2 w968 with different top plies ?

[Vrael]

Hi,

I have one w968 from top ranked player (don't wanna give name, but I am 100% sure it is original, got it directly from him) and recently I bought dhs fh w968 bh 506. It is supposed to be order made for provincial player. I can't confirm that, but I doubt dhs would make such a combi blade randomly if it wasn't for someone specific.

The problem, or rather question to blade making and dhs experts. Why the top ply look so different ? Also the 2nd blade stinks a lot, I guess some kind of booster was used, but I never had such a problem when I was using boosters (didn't use for long time now). The rubber also played quite dead in my hand, so I am guess it had to boosted long time ago.

On the 1st w968 I can easly spread dhs no 15 glue, but on the 2nd blade it is very difficult, it gets hard almost immediately and small lumps of glue appear. I glued very old k3 fx today (with 1 layer of booster) instead of orange sponge hurricane 3 that was on it and it played amazing, so I am just curious why there is such a big difference and is the top ply actually the same ? It is on w968 side, not 506

The 1st w968 is on the left with Tibhar rubber marks and the 2nd one is on the right and it has red rubber attached (hovering dragon, huge sound when I flat hit and almost no sound when I loop)

 

[quanghuysk]

If I'm not mistaken, the one on the left has Koto outer and the one on the right is clearly Limba. There can be w968 with Koto outer (Xiang Peng has played with it)

 

[Egon]

Both blades have a limba surface. On the blade on the right in the photo, the limba is covered with a dark varnish, possibly oil, which is why it has a darker color. I think that on this blade, water-based glue dries more slowly. To better understand the structure of the blades and possible differences, it would be good to see close-up photos of the ends of the handles.

 

[Vrael]

that is what I have experienced before, varnished blades = water-based glue dries slowly, but here it is opposite. Lighter color not varnished blade is very easy to apply glue, but the varnished one just dries instantly.

Black circle and w968 both sites is the lighter with no varnish, the one with rubbers and ML is combo blade with darker limba

 

[sebi]

If I'm not mistaken, the one on the left has Koto outer and the one on the right is clearly Limba. There can be w968 with Koto outer (Xiang Peng has played with it)

shouldn´t both be limba-ayous, carbon not koto outer

 

[Charlesmorris]

I’ve got a player edition w968 and national official w968. The colour difference is exactly the same as your photos. I would say they’re both limba, I’ve found the player edition with the lighter wood is easier to activate which would make sense why they give them to their players.

Heavily consider the difference between these blades, the player edition you’ve got is powerful and easier to activate, the provincial won’t be as powerful and harder to activate, that can be the reason it feels ‘dead’. I don’t even like using my national w968 anymore, too much effort.

That issue you’ve described with the glue clumping I’ve found it’s a reaction to whatever sealer was used on the blade.

 

[Vrael]

yeah the player version is way more powerfull, but there are few reasons for that. It is few grams heavier, the head is bigger 161mm instead of 159mm of the darker one and it has alc both sides, but the darker one has only wood on bh side.


The player version has one of the best feedbacks I have ever felt and gives me 100% confidence in counter shots that it will never lose to opponent ball, but...it is quite heavy and head heavy that is why for now I am not playing with it. I can handle fh, but bh was too difficult (I have really bad bh), so for now I was playing with other blades (custom inner zlf/alc, 7 ly hinoki, keyshot alpha) and now I bought this darker limba blade.

I played only with bh rubber I have never used before as well as boosted k3 fx (didn't boost for many years, but it was just very old). I need better rubbers and some match play, but for now it seemed like something I could be using untill my bh develops enough to use player version. The only problem is the handle is quite small and round, but player version is very big and squarish (I prefer mid or big round ones)

 

[Conehead]

That issue you’ve described with the glue clumping I’ve found it’s a reaction to whatever sealer was used on the blade.

Different sealers also might contribute to different colors of the blade's top layer.

 

[AmanooMan]

Both seem like Limba to me!

 

[Egon]

that is what I have experienced before, varnished blades = water-based glue dries slowly, but here it is opposite. Lighter color not varnished blade is very easy to apply glue, but the varnished one just dries instantly.

Black circle and w968 both sites is the lighter with no varnish, the one with rubbers and ML is combo blade with darker limba

The dark color is definitely not varnish, since all the outer veneer is dark. It's more like a penetrating wood treatment, which is probably why it smells.

 

[Chang]

Hi,

I have one w968 from top ranked player (don't wanna give name, but I am 100% sure it is original, got it directly from him) and recently I bought dhs fh w968 bh 506. It is supposed to be order made for provincial player. I can't confirm that, but I doubt dhs would make such a combi blade randomly if it wasn't for someone specific.

The problem, or rather question to blade making and dhs experts. Why the top ply look so different ? Also the 2nd blade stinks a lot, I guess some kind of booster was used, but I never had such a problem when I was using boosters (didn't use for long time now). The rubber also played quite dead in my hand, so I am guess it had to boosted long time ago.

On the 1st w968 I can easly spread dhs no 15 glue, but on the 2nd blade it is very difficult, it gets hard almost immediately and small lumps of glue appear. I glued very old k3 fx today (with 1 layer of booster) instead of orange sponge hurricane 3 that was on it and it played amazing, so I am just curious why there is such a big difference and is the top ply actually the same ? It is on w968 side, not 506

The 1st w968 is on the left with Tibhar rubber marks and the 2nd one is on the right and it has red rubber attached (hovering dragon, huge sound when I flat hit and almost no sound when I loop)

I am sorry to jump to a different topic, but I need to know where you got this blade with Carbon on one side and wood on the other. I cannot find it anywhere anyhow. Thanks

 

[Vrael]

I am sorry to jump to a different topic, but I need to know where you got this blade with Carbon on one side and wood on the other. I cannot find it anywhere anyhow. Thanks

I don't think You can find it anywhere. There is Japanese site called mercari, something like ebay and there are some sellers that get rare items from China. For example now they have some stiga blade that is not yet sold to public, but will be available soon. I think I will play with thit blade or my other custom. Need to check with different bh rubber