says
Visited my own profile, woop woop. ;)
says
Visited my own profile, woop woop. ;)
Active Member
Firstly I must say, most of this info comes from:
http://ooakforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=12687
I allso noticed a similar thread was made here:
http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?964-Blade-woodtypes&highlight=Wood+types from 2011, but the thread leaders last activity was 2013, so I'll make a new thread. (considering he wouldn't reply to a suggested update)
NB! If two words are found combined (aka without space), it's because copy pasted from a document, I tried to correct most of the mistakes after pasting.
If anyone considers this to be copyright, or don't think I have any authority to re-post this here.
The decision is left to the admins or alternatively the original poster, Chopoleon Bonaparte. (on Ooak)
I think this is great info and would be really nice if it could stay on the page.
Comment below if you believe you have some interesting info I could update the post with!
Some smaller edits have already been made. (from the original post in Ooak)
If you need to search for any specific wood press: "ctrl+ f" (most probably knows this but nice info for those who don't)
and type the desired composite/wood!
Where mentioned below, the "Janka rating" is determined by measuring the force required to embed an 11.28 mm (0.444 in) steel ball into wood to half its diameter (thus leaving an indention of 100mm sq). I’ll keep it consistent by using pound-force readings.The "specific gravity" of a wood is its relative density to water. And the "pounds per cubic foot" is (as the phrase implies) the weight of a cubic foot of the wood measured in pounds.
Alternative Questions to be answered on the different materials below:
Is the material light or heavy? Is it springy or deadening? Is it linear or non-linear in its effect on the ball? What is its usual purpose in the blade, e.g., to make it faster, slower, deader, etc.? What kinds of players tend to use it, e.g., loopers, blockers, flat hitters,choppers, etc.
Blade updates is also not a bad idea (as this is from 2010...)
Abachi: (note: abachi, ayous and samba are all the same species, but are from different parts of Africa) soft, tends to tear easily in thinner plys; mainly an outermost ply wood, pairs up well with many woods; it is a lightweight, stiff wood that is excellent for close-to-the-table counter-drive play; this wood (or ayous, which is similar) is in 90%or more of all blades on the market; it’s used as outer, medial,and core plies, as well as for some single-ply blades; it feels like limba. Janka: 430; SG: .38; PCF: 24
e.g.,Andro Kinetic ALL+, Joola Rossi Junior, Joola Rosskopf Allround,Joola Rosskopf Fire, Joola Sting, Joola Ticker, Joola Torre
Anigre: (akaKali, Osan, Landojan, Mukali, Muna, M'boul, N'Kali,Mukangu, Aniegre,Tutu,Kararo, Asanfena) (Scientificname -Aningeriaaltissima, Aningeria robusta, Aningeria superba, or Gambey obotrys)
alight-tan hard wood native to Africa, yellow aningre is the ultimate control wood; providing a soft feel on contact, this wood is favored by many all-round styles of players; it is mid-hard, solid, and non-elastic; it has a nice soft/woody feel and a very smooth texture;being waterproof, it is mostly used as surface veneer; Grubba Pro blades use yellow aningre wood for the outer and secondary plies;good for DEF+ to OFF- depending on the other plies it’s used with;
Density .54 -.57 gm per cubic centimeter; Monnin Hardness 2.5; Janka: 740; SG: .40; PCF: 30-34
e.g.,Joola Carbon Swe, Joola Fejer-Konnerth All, Re-Impact BackspinControl, Yasaka Extra
Ash:cross between cypress and ayous, needs hide glue to fully bring out the playing characteristics; this is a wood best suited for fast all-wood blades; it’s heavy and hard so it’s best paired with lighter and softer core and outer plies; it’s rarely used and when it is, it’s generally a medial ply;
Janka: 1320; SG: .66; PCF:42:
e.g.,Nittaku Violin
Aspen: [need more info]
e.g.,Joola Ticker
Awan: a tropical wood that seems to be used as an intermediate layer, often in combination with a kiri core. [need info in properties]
