Question for Blade-Builders

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Dear Blade Builders,

I have a question about 7-ply allwood blade construction:

What would be the difference in playing characteristics between a blade with a thick centre core and three thin plies on either side, and a blade with multiple medium-thick centre plies and thin outer plies?

For example, the new Yasaka Falck W7 (as an example of a blade with a thick centre core and three thin plies on either side) and something like the Gewo Alvaro Robles OFF or the Tibhar Samsonov Pro Force Black Edition (as examples of blades with multiple medium-thick central plies and thin outers)?

For the sake of my question please assume all other variable were the same. For example, assume both blades were the same overall thickness, and that they were all Limba-Ayous-Ayous-Ayous-Ayous-Ayous-Limba. Same weight, same head size. Same quality materials and processing.

Many thanks in advance!

There are so many possibilities that it's pretty hard to explain.


In any case what you need to know is that the more the horizontal plies (core, plies 2 and 6) will be thick the more it will affect the hardness of the wood.


The more the vertical plies (1,3,5,7) will be thick and the more it will affect the rigidity of the wood.


Afterwards, depending on the mixes, we can pretty much know how the blade will react.

From what I know the Clipper would be intermediate and the samsonov force more flexible and soft while exaggerating because it is still a 7 ply. The force pro black edition on the other hand is supposed to be harder and stiffer than the Clipper. the Falck would be hard but quite flexible compared to a clipper

The blades which have the same composition as the clipper are generally good but excellent nowhere. They are polyvalent/versatile unlike others

Then, to compare these blades between them is quite difficult because they don’t have the same thickness
 
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Built a couple new blades for the same customer who is looking for that perfect asymmetrical blade. I don't think I've ever heard of Red Alder being used in blades before, but perhaps that's because it's not commonly available as lumber.

Composition 1:
Khaya - Balsa - Red Alder (core) - Douglas Fir - Alaskan Yellow Cedar

Composition 2:
Khaya - Balsa - Redwood (core) - Red Alder - Alaskan Yellow Cedar

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I know this is a contentious idea, but I THINK I've finally settled on the ideal blade for me.

Composition:
Blade: European Larch - Lutz Spruce - Alaskan Yellow Cedar - Kiri (core) - Alaskan Yellow Cedar - Lutz Spruce - European Larch
Handle: Walnut and Alaskan Yellow Cedar

Blade Properties:
Weight: 86g
Dimensions: 150 mm x 158 mm x 6.5 mm
Special Properties:​ Built with Hide-glue

PXL_20201211_001254886.jpg
 
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I have been using the Larch outer blade Nate made maybe 50-60%, the 5 ply 105g blade 25% and hte Koto outer blade the rest. All great handles. Except I average maybe one hit a week.

George better be damn careful and make me sign a Hand Recipt and post a BOND before he lets me hold one of those two in Ur pic you made Nate if George knows what is good for the security of his blades.
 
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I know this is a contentious idea, but I THINK I've finally settled on the ideal blade for me.

Composition:
Blade: European Larch - Lutz Spruce - Alaskan Yellow Cedar - Kiri (core) - Alaskan Yellow Cedar - Lutz Spruce - European Larch
Handle: Walnut and Alaskan Yellow Cedar

Blade Properties:
Weight: 86g
Dimensions: 150 mm x 158 mm x 6.5 mm
Special Properties:​ Built with Hide-glue

View attachment 22628

That blade looks really nice. I love the handle design. The grains of the top ply look really good. And Spruce as a medial ply always looks cool.

What are the playing characteristics and feeling of the top ply? Spruce under a top ply always has a nice feeling to me.
 
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That blade looks really nice. I love the handle design. The grains of the top ply look really good. And Spruce as a medial ply always looks cool.

What are the playing characteristics and feeling of the top ply? Spruce under a top ply always has a nice feeling to me.

Thanks for all the kind words, UpSideDownCarl!

I've decided that I love the springiness of Spruce when it is placed under the top ply, so I've been using it in a lot of my recent blades.

