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Banda All-Around Blade
Weight: 81 grams
Plies: 5 (limba outer-Ayous or kiri inner)
Speed: All+
Thickness: 6.12mm
Banda blades are finally back! Stiga has advertised the Banda blades way back early this year. Right now, the Banda All Around blade is the one only available worldwide while the offensive and carbon versions are only available in Japan. The blade has a thick core and I am not too sure if this is ayous or kiri since I cannot see the usual hole patterns found in an ayous wood layer. The 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] layer is definitely ayous which is also very thick while the 1[SUP]st[/SUP] layer of limba are very thin. The ayous wood layers seem to be about 1mm thick. The overall quality and finish is very good. I can say I like this better because it is smooth all over and there is no roughness in every part. The blade head surface does not seem to need sealing as I have removed and glued rubbers about 4 times already with no wood fibers splintering. The blade head shape is a bit different compared to the normal Stiga blades wherein the lower wing and side parts are a bit wider. I did remove the rubbers from it and then try to position them into the Stiga Energy Wood blade and the rubbers are a bit wider on the lower part. The handle is also different because the All Around Blade’s handle is more on a squarish shape while Stiga Energy V2’s handle shape is more round on its sides. The handle’s design is simple but beautiful. The brown color of the handle is a good contrast with the white stripes. The weight is towards the upper 1/3 of the blade head but it did not feel as head heavy as the Stiga Energy Wood V2.
Anyway, I used the DNA H Pro on both sides. To be fair the All-Around Blade is not a true all around blade but rather borders from being an Off- blade. When I bounced the ball on the bare surface, it felt faster and has a higher bounce compared to the Stiga All Around Classic. I happen to get a brand new All Around Classic just to compare the characteristics. With the speed, the difference is quite big if you compare it to the All-Around Classic blade and you will feel the gap between the 2 blades. With the Azalea All-Around blade, the speed is almost equal but sometimes I feel an extra kick with the Banda All-Around Blade and this may be attributed to the thicker layers of the blade and overall thickness. I did use the DNA H Pro but even with just the Battle 2 rubber, the All-Around blade is still plenty fast. With the DNA H Pro at far distance, you can still do good top spin shots with a bit of effort. I think with the DNA H Pro, the Banda All Around can be good up to the middle distance from the table. It is bouncy enough that I can even say it is faster than the Offensive Classic but it retains almost the same level of control.
When I tested the looping capabilities of the Banda All-Around, I can definitely say that the blade loops like the All-Around Classic but with more speed. It produces a medium-high arc when looping and frankly speaking I never felt the ease of looping decreased compared to a slower blade. This is a great blade for beginner players who wish to learn the basic strokes but at the same time have enough speed if they do not like blades that are too slow. Can this replace the All-Around Classic or All-Around Evolution blades totally? Yes! I would say the blade is more comfortable for the grip and has better finish, I would choose this over the 2 other blades mentioned. It could partially chop with long pips when I used a soft LP with it but due to the thick core and 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] layers, it would take a bit more skill. If you are just an LP blocking style player then this is perfect. So far, I have not found any negative issues with the blade as what it was intended to be used and designed for. I even praise it for being surprisingly good despite the market being flooded with lots of all-around blades as this one offers something more. The price is also at 40 Euros so it is very affordable for most people.
Weight: 81 grams
Plies: 5 (limba outer-Ayous or kiri inner)
Speed: All+
Thickness: 6.12mm
Banda blades are finally back! Stiga has advertised the Banda blades way back early this year. Right now, the Banda All Around blade is the one only available worldwide while the offensive and carbon versions are only available in Japan. The blade has a thick core and I am not too sure if this is ayous or kiri since I cannot see the usual hole patterns found in an ayous wood layer. The 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] layer is definitely ayous which is also very thick while the 1[SUP]st[/SUP] layer of limba are very thin. The ayous wood layers seem to be about 1mm thick. The overall quality and finish is very good. I can say I like this better because it is smooth all over and there is no roughness in every part. The blade head surface does not seem to need sealing as I have removed and glued rubbers about 4 times already with no wood fibers splintering. The blade head shape is a bit different compared to the normal Stiga blades wherein the lower wing and side parts are a bit wider. I did remove the rubbers from it and then try to position them into the Stiga Energy Wood blade and the rubbers are a bit wider on the lower part. The handle is also different because the All Around Blade’s handle is more on a squarish shape while Stiga Energy V2’s handle shape is more round on its sides. The handle’s design is simple but beautiful. The brown color of the handle is a good contrast with the white stripes. The weight is towards the upper 1/3 of the blade head but it did not feel as head heavy as the Stiga Energy Wood V2.
Anyway, I used the DNA H Pro on both sides. To be fair the All-Around Blade is not a true all around blade but rather borders from being an Off- blade. When I bounced the ball on the bare surface, it felt faster and has a higher bounce compared to the Stiga All Around Classic. I happen to get a brand new All Around Classic just to compare the characteristics. With the speed, the difference is quite big if you compare it to the All-Around Classic blade and you will feel the gap between the 2 blades. With the Azalea All-Around blade, the speed is almost equal but sometimes I feel an extra kick with the Banda All-Around Blade and this may be attributed to the thicker layers of the blade and overall thickness. I did use the DNA H Pro but even with just the Battle 2 rubber, the All-Around blade is still plenty fast. With the DNA H Pro at far distance, you can still do good top spin shots with a bit of effort. I think with the DNA H Pro, the Banda All Around can be good up to the middle distance from the table. It is bouncy enough that I can even say it is faster than the Offensive Classic but it retains almost the same level of control.
When I tested the looping capabilities of the Banda All-Around, I can definitely say that the blade loops like the All-Around Classic but with more speed. It produces a medium-high arc when looping and frankly speaking I never felt the ease of looping decreased compared to a slower blade. This is a great blade for beginner players who wish to learn the basic strokes but at the same time have enough speed if they do not like blades that are too slow. Can this replace the All-Around Classic or All-Around Evolution blades totally? Yes! I would say the blade is more comfortable for the grip and has better finish, I would choose this over the 2 other blades mentioned. It could partially chop with long pips when I used a soft LP with it but due to the thick core and 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] layers, it would take a bit more skill. If you are just an LP blocking style player then this is perfect. So far, I have not found any negative issues with the blade as what it was intended to be used and designed for. I even praise it for being surprisingly good despite the market being flooded with lots of all-around blades as this one offers something more. The price is also at 40 Euros so it is very affordable for most people.
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