Calderano Signs with Joola (#139)

[ThePongCommenter]

To be completely fair, "トクアツ" normally just means "extra thick", which is the standard japanese definition for rubbers with >= 2.0 mm sponge.
All japanese manufacturers use this definition, even on their own websites, and you can find it commonly used in japanese stores (both physical and online) to refer to other brands "2.0" or "max" thickness or Butterfly's "2.1".

Also, commercial Dignics 09c I bought in Japan in 2024 had "トクアツ" printed on it. The ones I bought in 2025 did not.

I don't know why Butterfly doesn't bother printing that on their commercial packaging anymore, but they did for domestic products in the past... so who knows! 🤣

Edit: edited a few points for clarity and added a pic.

Interesting, that explains why it is printed on the pro issued sheet packages even though the printed thickness on such packages also says 2.1. I don't see it on any of my commercial 2.1 09cs. However, still moot because I've hit with a Butterfly pro's racket on which he stated the Dignics 05 he received from Butterfly is harder than commercial, and it clearly was. Even after 1 layer of booster that he said he used. Didn't ask him about thickness. Same thing goes for the person I mentioned earlier who had Dima's personal 09cs.

 

[Matt Hetherington]

I think it will be a good marketing move if you make a vlog about hugo testing prototypes and finding his blade with joola. it will be so interesting to know his way of thinking and reasoning.

I would buy that blade for sure.

Would be interesting, I'm just not sure what is possible. He's already done a bunch of testing so we've already missed the window for filming anything for that part. I think it would be a unique content piece for sure.

 

[chandyrandy]

Interesting, that explains why it is printed on the pro issued sheet packages even though the printed thickness on such packages also says 2.1. I don't see it on any of my commercial 2.1 09cs. However, still moot because I've hit with a Butterfly pro's racket on which he stated the Dignics 05 he received from Butterfly is harder than commercial, and it clearly was. Even after 1 layer of booster that he said he used. Didn't ask him about thickness. Same thing goes for the person I mentioned earlier who had Dima's personal 09cs.

I think to win this argument you gotta buy one of Dima's 09cs and test it yourself ! Give us the empirical evidence and the masses will fall in line

 

[nablaz]

Interesting, that explains why it is printed on the pro issued sheet packages even though the printed thickness on such packages also says 2.1. I don't see it on any of my commercial 2.1 09cs. However, still moot because I've hit with a Butterfly pro's racket on which he stated the Dignics 05 he received from Butterfly is harder than commercial, and it clearly was. Even after 1 layer of booster that he said he used. Didn't ask him about thickness. Same thing goes for the person I mentioned earlier who had Dima's personal 09cs.

Oh, my post had nothing to do with hardness... Just with the thickness labeling, that was there even on commercial (domestic) products until recently.
In fact, I'm pretty sure many pros can and do receive harder sponges than what's on the commercial sheets (if they wish so). Then, if the manufacturer thinks there's a niche for such version, they will probably market it after a while (think of T05 Hard or K3 Pro).
I don't think there's any interest for the manufacturer in not marketing a product that they think will sell. But there's definetly a fine balance between their image (brand recognition, exclusivity, etc.) and products they offer (availability, understandability of the catalog) that many brands strive to keep.

 

[kapahoo]

In Japan there seems to be more common to write (in japanese of course) "middle", "thick", "super thick" etc on the rubbers rather than specifyng the thcikness in mm. Just another way of giving the information. Probably more accurate also since there is no way all the rubbers are the exact same thickness.

To be on topic - I'm sure this is also the case for Joola rubbers!

 

[ThePongCommenter]

I think to win this argument you gotta buy one of Dima's 09cs and test it yourself ! Give us the empirical evidence and the masses will fall in line

How is this for empirical evidence?

(Timo) has been in discussions with USA TT ventures before. Him and Dima have also repeatedly visited a TT playing family in New Jersey many times in the last year or two, where they play with a USATT 2300 player and some others.

