My 40+ Balls and Gears

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Wang Hao is retired but I still can't help buying them if DHS keep making them. Bought the two no print on blade face and reduced size HH1 and HH2. Already have two previous generation HH3 and no love for them so I will skip it this time. Paired the new HH2 with H3-50 both sides and it is very decent. Not a killing machine but gives confidence. I like this new and reduced size HH2 more.

HH1 B 2.jpgHH1 HH2 1.jpg
HH2 C 5.jpgHH2 C 3.jpg

HH2 with H350 + H350 = 183g

HH.jpg
My Hao's family.
 
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Moving on to Donic. Love them for the price and decent performance. Bought the whole Zhou Yu series. Have not start playing with them yet. They all have a good look I must say I don't want to ruin them. :rolleyes:

ZY.jpgZY 1 1.jpgZY 2 1.jpgZY 3 P 1.jpgZY 3 S 1.jpg

And I am very glad to see Donic finally release the penhold version of their Ovtcharov True Carbon. Time to celebrate with the new world number 1. It is great paring with their new Bluestorm. It has the same dimension as ZY3 and play very much like the ZJK ALC with T05. Since it is much thinner at 5.4mm so it has more flex that I like. The ZJK ALC will excel in the very top end.

DOTC ZY3.jpgDOTC P 1.jpgDOTC P 2.jpgDOTC S 1.jpgDOTC.jpg

Before I bought my ZJK ALC I always believe it is my ultimate goal. But there are just too many temptations out there....:p

WCT 1.jpgWCT 2.jpg

Donic Ovtcharov True Carbon with Bluestorm Z2 Ultra Max both sides = 179g
Butterfly ZJK ALC with T05 + T05 = 184g
 
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Don't know if anyone is still waiting for yellow plastic balls after years of delay. I got friends who refuse to play white balls due to eye problem so we are stuck with celluloids, until now! Good news...kind of. Only I heard that they are still not ittf approved for 3 star quality and they decided to release them to public anyway, at least in China alone.

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Got some DHS D40+ and DF V40+ from taobao. Put them side by side with their white versions suggested that they should be genuine. At least the quality and look of printing is exactly the same.
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Measurement on size and weight also suggested they are all about equal.

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Too bad similarity stops there. The surface of white balls are rough to the touch, but both yellow balls are smooth like old celluloid. Bounce test shows that yellow balls bounce a tad more but feel slower in games, and probably less spiny too. Which translate to longer rally, not bad I suppose. But sure they play a bit differently to whites. And I found yellow V40+ play even slower and ball won't go forward as much and not totally round. So obviously I will pick DHS over DF. Don't know if they will one day got improved enough to become official, I certainly hope so. :rolleyes:
 
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wow, that's an expensive blade. how did that happen?

I received the parcel with a visible hole damage and too bad the SZLC box was the first item inside so it got punched as well. No idea what had actually happened but no reply from seller after I sent them photos and asked for better protections next time. :(
 
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I received the parcel with a visible hole damage and too bad the SZLC box was the first item inside so it got punched as well. No idea what had actually happened but no reply from seller after I sent them photos and asked for better protections next time. :(

If the outer parcel box has a hole, then it had to be damaged by the delivery service, not the seller imho. In that case, you shouldn't accept the package from the delivery guy or open it in front of him and confirm that nothing is damaged inside and accept it. If you accepted and only then saw the hole, then, according to delivery companies it's your problem...
 
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If the outer parcel box has a hole, then it had to be damaged by the delivery service, not the seller imho. In that case, you shouldn't accept the package from the delivery guy or open it in front of him and confirm that nothing is damaged inside and accept it. If you accepted and only then saw the hole, then, according to delivery companies it's your problem...

It is a parcel locker pickup so basically there is no delivery man involved. I simply open the locker with a code sent to my phone and all is done in after hours. I understand it is not seller's fault and I did not ask for any compensation, just wish they can have some form of protection like padding or bubble wraps next time. :(
 
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Glad to receive it in the very last day of the year. Not ready to buy it but saw its price go crazily high in China so I suddenly thought I got a bargain! :p. Of course for the extra cash they get a wooden box, a key ring, a ball and a book to make it special, while I just get a plain and dull paper box and suddenly look poor. :rolleyes:

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Many said the first batch is extra heavy and I am happy to get one under 90g. Thickness is 5.8mm. Look more like an all wood blade. Can't really see the carbon layer like Carbonado series do.
 
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How many rubbers and blades do you have? and what do you work with? haha, seem rich ;)
 
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How many rubbers and blades do you have? and what do you work with? haha, seem rich ;)

Ah...I wish...I would say I am retired and live off early investments. But most of my spending is not on TT but wife and kids :p. And the recent surge of 4K movies and gears actually burn more than all TT combined so I hope I can managed to survive a little longer :rolleyes:.

