I have to challenge your first point - hinoki or koto not providing good spin is simply not true. Limba may provide a softer feel but it does not offer any more spin than either of the other two.First question: Top wood. If you want good spin, I would go with Limba, not Koto or Hinoki.
Second question: 5 or 7 layers? Except for the Xiom Offensive S, my blades which qualify are 7 layers
I also find that the handle on the Offensive S is unusual (wide but flat) and so you need to test-play and like it.
For the 7-layer blades:
* I play the Victas Swat (1162Hz, 80g, 6.0mm) which is "slower" than many 5-layer blades but actually works very well for me. It has some flex. It may be too slow for you.
* I have the Tibhar Samsonov Black Edition (1378Hz, 89g, 6.6mm), it definitely has a punch, I actually would prefer the little slower "non-black" edition.
* Yinhe Purple Dragon 437S: 1270Hz, 89.6g, 6.6mm: Very nice blade. Note that the older 437 is faster (1399Hz, 91.3g, 6.9mm thick). Also very affordable at AliExpress. There is also the 537 with Walnut top instead of Limba top. Less flexible, less soft touch. Same frequency and weight as the 437.
* Sanwei Fextra (87.2g, 1421Hz, 6.4mm): Whoever has it loves it. Limba/Limba top layers. Replaced by "Fextra One" which I don't have.
The Yasaka Ma Lin Extra Offensive with Walnut top is fast, 5 ply, but I think the Limba top 7-ply blades are better but a little heavier. It is the TT11 #1 so you may want to test-play it. I like the Yinhe similar Pro-5W better (1356 Hz, 85g, 6.1mm).
Also see this link for TT11 sales.
You started it by first bringing the word ecological sense. 😂Please keep this thread about my question, not about your opinion on the limitations I have set for myself. Thanks.
A couple of options I think are interesting:
Nittaku Acoustic - ticks the aesthetics box, retains control yet seems to still be a very versatile blade. Not cheap though.
I have an acoustic and a violin, both with G-1 forehand and then C-1 or G-1 on backhand. Seems a nice combination to me, I came from having rakza 7 on a YSE. Also, the violin is standard flared handled, it feels a bit slim but managable, I got the acoustic with the standard straight handle (first time with a straight handle), it feels significantly fatter where it counts and i'm getting on with it very well.Forget the aesthetics, Acoustic/Rakza 7 is an excellent match, I used to play with it some time ago. 85-90g Acoustic/Rakza 7 is fast enough for any amateur player, with great control and good spin. If you're at a higher level and this combo won't be offensive enough to you, you can swap R7 for GoldArc 8, which feels similar to R7 in terms of hardness and dwell, but is more tenacious and grippy, with higher throw and overall it is a more offensive rubber. If you are an advanced player with proper technique, you can generate great speed and monstrous spin with this combo.
One thing you need to bear in mind. Nittaku Acoustic has such a great feedback/feel, it gives you an impression of a super controlled, friendly and easy-peasy to play blade. In reality this blade is lively and rather fast and with a tensor rubber like GoldArc 8 it could be quite bouncy and not as easy to control in a short game when it comes to real matches. It is much easier to control than most BFY carbon blades like Viscaria etc due to longer dwell, but there are also carbon blades out there that are more controlled in that sense compared to Acoustic, such as JRE. Nittaku Ludeack btw, is a 7-ply all-wood blade that is faster, but more controlled than an Acoustic. It lacks the Acoustic feel though.
Also bear in mind that Acoustic has three different handles, the regular FL is quite thin, the LG is thick as a chair leg, and SG Special is somewhere between, closer to LG, but perfect size to me (I have average size hands).
I have made a similar change recently and have tried a few all wood blades, so my thoughts on what has worked for my topspin based game;
1. Nittaku Acoustic - great feeling and decent speed. Handle in std size a deal breaker for me but large or SG good.
2. Vodak - I currently use a 5 ply with Hindi outer ply's and it's absolutely fantastic in feel, speed, control and build quality. There are many that might suit if you check the website. Given what you say about Hinoki this may be a good fit (Jiri Vrablik is the model) The Hinoki feels softer but on this blade it's not bouncy and I am liking it a lot.
3. Butterfly Falcima - a little faster and crisper and similar to an all wood Viscaria. Nice balance and handle.
4. SDC - hand made, superb quality. I have a Timo Boll ALC clone without the ALC and it's a great blade
5. Yasaka Sweden Extra - a classic, with a harder feel and decent off speed but to me build quality the lowest in this list (also the cheapest)
6. Butterfly Korbel SK7 - stiffer, heavier and a little faster than the others but a great blade.
I am sure there are a lot more options, but I have tried these and they all offer something to consider.
Good luck
Peter
I have a Violin with G-1, a good bat but not my cup of tea really, and still have a YSE with Rasanter 37 which is also a good bat for a beginner, very safe, but kinda dull.I have an acoustic and a violin, both with G-1 forehand and then C-1 or G-1 on backhand. Seems a nice combination to me, I came from having rakza 7 on a YSE. Also, the violin is standard flared handled, it feels a bit slim but managable, I got the acoustic with the standard straight handle (first time with a straight handle), it feels significantly fatter where it counts and i'm getting on with it very well.
I second the Aurus, can't thanks you enough for having solved my EJ-ing bug.Persson Power Play is one of many appropriate wood blades for the OP.
With an allround offensive rubber like Aurus in its different degrees of sponge, you can do ANY DAMN THING to the ball and make it look easy.
You will want to spin for first shot when you use this blade, however... when you WANT to pound dat ball you certainly can.