e.g.,Donic Burn All+, Joola Flame Fast, TSP Phoenix
Ayous: (note: abachi, ayous and samba are all the same species, but are from different parts of Africa) (aka Obeche, Wawa, Abachi, Arere, Ayus,Samba, M'bado, Bado, African Maple)
( Scientific name - Triplochiton scleroxylon) soft, tends to tear easily in thinner plys; mainly an outermost plywood, pairs up well with many woods; it is a lightweight, stiff wood that is excellent for close-to-the-table counterdrive play; Ayous is useful to both maintain some lightness in the core of the blade but not be as crazily light as balsa; the high elasticity of the this African gives quite a nice bounce effect when inside the blade; it is not that great a top veneer wood as it is not very pliable;
Density.38 gm per cubic centimeter; Monnin Hardness 1.1
e.g.,Andro C. Suss Hinoki ALL+, Andro C. Suss Hinoki Off, Avalox BT555,Avalox P500, Avalox P700, Butterfly Adolescen, Butterfly InnerforceZLC, Butterfly Kong Ling Hui, Butterfly M. Maze, Butterfly Oh SangEun, Butterfly Petr Korbel, Butterfly Primorac, Butterfly ZhangYining, Cornilleau Hinotec ALL+, Cornilleau Hinotec OFF-, Dawei GTS,Dawei Wavestone, Donic Appelgren Control, Donic Epox Power Carbon,Donic Dicon, Donic Epox Carbotec, Donic Li Ping Kitex, Donic OpticonRS, Donic Powerplay, Donic Waldner V1, DHS H-WL, DHS Hurricane Hao,DHS Hurricane King, Galaxy/Yinhe M-4, Joola Fever, Joola Guo, JoolaK5, Joola MC1, Joola Wing Fast, Joola Wing Medium, Keyshot Light,Nexy Color, Nittaku Ludeack, Nittaku Wang Nan, Stiga AllroundClassic, Stiga Allround Evolution, Stiga Clipper, Stiga Ebenholz NCTV, Stiga Energy Wood, Stiga Offensive Classic Old, Stiga OffensiveClassic New, Stiga Tube Offensive, Tibhar IV-L, Tibhar IV-L LightContact, Xiom Amadeus, Xiom Amati, Xiom Aria, Xiom Fuga, Xiom Jazz,Xiom Maximus, Yasaka Extra, Yasaka Extra Offensive
Balsa: (aka Balso, Pau de Balsa, Lanu, Lanilla, Guano, Gatillo, Topa,Algodon, Bois Flot)
(Scientific name -Ochroma pyramidale or Ochroma lagopus)
an extremely light, soft, porous, springy wood that has a non-linear effect at ball contact; hard, direct contact results in a big springing effect, while light or grazing contact results in a more controlled carom, and the difference is greater than what you'd expect; readily available but not usually in widths required for blades, so gluing will most likely be required; primarily useful as core and in rare cases second plys due to its fragility; deteriorates very quickly unless sealed; a thick balsa core tends to result in very springy, offensive blades; due to its softness, it can allow the ball to sink in, resulting in high dwell time, which is good for loopers and choppers who want to manufacture a lot of spin. Also, due to its softness and non-linear effect, it is useful for deception and spin variation.
Balsa has the distinction of being very light and very soft, although it also makes the blade stiff...or maybe that's just because it's often used thick because you can do that without jacking up the weight.It's also very fragile though. If you buy a thick balsa blade you absolutely must epoxy the outer edge or it will completely crumble away on you.
Density.14 gm per cubic centimeter; Monnin Hardness 0.3; Janka: 88; SG: .17;PCF: 11
e.g.,729 Bomb, Andro Fibercomp, BBC Carboflex Alpha, BBC Triflex Alpha,Butterfly Balsacarbo X5, Butterfly Kazan, Donic Appelgren Control,Donic Opticon RS, Donic Persson Carbokev, Donic Persson Dotec Off,Donic Persson Exclusive Off, Donic Waldner Black Devil, Galaxy/YinheT10, Galaxy/Yinhe T11, Hallmark Aurora, Joola Fejer-Konnerth All,Joola Cat, Joola Kool, Joola MC1, Joola R*1, Joola Sheik, Joola TrixFast, Nexy Icarus, Re-Impact Backspin Control, TSP Balsa Plus(various thicknesses), Ulmo Duality, Yasaka Balsa, Yasaka Balsa+,Yasaka Synergy
Bamboo: (note: technically bamboo is a grass, not a wood)
Is said to be: "fairly hard but springy. It felt quite slow on soft contact but had a nice kick when you hit harder. I think it makes a nice and very spinny looping blade with a medium soft sponged rubber."
