If sealing the blade prevents from splintering without changing properties then why manufacturers don't do it in a factory?
2 reasons come to mnd
1 there are a lot of players that find reasons for not sealing their blade so if the manufacturers would sell them only sealed they would loose clients.
2 While it only would take seconds , in a factory situation, to seal blades, it would be problematic to have them drying. This takes time, special stands and there might even be a chance of warping and bending etc etc etc .
p.s.
a lot of blades out of china are warped, bent etc and they have not even been sealed 😁
I use water based Joola varnish on my Long 5. That‘s a very mild form of protecting the top layer of the blade. Never had any issues.
-----Do you seal your blade as well?
----No, I just use the Joola varnish. That's enough.
2 reasons come to mnd
1 there are a lot of players that find reasons for not sealing their blade so if the manufacturers would sell them only sealed they would loose clients.
2 While it only would take seconds , in a factory situation, to seal blades, it would be problematic to have them drying. This takes time, special stands and there might even be a chance of warping and bending etc etc etc .
p.s.
a lot of blades out of china are warped, bent etc and they have not even been sealed 😁
1. Could be.
2. I don't believe that sealing is significant effort compared to the rest of the manufacturing process and can't think of any reason for warping or bending. Maybe some blade manufacturer from this forum can shed some light on that.
1. Could be.
2. I don't believe that sealing is significant effort compared to the rest of the manufacturing process and can't think of any reason for warping or bending. Maybe some blade manufacturer from this forum can shed some light on that.
The thing is, some blades do come with a sealant and some don't.
So, the reason is that they don't choose to seal all their blades.
Avalox BT550 is a sealed blade. Stiga Rosewood V with NCT is a sealed blade.
Avalox P500 is not sealed. Stiga Clipper is not sealed.
So, they can and they do seal blades when they want to. But perhaps they also understand that some people don't want their blades sealed and perhaps they also know that some people want to seal the blade themself.
Why do blade manufacturers do what they do? I am not always sure. But if all blades were always sealed, there would be some people who were not happy about it. And it is easy enough to do if you want your blade sealed.
The thing is, some blades do come with a sealant and some don't.
So, the reason is that they don't choose to seal all their blades.
Avalox BT550 is a sealed blade. Stiga Rosewood V with NCT is a sealed blade.
Avalox P500 is not sealed. Stiga Clipper is not sealed.
So, they can and they do seal blades when they want to. But perhaps they also understand that some people don't want their blades sealed and perhaps they also know that some people want to seal the blade themself.
Why do blade manufacturers do what they do? I am not always sure. But if all blades were always sealed, there would be some people who were not happy about it. And it is easy enough to do if you want your blade sealed.
Thx, didn't know there are presealed blades. I remember long time ago trying some Stiga blade that had some weird glossy hard coating out of the box. Didn't like how it played, it was too hard. Maybe that one was NCT.
Are these blades you mentioned clearly advertised as factory sealed? I would expect manufacturers to put something like "...new inovative noninvasive sealing process researched at our laboratory that protects the blade from splintering and absorbing glue. Ideal for players who often change their rubbers." I mean they usually like to put something like that.
1. Could be.
2. I don't believe that sealing is significant effort compared to the rest of the manufacturing process and can't think of any reason for warping or bending. Maybe some blade manufacturer from this forum can shed some light on that.
this is a bit off-topic : get yourself a piece of plywood, wet it thoroughly with water on only 1 side. Let it dry and then hold a metal straight-edge over the wood............................oh dear !!!!!!😂
It will warp? That's not sealing though.this is a bit off-topic : get yourself a piece of plywood, wet it thoroughly with water on only 1 side. Let it dry and then hold a metal straight-edge over the wood............................oh dear !!!!!!😂
Thx, didn't know there are presealed blades. I remember long time ago trying some Stiga blade that had some weird glossy hard coating out of the box. Didn't like how it played, it was too hard. Maybe that one was NCT.
Are these blades you mentioned clearly advertised as factory sealed? I would expect manufacturers to put something like "...new inovative noninvasive sealing process researched at our laboratory that protects the blade from splintering and absorbing glue. Ideal for players who often change their rubbers." I mean they usually like to put something like that.
The thick hardened coating that Stiga calls NCT will indeed make the blade harder because of the particular substance they use. And Stiga indeed presents things like their NCT coating with marketing nonsense. But here is text lifted from TT11's listing of the Avalox BT 555 blade:
"All Avalox Blue Thunder blades come pre-coated to avoid wood fiber loss when reglueing."
So, Avalox has not presented it as anything more than what it is. But stuff like that will depend on the brand.
No, but it presents a part of the reasoning behind sealing: protecting the wood from unwanted water damage.It will warp? That's not sealing though.
That was never in doubt.No, but it presents a part of the reasoning behind sealing: protecting the wood from unwanted water damage.
Many TT shops offer a free or very cheap sealing when you order a blade with them.
I ordered a sealing service once and it was done so subtly that I couldn't see the difference from ordinary blade..
But that factory coating on Stiga was something else. I was afraid that rubbers wouldn't stick how smooth and hard the surface was.
That was never in doubt.
My response was to the implications that sealing could cause bending and warping. I don't understand how.
when applying water-based sealer it pays to do both sides , and the edges, the same time and store the blades upright in a place without drafts
Yeah. I don't get that either.That was never in doubt.
My response was to the implications that sealing could cause bending and warping. I don't understand how.
No blade really NEEDS to be sealed. And there are reasons to seal and other reasons not to seal. You get to make your own choices. As long as you know that if you are applying glue that has water in it every few months to the face of your blade, over time, it will have an effect on the wood. Some people don't care about that. Others do.Good quality blades don't require any varnish. I have limba top plied blades and they don't splinter. I have DHS and Butterfly, they are all good. In fact I trust DHS much better at this.
Yeah. That sounds like the NCT coating. I do know people who had blades with that surface where their rubbers kept coming off. I was not a fan. And Stiga does seem to come up with a lot of half baked gimmicks. Oh well. Their blades still do feel really good. I just don't like how easy so many of their blades are to break. But I always had a feeling that that was part of why they felt so good.I ordered a sealing service once and it was done so subtly that I couldn't see the difference from ordinary blade..
But that factory coating on Stiga was something else. I was afraid that rubbers wouldn't stick how smooth and hard the surface was.
If so you don’t seal your blade? and just add the glue to the rubber sponge and to the blade and finally combining them? By the way do you use hurricane long 5 and dhs no 15 glue?Good quality blades don't require any varnish. I have limba top plied blades and they don't splinter. I have DHS and Butterfly, they are all good. In fact I trust DHS much better at this.
Yeah rubber glue is also important, I aboslutely adore DHS no 15 glue for all of it's properties.