I have a habit of keeping my used rubber sleeves and recently took a picture of it. Really lost count of all my belongings and probably shock myself by doing so. But I rather choose to ignore and keep my TT life going. ;)
Rubbers.jpg

And some rubbers from Butterfly waiting in line.
Butterfly Rubbers 1.jpg
 
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Well done with the investments!

I have friends that thinks Tenergy are the best, i also read that other people think so and many pros use Tenergy. I have never tried Tenergy since i think they are just to expensive. I have not made any good early investments haha :) Since you have tried so many rubbers, do you think Tenergy is the best and worth the money?

Thanks!
 
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Well done with the investments!

I have friends that thinks Tenergy are the best, i also read that other people think so and many pros use Tenergy. I have never tried Tenergy since i think they are just to expensive. I have not made any good early investments haha :) Since you have tried so many rubbers, do you think Tenergy is the best and worth the money?


Thanks!


I also believe Tenergy is pretty much the best out there for the rest to follow or imitate. Sure one needs certain skills to master it and when you reach the level, it is a gem without substitute. It is about double the price of most so I really can't say it is worth it. Two rubbers can buy you a decent blade so I will rather choose a new blade any day. I am afraid my Butterflies are mostly for keep and only play occasionally to avoid damage :cool:.
 
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Always want to wrap up my yearly collections and keeping a record here but too lazy to do so. May be a good time to start now with some recent purchases that is worth a mention. :)


Many said the Donic Ovtcharov No.1 Senso is made in China and that is obvious in many ways. I see it is closer to DHS H301 than HL5 or FB2 in the look of composite layers and performance. DO has a thicker core but thinner in overall thickness of 5.85mm.
DO1.jpgplys.jpg

Weight with Airoc 2.3 both sides is 184g. Feels heavier than that probably due to the hollow senso handle and head heavy balance. The whole thing looks thin and long by design. Blade face is 150x160mm. Can really feel the flex and strong catapult with loud click when hitting hard. BH punch is addictive. Suits Dima's offensive style of play. Too bad he did not keep his number 1 position long enough to do this blade justice.
DO 1.jpgDO2.jpg

I like its squarish senso handle more than their usual Donic round. Kind of low throw and direct with my loops which needs extra attention in creating a curve over the net without shooting straight off or end up in the net.
Donic handles.jpg


I find it a pity for the most expensive Donic ever to not even come with a paper box. Seller told me that they just got the bare blades in bulk from Donic and a special request is needed for a box. I mean the same can buy a similar DHS in a luxury package. Even the much cheaper Waldner WC89 came with a decently designed box or any Donic for that matter. Can't believe they chose to skip on this to cut cost for a 100+ euro blade. :(
box2.jpgHH2 new.jpg

The same goes to Stiga. They charge sky high for the Dynasty Carbon Xu Xin edition but failed to offer a unique box to make it a little special. Their Carbonado/Rosewood series all came with a high quality box not too long ago. Eternity is a surprise to pack with a unique and luxury looking wood grain paper box of its own. I believe they have changed their policy about boxing since Arctic Wood and consider it a waste. Expect to see a snow white box with it but turns out nothing. Too bad they don't care about their image anymore but happy to only keep the price high. :mad:
box1.jpg

Donic Ovtcharov No.1 Senso ST with Stiga Airoc 2.3 both sides
Weight : 184g
Blade face : 150 x 160mm
Thickness : 5.85mm
DO.jpg
 
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Most Butterfly Cpens are China market exclusive and the choice outside is highly limited. Just found two reasonably priced Cpen from Japan and can't wait to test the new Butterfly rubbers with them.
Butterfly blades.jpg


I paired the Innerfiber ALC-S with T05 Hard and SK Carbon with BryceHighSpeed.
ALCS3.jpgSK C1.jpg


ALC-S is thin at 5.5mm which is meant to be flex and spiny. Many complain it is slow so it makes sense to match it with the fast and hard T05H. It has good enough speed and loads of spin. Sounds a bit woody and hollow. Very high in control and easy to play with. Throw and looping curve is natural which helps a lot with ball landing. I fall for it straight away.

