SDC Handmade Blades

Originally Posted by Metaxa

All of them unbelievable beautiful blades. really great job!!!
This one above, was this in good balans? Wenge is fairly heavy wood.
How do you make those handles? Is that professional confidentiality? Or is there a video made by you?
Keep going!!!

Thanks!

Purple heart is also heavy and those handles were the heaviest I made so far. The combination of woods in the blade is fairly light so it allows for a heavier handle. This was the most balanced blade until now, 1/3 of the weight was in the handle so it feels very light.

No secret here, just some good old wood working and a lot of patience. I want to make some videos, also to post on Instagram, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

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Originally Posted by Kuba Hajto

That's also a missed opportunity. You have a very unique opportunity to make the tool you use every training (the blade) exactly as you like. Without manufacturers' cost calculation, without taking people's general preference into an account and without relying on a pro player's taste to market the blade. I agree with you not only because of the artistic reasons (your blades are truly beautiful) but also for wasted opportunity reasons.

Keep up your work, it looks great.

Well, that is the purpose of custom made blades, but unfortunately some people don't seem to understand.

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To be honest, neither am I, but it's a good way to show my work.

Wow, that's great! I wasn't even born 40 years ago.

Originally Posted by Metaxa

Thanks for your answer. I'm not a big fan from Instagram but, please, take your time...

ps:40 years ago I also experimented with self-made blades. (only two pieces) Once was made with woven Carbon, yes already then!

This was one of the first blades I've built because I wanted to try a one ply blade. However, it was bullied and neglected for being overweight (112g!). But this blade wouldn't give up, so after a diet, a lot of exercise (and some cosmetic surgery) it managed to loose some weight. It's still a heavy blade, but with a slightly smaller head size the 100g don't seem much. I never played with a Hinoki 1 ply, but this blade is very fast yet soft and controllable, if they even better than this then I get what all the fuss is about.

I've taken the opportunity to make a few experiments during this quarantine, this is one of them. A 3 ply blade with a concrete handle! Even my cat got curious

Did I fool ya? I guess not... Of course it's not concrete but it has a really nice texture, it would be great for those who are concerned about their slippery hands. Ah, this blade also has another dirty secret

Structure: Ayous / Douglas Fir / Ayous
Weight: 101.4g
Thickness: 7.0mm
Headsize: 155x150mm

Originally Posted by chintanmashroo

Beautiful

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Thanks!

Originally Posted by Metaxa

Concrete? That’s exclusive!

It also serves as a throwing device if you want to knock your opponent down

Another Innegra S - Carbon blade (IC), this time it's an inner fiber type.

Structure: Black Limba / Limba / IC / Ayous / IC / Limba / Black Limba
Weight: 81.3g
Thickness: 5.7mm
Freq.: 1205 Hz

Originally Posted by chintanmashroo

top notch finishing dude, keep it up!
let us know how it plays

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Thanks!

Yes, I will once I get the chance.

Originally Posted by merlin el mago

Congrats it's really nice & surely works well with my playing style.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Basmundo

Hello Hipnotic
I have been reading this thread with interest and am really impressed with the standard you have reached and intrigued with the progression of blade development. I am particularly interested in this blade composition which appears very similar to the Btfly Innerforce Layer ALC blade. Do you have any frequency information on the Btfly blade and any comparison in feel/speed/dwell/control etc when playing the two blades.
Also can you tell me what the WRC material used for the core of the alternative blade, (which I believe that you use), and what difference this makes.

This is the feedback I got from the owner of that blade when compared to a National W968: "I think this makes the blade faster in the lower gears due to access to the carbon sooner. Overall the blade has a great woody feel with good dwell."

There were some differences in blade construction that I discovered later. Because I didn't had access to a real W968 I just went with the information I discovered online, which I found were untrue. That blade is in fact closer to the Innerforce ALC in construction, but there is still a difference in the grade of the ALC layer. My blade uses a higher density Aramid Carbon layer, so it might be in fact closer to the ZLC variant in feel. The Innerforce ALC has a frequency in the 1300-1350Hz range. I've learned a bit since then and can use different Composites or density depending on what the customer wants.

WRC is very close to Ayous in density, however the grain structure is very different, resembling more a spruce. That makes the blade softer but at the same time more direct, if that makes sense.

Regarding the Balance issue, here's a post I made in another thread:

Originally Posted by hipnotic

This is something I always discuss with the customer. Certain compositions are naturally more heavy, that means that not a lot of weight is reserved for the handle. If a more exotic handle is desired, there is no other option than to hollow out the handle. So, a decision has to be made:


- Solid handle with light wood -> Medium balance, medium weight
- Solid handle with heavy wood -> Low balance, higher weight
- Hollow handle with light wood -> Higher balance, lower weight
- Hollow handle with heavy wood -> Low balance, medium weight