e.g., Butterfly Millerga, Nimatsu Celsior 5.6 Direct Bamboo, Juic Bamboo Shot
Bass: (aka Linden, Bee-tree, lime-tree) (Scientific name - Tilia – Americana)
a harder wood, but still used in lower end all-round blades; basswood has been a mainstay in racket making for over fifty years due to its high degree of control and economical price; it is favored by the close-to-the-table counterdriver as well as players looking to purchase their first professional racket; it’s in that ambiguous range of hardness and density which can be used for any ply; it’s generally used in cheaper blades, but it can certainly make a quality product; its behavior is widely determined by the plies and thus it is another very diverse wood.
Density .37 gm per cubic centimeter; Janka: 410; SG: .41; PCF: 27
e.g.,Butterfly Balsacarbo X5
Beech: [need more info]
e.g.,Donic Opticon RS, Donic Waldner Impuls IR
Birch: a blankety blank wood usually used in outer plies to provide a feeling of blank and most often used by blank-type players.
e.g.,BBC Anvil, BBC Carboflex Alpha, Re-Impact Backspin Control
Cedar (Red Western): This wood is a good substitute for cypress; it has a soft woody feel and a very nice grain pattern when quarter sawn; it’s a perfect candidate for single ply-blades; can serve as cores, medial plies,and outer plies; Kevin from American Hinoki deserves some credit for popularizing this wood in table tennis blades. Janka: 350; SG: .37;PCF: 23
e.g.,American Hinoki custom blades available at americanhinoki.com
Cedar (Port Orford): A bit harder and denser than its previously mentioned cousin, this wood is also a good candidate for a single ply, as well as a lovely substitute for Hinoki Cypress; can serve as cores, medial plies, and outer plies; Janka: 720; SG: .44; PCF: 30
Cork: A cork core is said to provide a lot of "kick and spring" in the blade.
http://www.signaturehf.com/Signature_Hardwood_Floors/Bamboo,_Palm_and_Cork.html <- Cork as a floor material.
http://www.tabletennisdb.com/blade/729-bomb.html <- Several reviews, cork speculation is mentioned several times
e.g.,729 Bomb
Cherry: very stiff and hard, this wood has, as an outermost ply, a flat return curve. It is mainly known for providing much spin reversal to slick rubbers but is also said to support smashing quite well.
e.g.,BBC All Around
Cypress: Hinoki is also Hinoki Cypress ( Port Orford Cedar, a.k.a. Oregon, Oregon Cedar ,Lawson Cypress
is imported to Japan for the same uses as Hinoki(temples,shrines,wooden ware)
Scientific name -Chamaecyparis obtusa, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Port Orford)
good,cheap and readily available. Tends to work best with woods similar to itself in playing quality such as ayous, ash and varieties of pine.Smells nice, though the mythical Kiso Hinoki variety is both rare and extremely valuable; the classic Asian attacking wood, it is favored by attackers for several decades because of its unique combination of speed and softness; there are several different species of cypress and they’re all usable for making blades; the Chamaecyparis obtusa,or Hinoki wood (as we call it) is perhaps the most sought after wood for blades; unfortunately it’s just about impossible to get hinoki in the United States; cypress is very much like cedar in it’s feel and appearance, but it tends to be more yellow; cypress can serve as cores, medial plies, and outer plies;
Janka: 300-800 (depending on species); SG: .20-.46; PCF: 32
e.g.,BBC 9-10-9, BBC Anvil, BBC Fiddler, BBC Single-ply Cypress, BBCThree-Ply Cypress, BBC Triflex Alpha, Galaxy/Yinhe T10, JoolaRosskopf Carbon, Joola Trix Fast, TSP Hino-Carbon Power
-Cypress-good, cheap and readily available. Tends to work best with woods similar to itself in playing quality such as ayous, ash and varieties of pine. Smells nice, though the mythical Kiso Hinoki variety is both rare and extremely valuable.
- Hinoki is considered the "golden" wood of blades. Hinoki has the property of being very soft with a nice soft touch in short, but very fast when hitting. The biggest drawback is probably weight. Well, and now it's scarcity and cost.
