ALC blade with the thinnest grip

Richie · Jan 25, 2021

I haven't caught corona yet, instead I caught something even worse - the EJ bug. After trying a viscaria I got curious.

I'm looking for a grip that is as thin (or close to it) as nittaku acoustic FL(the small version), so which of the viscaria clones has the grip that resembles or is about as thin as the acoustic?

Which ALC has the thinnest grip except for Kenta Matsudaira ALC? It appears it is extremely hard to get hold of Kenta ALC in Europe, so I likely have to rule that one out.

From what I've found so far Timo Boll ALC also has a pretty thin grip in FL. Can anyone confirm that Timo Boll ALC has a thin grip? Is it thinner than the viscaria?

Appreciate the help.

UpSideDownCarl · Jan 25, 2021

TB ALC is pretty thin. Definitely thinner than Viscaria. Not sure if there is anything thinner or if that is the one that is the thinnest. I have a friend who described that handle as a popsicle stick.

Richie · Jan 25, 2021

UpSideDownCarl said:
TB ALC is pretty thin. Definitely thinner than Viscaria. Not sure if there is anything thinner or if that is the one that is the thinnest. I have a friend who described that handle as a popsicle stick.

Perfect

. Is Timo Boll ALC also more headheavy than viscaria? That is what I prefer and been used to from acoustic. Is it the FL version that's thinner than the straight grip?

UpSideDownCarl · Jan 25, 2021

Richie said:
Perfect . Is Timo Boll ALC also more headheavy than viscaria? That is what I prefer and been used to from acoustic. Is it the FL version that's thinner than the straight grip?

Flared is thinner. I don't think the TB ALC is really that head heavy. More middle balanced than a lot of blades is my memory. But I have not had one in my hand since 2017.

Kuba Hajto · Jan 25, 2021

If you like Viscaria, but to not like the handle, why not just order a custom handle from blade maker. Send Viscaria and Acoustic to a reputable custom blade maker, f.e. Hipnotic or Afrobro (there is whole thread with them on this forum), and order new handles based on acoustic.

Sometimes simplest solutions are the best, and I think that is not a bad one.

thomas.pong · Jan 25, 2021

I concur, TB ALC's FL handle (100 x 24 x 34 mm) is quite a bit thinner than the Viscaria's (100 x 25 x 34 mm), it's very noticeable in hand, just like for the standard Nittaku Acoustic handle.
If it's not small enough for you, you can always sand it down a bit.

And yea, TB ALC is quite balanced weight-wise, no more head heavy than Acoustic.

FYI, the TB ALC ST handle is square, not round, and is 100 x 22 / 27.5 mm.

The Kenta ALC's FL handle is the smallest of all at 100 x 23 x 34 mm, but its comp is a bit different with a limba top ply instead of koto. If you want, I can try to help you find one.

thomas.pong · Jan 25, 2021

Kuba Hajto said:
If you like Viscaria, but to not like the handle, why not just order a custom handle from blade maker. Send Viscaria and Acoustic to a reputable custom blade maker, f.e. Hipnotic or Afrobro (there is whole thread with them on this forum), and order new handles based on acoustic.

Sometimes simplest solutions are the best, and I think that is not a bad one.

Much simpler to just sand down the Viscaria handle yourself. Or to buy a TB ALC which is the same blade as Viscaria but with a thin handle. ; )

Kuba Hajto · Jan 25, 2021

thomas.pong said:
Much simpler to just sand down the Viscaria handle yourself. Or to buy a TB ALC which is the same blade as Viscaria but with a thin handle. ; )

Yeah, agree with you. I treat some of my blades as an art. I would really rather spend money than time on this. I would waste maybe day or two (which for me is very costly) doing that project and probably make something ugly.
It does not really make sense for me financially if the work is more than 20 minutes with the sandpaper.

Also, from my experience some of the handles are colored only on the surface. So the handle would need to be refinished either way.... I've discovered that when I tried to remove some stainage with sand paper...

Richie · Jan 25, 2021

thomas.pong said:
I concur, TB ALC's FL handle (100 x 24 x 34 mm) is quite a bit thinner than the Viscaria's (100 x 25 x 34 mm), it's very noticeable in hand, just like for the standard Nittaku Acoustic handle.
If it's not small enough for you, you can always sand it down a bit.

And yea, TB ALC is quite balanced weight-wise, no more head heavy than Acoustic.

FYI, the TB ALC ST handle is square, not round, and is 100 x 22 / 27.5 mm.

The Kenta ALC's FL handle is the smallest of all at 100 x 23 x 34 mm, but its comp is a bit different with a limba top ply instead of koto. If you want, I can try to help you find one.