Larch sits between the hardness of Limba and Koto and I find it to be springier (i.e., having a lively rebound) than either of them. Larch is not as crisp/sharp feeling as Koto and instead provides a duller, lower-frequency vibration.
 
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I also like blades that use Spruce as the medial ply. I have tried several blades that use Spruce on the outer ply, but I always found them to lack top end speed. Wonderful feel, however.

How do you find Larch compared to Obeche?
 
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I also like blades that use Spruce as the medial ply. I have tried several blades that use Spruce on the outer ply, but I always found them to lack top end speed. Wonderful feel, however.

How do you find Larch compared to Obeche?

Hi Mas,

Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with Obeche for comparison since it's been nearly impossible for me to find in the United States. I've used Obeche in commercially-produced blades, as a core and medial plies, but I've never had the chance to try it as an outer ply. As a medial ply, I find Western Red Cedar and Poplar to feel to feel similar to it (WRC perhaps a tiny bit "mushier" than Obeche/Ayous).

Larch is quite a bit harder than Obeche, so I imagine it would feel a bit firmer, have higher frequency vibrations, and less "dwell". Larch, like douglas fir, is also interesting in that it has very pronounced demarcations between the "earlywood" and "latewood" (i.e., light and dark striations in the wood), so its hardness isn't uniform throughout the wood - the dark bands of "latewood" are harder and almost act like little reinforcing ribs adding additional stiffness to the blade. I feel like that makes Larch different than most woods typically used for table tennis.
 
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Thanks for all the kind words, UpSideDownCarl!

I've decided that I love the springiness of Spruce when it is placed under the top ply, so I've been using it in a lot of my recent blades.

Larch sits between the hardness of Limba and Koto and I find it to be springier (i.e., having a lively rebound) than either of them. Larch is not as crisp/sharp feeling as Koto and instead provides a duller, lower-frequency vibration.

Bold in Quote is PROOF that Der-Echte is DULL.

I really like the Larch outer blades from the last batch.
 
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Bold in Quote is PROOF that Der-Echte is DULL.

I really like the Larch outer blades from the last batch.

Perhaps you're really sharp, so you need a duller feeling blade to keep you balanced?

In all seriousness, I built myself one like the ones I sent your way (Larch - AYC - AYC - WRC [core]) - I love the way it feels and plays, but I think that composition is just a bit too heavy for me - the copy I made myself came to 98 grams. I was able to drop 12 grams off by subbing out WRC for a Kiri-core, and replacing one layer of AYC with spruce. I feel like those changes kept the blade feeling lively and powerful (even though I'm dropping off some of that power-producing-mass).
 
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I was thinking either the textreme ZLC or the regular textreme carbon
 
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Bold in Quote is PROOF that Der-Echte is DULL.

Dull for someone who causes a ruckus. So we are going to cause a ruckus. :)

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Now, Der, you can cause a ruckus as a result of this fine new weapon I have in my possession.

It arrived from Nate today. When I have put it through its paces I will update my thoughts in a thread dedicated to that process.
 
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Carl, today, you are the dull one.

You ordered ONLY ONE BLADE... or at least it looks that way.

Did you make a separate order delivered to your stakeout apt number 13 address where you hideout and watch the fbi get into trouble?

Sent from my SM-N970U using Tapatalk
 
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Carl, today, you are the dull one.

You ordered ONLY ONE BLADE... or at least it looks that way.

Did you make a separate order delivered to your stakeout apt number 13 address where you hideout and watch the fbi get into trouble?

Yeah. One blade is enough for me these days. I have not used a blade other than my V+ for more than a few min in quite a while.

But, man that is a good looking blade Nate made for me. :)
 
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Carl,

I know the stock market has been taking your attention lately, but HOT DAMN, watching over the US Govt Black Ops and beating them at their own game has been your calling card...

Oh Wait... you baiting the trap for them, OK, better play your style on this.

OK everyone, nothing happening here, everyone move along, yes.

move along 1.jpg
 
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