Ebony: [need more info]
e.g.,Stiga Ebenholz NCT V
Enzo: [need more info]
e.g.,Joola Trix Medium, Joola Tactics
Fineline: [need more info]
e.g.,Donic Epox Power Carbon, Joola Fejer-Konnerth All, Joola K1, JoolaK3
Hinoki: (aka Port Orford Cedar, Oregon, Oregon Cedar, Lawson Cypress) a prized Japanese wood that is soft and bouncy; the wood is lemon-scented, light pinkish-brown, with a rich, straight grain, and is highly rot-resistant; 'kiso' denotes the top hinoki woods,available only from a single location in Japan; considered the"golden" wood of blades, hinoki is a form of cypress, and much of the hinoki used just as outer plies is really cypress; hinoki is called "false cypress"; hinoki has the property of being very soft with a nice soft touch in the short game, but very fast when hitting; the biggest drawbacks are probably weight and cost;Density .43 gm per cubic centimeter
e.g.,Andro C. Suss Hinoki ALL+, Andro C. Suss Hinoki Off, Avalox J-Aramid,Butterfly Amultart, Butterfly Jonyer-Hinoki, Butterfly Kazan,Butterfly Kreanga Carbon, Butterfly Photino, Cornilleau Hinotec ALL+,Cornilleau Hinotec OFF-, Cornilleau Hinotec OFF, Cornilleau HinotecOFF+, Dawei GTS, Donic Li Ping Kitex, Donic Persson Dotec Off, JoolaRosskopf Force, Joola Wing Fast, Nexy Color, Nexy Dexter, Nexy Oscar,Nittaku Septear, TSP Break 9, TSP Break 11, Xiom Amadeus, XiomControl, Xiom Ignito, Xiom Jazz
Ipil: (aka Intsia bijuga, merbau, kwila) is similar to wenge but somewhat less hard. It is also suited for near-table play, possibly with spin reversal, but somewhat slower than wenge. (Please be aware, according to Greenpeace large amounts of ipil timber sourced from illegal logging are being traded. At the current rate of logging the tree will go extinct within 35yr.)
Jatoba: This wood is very hard and very heavy. Its only practical use is as a very thin top ply. It melds well with balsa to create a long pips-friendly blade.
Janka: 2820; SG: .71; PCF: 56
Kiri: (aka Paulownia, Royal Paulownia, Princess Tree, Empress Tree); (named after Princess Anna Paulowna of Russia/Netherlands 1795-1865)(Scientific name - Paulownia elongata, Paulownia Tomentosa)
Alight weight, soft but very tight and torsionally stiff type of wood,mainly used as core veneer. (Almost every Butterfly table tennis blade that is made in Japan has a Kiri core.) More durable, heavier and harder than balsa. (This is one of the main reasons why Butterfly blades are heavier than other manufacturer's blades.)
This wood is from the Paulownia family. It’s a bit over double the hardness of balsa, but it remains very light-weight. This is a great core wood for faster blades with heavier medial and outer plies. Just like balsa, it cuts down on vibration and makes a blade with a little less feeling than something made with a wood like cypress; just like balsa, it cuts down on vibration and makes a blade with a little less feeling than something made with a wood like cypress;
Density.26-35 gm per cubic centimeter. Janka: 250; SG: .26; PCF: 16
e.g.,Butterfly Amultart, Butterfly Jun Mizutani, Butterfly Kreanga Carbon,Butterfly Photino, Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit, Cornilleau HinotecOFF, Cornilleau Hinotec OFF+, Donic Epox Carbotec, Donic Li PingKitex, Donic Persson Carbotec, Joola Chen Weixing, Joola Fever, JoolaRosskopf Force, Joola Wing Fast, Joola Wing Medium, Keyshot Light,Nittaku Violin, Xiom Control, Xiom Ignito, Xiom Stradivarius
Kiso hinoki: the top grade of hinoki, available only in Japan (see entry on "hinoki" above). A very light, solid type of wood; this particular cypress is used for blade manufacturing only when having 300 years or more in age. It can be found in all types of veneers in table tennis blades.
e.g.,Donic Liping Kitex, Donic Waldner Dotec Hinoki
http://ooakforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=12687
I allso noticed a similar thread was made here:
http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?964-Blade-woodtypes&highlight=Wood+types from 2011, but the thread leaders last activity was 2013, so I'll make a new thread. (considering he wouldn't reply to a suggested update)
NB! If two words are found combined (aka without space), it's because copy pasted from a document, I tried to correct most of the mistakes after pasting.