Really? According to the butterfly website Kenta ALC listed in the same category as viscaria, tb ALC, spirit etc. If this isn't the case then I'll definitely rule that one out.

I know someone that could get hold of the kenta blade from asia, though he couldn't find out the weight. Regardless of the blade I want it in 90-95g. Custom handle could be nice, but if the TB ALC handle is pretty thin I'm sure it's fine, seems more complicated and expensive to send of and replaces handles. I also don't like the wings of the viscaria which dig into my hand a bit. TB ALC seem to have the same wings as acoustic. I'll think on it for a bit, but seems like TB ALC will be the best option.

Thank you everyone

JHB · Jan 25, 2021

I have a TB ALC with the anatomic handle and it's definitely on the thin side, in fact I could possibly do with something a little fatter although I'm not ditching it just for that. It will definitely be head heavy with modern attacking rubbers, and in any case I know I've seen an edge tape which adds weight although I can't remember where at the moment !

Konrad Bak · Jan 26, 2021

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CroneOne · Jan 26, 2021

Harimoto ALC is thinner than both Viscaria and Timo Boll. Really nice grip if you like less thickness.

Lula · Jan 26, 2021

Agree. Tb thin and harimoto even thinner in my opinion.

Lazer · Jan 26, 2021

There handmade so its probably individual, According to the spec blade I have Viscaria is a 25, Harimoto ALC is also a 25 and Timo Boll ALC is a 24.
This should make all Harimotos thicker than all Timo Bolls.

Konrad Bak · Jan 26, 2021

deleted

thomas.pong · Jan 26, 2021

Richie said:
Really? According to the butterfly website Kenta ALC listed in the same category as viscaria, tb ALC, spirit etc. If this isn't the case then I'll definitely rule that one out.

I know someone that could get hold of the kenta blade from asia, though he couldn't find out the weight. Regardless of the blade I want it in 90-95g. Custom handle could be nice, but if the TB ALC handle is pretty thin I'm sure it's fine, seems more complicated and expensive to send of and replaces handles. I also don't like the wings of the viscaria which dig into my hand a bit. TB ALC seem to have the same wings as acoustic. I'll think on it for a bit, but seems like TB ALC will be the best option.

Thank you everyone

Yea the Kenta ALC has the same stats and overall thickness as the Viscaria / TB ALC / TB Spirit / ZJK ALC / LGY ALC, yet its outer ply is limba unlike the other 5 which have a koto outer ply. I'm guessing they've tinkered with the thickness of the layers in the Kenta to make it more crisp and reactive on the inside and reach similar stats as the classic outer ALC koto comp which is more crisp on the surface.

thomas.pong · Jan 26, 2021

CroneOne said:
Harimoto ALC is thinner than both Viscaria and Timo Boll. Really nice grip if you like less thickness.

Lula said:
Agree. Tb thin and harimoto even thinner in my opinion.

Lazer said:
There handmade so its probably individual, According to the spec blade I have Viscaria is a 25, Harimoto ALC is also a 25 and Timo Boll ALC is a 24.
This should make all Harimotos thicker than all Timo Bolls.

I disagree, the Harimoto ALC handle is larger than the TB ALC's yet smaller than the Viscaria's.

In hand, the Harimoto ALC handle definitely feels 25 mm especially in the bottom half, but it is straight and skinny at the top (like most new Butterfly handles), unlike the Viscaria with its wide and wavy neck (like classic Butterfly blades such as Primorac and Korbel).

The TB ALC definitely feels skinnier than the Harimoto ALC in hand especially in the bottom half, while having a similar straight and skinny neck.

Baal · Jan 26, 2021

Hard to find now but the old Kong Linghui Special always seemed to me like the handle size was designed for children.

As for modern blades, the shape affects how it feels. Even if the total circumference of the TB ALC is not that far off a Viscaria, it definitely feels quite a bit thinner. In fact, handle shape is about the only consistent difference, but that can have a big effect on how you use it (grip after all is very personal and very Important).

So to be sure you get what you want, I agree with people who say to go with a custom blade. Soulspin is another possible place to get what you want.

Richie · Jan 26, 2021

I'll likely go with the Boll ALC. I checked with the retailer here about the weight, he didn't have any over 90g. He then checked with Butterfly who said that they did not have any Boll ALC blades over 90 grams either and that they're usually 85-87g. Isn't this a bit strange? Surely there must be some made that are 90+. Maybe the smaller handle takes away some of the weight compared to the ST version?

90g should be heavy enough, I'm used to 89-91g.. but still I found it interesting. Feels like there must be some reason they're not making heavier blades anymore, if this is the case?

Lazer · Jan 26, 2021

It’s listed as 84g and +- 5g sounds about right. Anything more is too much.

Cheers
L-zr

ALC blade with the thinnest grip

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