ALCS 1.jpgALCS0.jpg

SK Carbon is very light and even thinner at 5.2mm. It is marketed as an easy to use Carbon blade. Being a 3 ply + 2 Carbon I initially found it lacking a bit in both feel and dwell or even power. To me it is not quite as easy to play with as ALC-S and need some getting use to. Yet once adjusted by making more solid contact I found it a joy to play with. Mostly because of its linear response and precision.
SKC.jpg


By comparison the ZJK ALC CS with T05 is pure offensive in nature. I can easily feel the power transmitting in full to the ball with solid grip and contact. Its performance ceiling is set very high with no compromise.
ZJK ALC a.jpg


One other Butterfly Cpen I have is Chinese AL. It has a smaller blade face of 150 x 157mm and thick at 7.05 mm. Might suit the play style of traditional Cpen more or even short pip attacker as most modern RPB oriented Cpens are longer and thinner by design. AL without carbon gives it more control and a solid wood feel. Handle is round in shape which should help twiddler.
Chinese ALa.jpgChinese AL b.jpg


I love Yoshida Kaii, the sole fighter with one side rubber. So even I did not play the style I still keep one in my collection. It makes a very loud and unique wood noise with strong vibration when hitting hard. It is all about raw power and might lack the feel of luxury in your shots comparing to other Butterfly or hinoki Jpen. But this raw power is addictive especially after watching Yoshida in action and certainly helps me to love it more.

Yoshida Kaii a.jpg

Butterfly

Innerforce ALC-S Cpen
Weight 87.5g (bare blade) 193.8g (T05 Hard Max both sides)
Blade Face : 150 x 161 mm
Thickness : 5.5 mm

SK-Carbon Cpen
Weight 73.4g (bare blade) 162.2g (BryceHighSpeed Max both sides)
Blade Face : 150 x 161 mm
Thickness : 5.2 mm

ZJK ALC Cpen
Weight 183.8g (T05 Max both sides)
Blade Face : 150 x 161 mm
Thickness : 5.75 mm

Chinese AL Cpen
Weight 171.5g (FH - T64 Max / BH - BryceHighSpeed Max)
Blade Face : 150 x 157 mm
Thickness : 7.05 mm

Yoshida Kaii Cpen
Weight 142.6g (FH - Fastarc S1 Max)
Blade Face : 150 x 161 mm
Thickness : 6.7 mm
 

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Got some fancy Li-Ning cases to go with the Xu Xin blade. :) They have released them in different colors for top CNT players like FZD, LGY, FB, DN and of course the best looking ML in red. Each has 2 big compartments that can comfortably hold 3 rackets and more.
X1.jpg
LN 4.jpgLN 2.jpgML3.jpgML2.jpgML5.jpg

I believe they will stop making the Intensity Xu Xin edition soon so I decided to get one while still can. Funny the original Intensity is my least favorite blade probably due to it being fast with little dwell for a 5 ply all wood and a weight way below my liking. Have to play with 100% concentration to keep the ball low and tight then it can be deadly fast. I actually found my Intensity Carbon more easy to play with. Way better control even with fast tensor. Yet the weight is still lower than I like so killing power is a bit lacking and feels tame for a carbon.
XXs4.jpgXXs5.jpgXXs.jpgIntensitys.jpg

Stiga Intensity Xu Xin Edtion
Weight : 83.5g (Bare blade)
Thickness : 5.9mm

Stiga Intensity
Weight : 170g (FH - Big Dipper / BH - Tenergy 64)
Thickness : 6mm

Stiga Intensity Carbon
Weight : 175g (FH - Donic Bluefire JP01 Turbo / BH - Stiga Airoc M)
Thickness : 6mm

I always thought that the Xu Xin edition is bigger in size but in fact all of them are roughly measured the same 150 x 161mm. On the other hand the Xu Xin handle is a tad wider at 33.6mm vs 32.7mm.

And Happy Chinese New Year to you all. :rolleyes:
 
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2019 is finally coming to an end and I have seriously cut down my spending on TT as planned. Largely because there is not much release in Penhold style anyway. Still there is always something worth a mention or two during the year so here it goes.

DYN5.jpgDYN6.jpgDC1.jpg
I have bought the standard Dynasty Carbon with Mantras shortly after and expect to keep the Xu Xin version in box for admiration. But then I start seeing wood chips on blade face even before any glue job so there is little point to keep the Xu Xin one in box. Anyway I feel much better covering the chip with rubber than seeing it so I changed my mind and play with both instead.

XX4.jpgXX3.jpg
Paired the Blue Tag with DHS Goldarc 8 both sides and it immediately become my favorite. This one is definitely meant for play than keeps. Its craftsmanship is way below average even at Stiga's standard so the cost must have all been spent on its playing characteristics alone. For that it just won't disappoint. It score high in every category no less. Simply put it has no obvious weakness and that makes it a complete package for more winnings. :cool:

DYN9.jpgDYN8.jpg
My standard Dynasty with Mantra both sides is 10g+ lighter in weight so its slight reduction in power is inevitable. Not far off but enough for me to pick blue tag to games every time. :)

SDC4.jpg
Dynasty Carbon Xu Xin Edition Blue Tag
Weight : 197g (DHS Goldarc 8 both sides)
Blade Face : 151 x 162 mm
Thickness : 5.85 mm

Dynasty Carbon Black Tag
Weight : 185g (FH Stiga Mantra H, BH Stiga Mantra M)
Blade Face : 151 x 162 mm
Thickness : 6 mm

 
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