If anyone considers this to be copyright, or don't think I have any authority to re-post this here.
The decision is left to the admins or alternatively the original poster, Chopoleon Bonaparte. (on Ooak)
I think this is great info and would be really nice if it could stay on the page.
Comment below if you believe you have some interesting info I could update the post with!
Some smaller edits have already been made. (from the original post in Ooak)
If you need to search for any specific wood press: "ctrl+ f" (most probably knows this but nice info for those who don't)
and type the desired composite/wood!
Where mentioned below, the "Janka rating" is determined by measuring the force required to embed an 11.28 mm (0.444 in) steel ball into wood to half its diameter (thus leaving an indention of 100mm sq). I’ll keep it consistent by using pound-force readings.The "specific gravity" of a wood is its relative density to water. And the "pounds per cubic foot" is (as the phrase implies) the weight of a cubic foot of the wood measured in pounds.
Alternative Questions to be answered on the different materials below:
Is the material light or heavy? Is it springy or deadening? Is it linear or non-linear in its effect on the ball? What is its usual purpose in the blade, e.g., to make it faster, slower, deader, etc.? What kinds of players tend to use it, e.g., loopers, blockers, flat hitters,choppers, etc.
Blade updates is also not a bad idea (as this is from 2010...)
links worth checking in regards to this topic:
http://www.tabletennisdb.com/blog/wood/
http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?844-Composition-of-Blades (Ply Info in different blades)
http://stervinou.net/ttbdb/lexik.php (!)
WOODS
http://www.tabletennisdb.com/blog/wood/
http://www.tabletennisdaily.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?844-Composition-of-Blades (Ply Info in different blades)
http://stervinou.net/ttbdb/lexik.php (!)
WOODS
Abachi: (note: abachi, ayous and samba are all the same species, but are from different parts of Africa) soft, tends to tear easily in thinner plys; mainly an outermost ply wood, pairs up well with many woods; it is a lightweight, stiff wood that is excellent for close-to-the-table counter-drive play; this wood (or ayous, which is similar) is in 90%or more of all blades on the market; it’s used as outer, medial,and core plies, as well as for some single-ply blades; it feels like limba. Janka: 430; SG: .38; PCF: 24
e.g.,Andro Kinetic ALL+, Joola Rossi Junior, Joola Rosskopf Allround,Joola Rosskopf Fire, Joola Sting, Joola Ticker, Joola Torre
Anigre: (akaKali, Osan, Landojan, Mukali, Muna, M'boul, N'Kali,Mukangu, Aniegre,Tutu,Kararo, Asanfena) (Scientificname -Aningeriaaltissima, Aningeria robusta, Aningeria superba, or Gambey obotrys)
alight-tan hard wood native to Africa, yellow aningre is the ultimate control wood; providing a soft feel on contact, this wood is favored by many all-round styles of players; it is mid-hard, solid, and non-elastic; it has a nice soft/woody feel and a very smooth texture;being waterproof, it is mostly used as surface veneer; Grubba Pro blades use yellow aningre wood for the outer and secondary plies;good for DEF+ to OFF- depending on the other plies it’s used with;
Density .54 -.57 gm per cubic centimeter; Monnin Hardness 2.5; Janka: 740; SG: .40; PCF: 30-34
e.g.,Joola Carbon Swe, Joola Fejer-Konnerth All, Re-Impact BackspinControl, Yasaka Extra
Ash:cross between cypress and ayous, needs hide glue to fully bring out the playing characteristics; this is a wood best suited for fast all-wood blades; it’s heavy and hard so it’s best paired with lighter and softer core and outer plies; it’s rarely used and when it is, it’s generally a medial ply;
Janka: 1320; SG: .66; PCF:42:
e.g.,Nittaku Violin
Aspen: [need more info]
e.g.,Joola Ticker
Awan: a tropical wood that seems to be used as an intermediate layer, often in combination with a kiri core. [need info in properties]
e.g.,Donic Burn All+, Joola Flame Fast, TSP Phoenix