June 2025, I believe before it was publicly announced anywhere else:

(Timo) is also taking part in the Ping Pong movie where Timothee Chalamet plays Marty Reisman but sure he is not doing it for the money or because he finds it fun, but because he thinks a Hollywood movie about table tennis is holding the competitive game in the highest respects. And surely he is not being swayed by the financial compensation for this either.

 

[zeio]

To be completely fair, "トクアツ" normally just means "extra thick", which is the standard japanese definition for rubbers with >= 2.0 mm sponge.
All japanese manufacturers use this definition, even on their own websites, and you can find it commonly used in japanese stores (both physical and online) to refer to other brands "2.0" or "max" thickness or Butterfly's "2.1".

Also, commercial Dignics 09c I bought in Japan in 2024 had "トクアツ" printed on it. The ones I bought in 2025 did not.

I don't know why Butterfly doesn't bother printing that on their commercial packaging anymore, but they did for domestic products in the past... so who knows! 🤣

Edit: edited a few points for clarity and added a pic.

Butterfly has stopped printing the thickness on the package starting in 12/2024, as explained in a press release.

SP version of their top rubbers have been confirmed to exist.

 

[nablaz]

Butterfly has stopped printing the thickness on the package starting in 12/2024, as explained in a press release.

SP version of their top rubbers have been confirmed to exist.

Good to know, and explains why the sheets i bought in 2024 had the thickness notation whereas those i bought in 2025 didn't.
Very likely that it had to do with the release of Zyre and its 2.5 and 2.7 sponges...
Any idea if the rubbers issued for the pros (white packaging) still have it or not?

Edit: also, should we move this conversation to the pro's equipment thread?

 

[piligrim]

Edit: also, should we move this conversation to the pro's equipment thread?

It has to be done 20 pages ago when started discussion about special blades

 

[ShakehandJpenCpenEnjoyer]

Please move it. Here i want to know from Matt any updates about Hugo's journey to his new blade

 

[mamedium]

Please move it. Here i want to know from Matt any updates about Hugo's journey to his new blade

oh don’t worry, everyone will hear about his journey

 

[Peter93]

Your idea of specially made is topsheet with different sponge? Was Wang Hao’s topsheet actually custom-made for him, or was it simply selected from mass production? The same question applies to the asymmetrical design of KLS Special, a variation of the mass produced KLS that KL picked up and liked the feel.

So what kind of “custom blades” were actually designed for players who were willing to pay? A different handle shape? A logo placement? That hardly qualifies as true customization.

With all due respect, I don't think you understand what "custom" means. Anything that is crafted for a specific purpose is "custom-made". Just because the disparate components are available to other people doesn't mean it isn't custom. Butterfly, and all other companies, make equipment for the specific needs of the players. Sometimes those things are made available to the market, sometimes they are not. If something isn't available to the general public, that is absolutely something that is custom-made.

 

[TTWiz]

In the strictest sense, anything that differs from the retail version is custom. But to me, there’s a big difference between aesthetic and functional customization.

Changing a handle, a logo, or a lens to match a sponsor’s latest release is basically just rebranding. While it technically makes the blade custom, it doesn't change how it plays. That’s the least interesting part of the debate.

The real custom stuff is what actually affects the playing characteristics. Things like specific weight selection (which changes density), tweaks to ply thickness, or even different gluing processes. That’s where the physics of the blade actually change.

 

[Nolemsk]

What about that ?

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shop.tk-goods.com

 

[ShakehandJpenCpenEnjoyer]

12k yen (65€) for inner and outer version, 7k yen (40€) for 7ply ver. The pricing is a blessing 🥰

 

[SKARIZARD]

I wonder if these could be retooled Santoru blades.

 

[The0rigina1]

Disgusting logo

 

[The0rigina1]

I wonder if these could be retooled Santoru blades.

The pricing is so aggressive I can't help but to think otherwise

 

[The0rigina1]

The AW-7 might just be a rebranded proline aw7 with sussy kiri core

 

[SKARIZARD]

The pricing is so aggressive I can't help but to think otherwise

That's a good point. If the reported prices are correct, these would be half the price of the Santorus.