Ayous: (note: abachi, ayous and samba are all the same species, but are from different parts of Africa) (aka Obeche, Wawa, Abachi, Arere, Ayus,Samba, M'bado, Bado, African Maple)
( Scientific name - Triplochiton scleroxylon) soft, tends to tear easily in thinner plys; mainly an outermost plywood, pairs up well with many woods; it is a lightweight, stiff wood that is excellent for close-to-the-table counterdrive play; Ayous is useful to both maintain some lightness in the core of the blade but not be as crazily light as balsa; the high elasticity of the this African gives quite a nice bounce effect when inside the blade; it is not that great a top veneer wood as it is not very pliable;
Density.38 gm per cubic centimeter; Monnin Hardness 1.1
e.g.,Andro C. Suss Hinoki ALL+, Andro C. Suss Hinoki Off, Avalox BT555,Avalox P500, Avalox P700, Butterfly Adolescen, Butterfly InnerforceZLC, Butterfly Kong Ling Hui, Butterfly M. Maze, Butterfly Oh SangEun, Butterfly Petr Korbel, Butterfly Primorac, Butterfly ZhangYining, Cornilleau Hinotec ALL+, Cornilleau Hinotec OFF-, Dawei GTS,Dawei Wavestone, Donic Appelgren Control, Donic Epox Power Carbon,Donic Dicon, Donic Epox Carbotec, Donic Li Ping Kitex, Donic OpticonRS, Donic Powerplay, Donic Waldner V1, DHS H-WL, DHS Hurricane Hao,DHS Hurricane King, Galaxy/Yinhe M-4, Joola Fever, Joola Guo, JoolaK5, Joola MC1, Joola Wing Fast, Joola Wing Medium, Keyshot Light,Nexy Color, Nittaku Ludeack, Nittaku Wang Nan, Stiga AllroundClassic, Stiga Allround Evolution, Stiga Clipper, Stiga Ebenholz NCTV, Stiga Energy Wood, Stiga Offensive Classic Old, Stiga OffensiveClassic New, Stiga Tube Offensive, Tibhar IV-L, Tibhar IV-L LightContact, Xiom Amadeus, Xiom Amati, Xiom Aria, Xiom Fuga, Xiom Jazz,Xiom Maximus, Yasaka Extra, Yasaka Extra Offensive
Balsa: (aka Balso, Pau de Balsa, Lanu, Lanilla, Guano, Gatillo, Topa,Algodon, Bois Flot)
(Scientific name -Ochroma pyramidale or Ochroma lagopus)
an extremely light, soft, porous, springy wood that has a non-linear effect at ball contact; hard, direct contact results in a big springing effect, while light or grazing contact results in a more controlled carom, and the difference is greater than what you'd expect; readily available but not usually in widths required for blades, so gluing will most likely be required; primarily useful as core and in rare cases second plys due to its fragility; deteriorates very quickly unless sealed; a thick balsa core tends to result in very springy, offensive blades; due to its softness, it can allow the ball to sink in, resulting in high dwell time, which is good for loopers and choppers who want to manufacture a lot of spin. Also, due to its softness and non-linear effect, it is useful for deception and spin variation.
Balsa has the distinction of being very light and very soft, although it also makes the blade stiff...or maybe that's just because it's often used thick because you can do that without jacking up the weight.It's also very fragile though. If you buy a thick balsa blade you absolutely must epoxy the outer edge or it will completely crumble away on you.
Density.14 gm per cubic centimeter; Monnin Hardness 0.3; Janka: 88; SG: .17;PCF: 11
e.g.,729 Bomb, Andro Fibercomp, BBC Carboflex Alpha, BBC Triflex Alpha,Butterfly Balsacarbo X5, Butterfly Kazan, Donic Appelgren Control,Donic Opticon RS, Donic Persson Carbokev, Donic Persson Dotec Off,Donic Persson Exclusive Off, Donic Waldner Black Devil, Galaxy/YinheT10, Galaxy/Yinhe T11, Hallmark Aurora, Joola Fejer-Konnerth All,Joola Cat, Joola Kool, Joola MC1, Joola R*1, Joola Sheik, Joola TrixFast, Nexy Icarus, Re-Impact Backspin Control, TSP Balsa Plus(various thicknesses), Ulmo Duality, Yasaka Balsa, Yasaka Balsa+,Yasaka Synergy
Bamboo: (note: technically bamboo is a grass, not a wood)
Is said to be: "fairly hard but springy. It felt quite slow on soft contact but had a nice kick when you hit harder. I think it makes a nice and very spinny looping blade with a medium soft sponged rubber."
e.g., Butterfly Millerga, Nimatsu Celsior 5.6 Direct Bamboo, Juic Bamboo Shot
Bass: (aka Linden, Bee-tree, lime-tree) (Scientific name - Tilia – Americana)
a harder wood, but still used in lower end all-round blades; basswood has been a mainstay in racket making for over fifty years due to its high degree of control and economical price; it is favored by the close-to-the-table counterdriver as well as players looking to purchase their first professional racket; it’s in that ambiguous range of hardness and density which can be used for any ply; it’s generally used in cheaper blades, but it can certainly make a quality product; its behavior is widely determined by the plies and thus it is another very diverse wood.
Density .37 gm per cubic centimeter; Janka: 410; SG: .41; PCF: 27
e.g.,Butterfly Balsacarbo X5
Beech: [need more info]
e.g.,Donic Opticon RS, Donic Waldner Impuls IR
Birch: a blankety blank wood usually used in outer plies to provide a feeling of blank and most often used by blank-type players.
e.g.,BBC Anvil, BBC Carboflex Alpha, Re-Impact Backspin Control
Cedar (Red Western): This wood is a good substitute for cypress; it has a soft woody feel and a very nice grain pattern when quarter sawn; it’s a perfect candidate for single ply-blades; can serve as cores, medial plies,and outer plies; Kevin from American Hinoki deserves some credit for popularizing this wood in table tennis blades. Janka: 350; SG: .37;PCF: 23
e.g.,American Hinoki custom blades available at americanhinoki.com
Cedar (Port Orford): A bit harder and denser than its previously mentioned cousin, this wood is also a good candidate for a single ply, as well as a lovely substitute for Hinoki Cypress; can serve as cores, medial plies, and outer plies; Janka: 720; SG: .44; PCF: 30
Cork: A cork core is said to provide a lot of "kick and spring" in the blade.
http://www.signaturehf.com/Signature_Hardwood_Floors/Bamboo,_Palm_and_Cork.html <- Cork as a floor material.
http://www.tabletennisdb.com/blade/729-bomb.html <- Several reviews, cork speculation is mentioned several times
e.g.,729 Bomb
Cherry: very stiff and hard, this wood has, as an outermost ply, a flat return curve. It is mainly known for providing much spin reversal to slick rubbers but is also said to support smashing quite well.
e.g.,BBC All Around
Cypress: Hinoki is also Hinoki Cypress ( Port Orford Cedar, a.k.a. Oregon, Oregon Cedar ,Lawson Cypress
is imported to Japan for the same uses as Hinoki(temples,shrines,wooden ware)
Scientific name -Chamaecyparis obtusa, Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (Port Orford)
good,cheap and readily available. Tends to work best with woods similar to itself in playing quality such as ayous, ash and varieties of pine.Smells nice, though the mythical Kiso Hinoki variety is both rare and extremely valuable; the classic Asian attacking wood, it is favored by attackers for several decades because of its unique combination of speed and softness; there are several different species of cypress and they’re all usable for making blades; the Chamaecyparis obtusa,or Hinoki wood (as we call it) is perhaps the most sought after wood for blades; unfortunately it’s just about impossible to get hinoki in the United States; cypress is very much like cedar in it’s feel and appearance, but it tends to be more yellow; cypress can serve as cores, medial plies, and outer plies;
Janka: 300-800 (depending on species); SG: .20-.46; PCF: 32
e.g.,BBC 9-10-9, BBC Anvil, BBC Fiddler, BBC Single-ply Cypress, BBCThree-Ply Cypress, BBC Triflex Alpha, Galaxy/Yinhe T10, JoolaRosskopf Carbon, Joola Trix Fast, TSP Hino-Carbon Power
-Cypress-good, cheap and readily available. Tends to work best with woods similar to itself in playing quality such as ayous, ash and varieties of pine. Smells nice, though the mythical Kiso Hinoki variety is both rare and extremely valuable.
- Hinoki is considered the "golden" wood of blades. Hinoki has the property of being very soft with a nice soft touch in short, but very fast when hitting. The biggest drawback is probably weight. Well, and now it's scarcity and cost.
Ebony: [need more info]
e.g.,Stiga Ebenholz NCT V
Enzo: [need more info]
e.g.,Joola Trix Medium, Joola Tactics
Fineline: [need more info]
e.g.,Donic Epox Power Carbon, Joola Fejer-Konnerth All, Joola K1, JoolaK3
Hinoki: (aka Port Orford Cedar, Oregon, Oregon Cedar, Lawson Cypress) a prized Japanese wood that is soft and bouncy; the wood is lemon-scented, light pinkish-brown, with a rich, straight grain, and is highly rot-resistant; 'kiso' denotes the top hinoki woods,available only from a single location in Japan; considered the"golden" wood of blades, hinoki is a form of cypress, and much of the hinoki used just as outer plies is really cypress; hinoki is called "false cypress"; hinoki has the property of being very soft with a nice soft touch in the short game, but very fast when hitting; the biggest drawbacks are probably weight and cost;Density .43 gm per cubic centimeter
e.g.,Andro C. Suss Hinoki ALL+, Andro C. Suss Hinoki Off, Avalox J-Aramid,Butterfly Amultart, Butterfly Jonyer-Hinoki, Butterfly Kazan,Butterfly Kreanga Carbon, Butterfly Photino, Cornilleau Hinotec ALL+,Cornilleau Hinotec OFF-, Cornilleau Hinotec OFF, Cornilleau HinotecOFF+, Dawei GTS, Donic Li Ping Kitex, Donic Persson Dotec Off, JoolaRosskopf Force, Joola Wing Fast, Nexy Color, Nexy Dexter, Nexy Oscar,Nittaku Septear, TSP Break 9, TSP Break 11, Xiom Amadeus, XiomControl, Xiom Ignito, Xiom Jazz
Ipil: (aka Intsia bijuga, merbau, kwila) is similar to wenge but somewhat less hard. It is also suited for near-table play, possibly with spin reversal, but somewhat slower than wenge. (Please be aware, according to Greenpeace large amounts of ipil timber sourced from illegal logging are being traded. At the current rate of logging the tree will go extinct within 35yr.)
Jatoba: This wood is very hard and very heavy. Its only practical use is as a very thin top ply. It melds well with balsa to create a long pips-friendly blade.
Janka: 2820; SG: .71; PCF: 56
Kiri: (aka Paulownia, Royal Paulownia, Princess Tree, Empress Tree); (named after Princess Anna Paulowna of Russia/Netherlands 1795-1865)(Scientific name - Paulownia elongata, Paulownia Tomentosa)
Alight weight, soft but very tight and torsionally stiff type of wood,mainly used as core veneer. (Almost every Butterfly table tennis blade that is made in Japan has a Kiri core.) More durable, heavier and harder than balsa. (This is one of the main reasons why Butterfly blades are heavier than other manufacturer's blades.)
This wood is from the Paulownia family. It’s a bit over double the hardness of balsa, but it remains very light-weight. This is a great core wood for faster blades with heavier medial and outer plies. Just like balsa, it cuts down on vibration and makes a blade with a little less feeling than something made with a wood like cypress; just like balsa, it cuts down on vibration and makes a blade with a little less feeling than something made with a wood like cypress;
Density.26-35 gm per cubic centimeter. Janka: 250; SG: .26; PCF: 16
e.g.,Butterfly Amultart, Butterfly Jun Mizutani, Butterfly Kreanga Carbon,Butterfly Photino, Butterfly Timo Boll Spirit, Cornilleau HinotecOFF, Cornilleau Hinotec OFF+, Donic Epox Carbotec, Donic Li PingKitex, Donic Persson Carbotec, Joola Chen Weixing, Joola Fever, JoolaRosskopf Force, Joola Wing Fast, Joola Wing Medium, Keyshot Light,Nittaku Violin, Xiom Control, Xiom Ignito, Xiom Stradivarius
Kiso hinoki: the top grade of hinoki, available only in Japan (see entry on "hinoki" above). A very light, solid type of wood; this particular cypress is used for blade manufacturing only when having 300 years or more in age. It can be found in all types of veneers in table tennis blades.
e.g.,Donic Liping Kitex, Donic Waldner Dotec Hinoki
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