Discontinuation of Darker Speed 90

[olive-nguyen]

As a jpenholder my target when I have saved up enough and is at the right level is to get a 10mm 1ply hinoki Darker Speed 90, jpen. I don't know how but only today did I notice that it was discontinued. Hearing from SF-Libb, it seems that it is a very good blade, hence I'm a little saddened by it's discontinuation. Is there any advice for replacements for the Darker speed 90? Must be 1-ply hinoki 10mm jpen.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

Why sad, my friend? As a JPen, you are in luck because there are other manufacturers, namely: Butterfly and Xiom.

 

[olive-nguyen]

Why sad, my friend? As a JPen, you are in luck because there are other manufacturers, namely: Butterfly and Xiom.

I'm had no trials with both of these brands before, not even borrowing a friends to attempt. But if so, what models do you suggest for the other manufacturers?

 

[Gozo Aruna]

Butterfly or Xiom: both are reputable. Take your pick of whichever is the cheapest.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

You are spoilt for choice as a JPen player. If you are a shakehand player like me and wants to play one ply kiso-hinoki, I had to go bespoke.

 

[SFF_lib]

See if you can find:
Butterfly GMax
Yasaka Hasha V

These are the closest. I had GMax before, the “bite” and catapult was good but not as amazing as my Speed 90.

Hasha V still in production. Never used it but heard it’s a good one.

 

[Brs]

Used blades also come for sale from time to time.

 

[PenHoldSandro]

You can talk with one of my friends, @greenbeanmachine
he knows his way around Jpen

Other than that, if you really want cheap go with the Yinhe 982. If you want a better one, go with the Butterfly T-Max.

Also, I suggest getting new rubbers along with the blade; gives you a new connection xD

For rubbers, I suggest:
Skyline (either boost or get the NEO)
Nittaku Fastarc
Hurricane

Btw, I also think it is better to remove the BH. I heard it removes some of the feel of the hinoki. If you really want, make ur pips in OX, not 0.7, cuz OX is just better (satire)

 

[d3nium]

You can still buy them from TT11

 

[olive-nguyen]

See if you can find:
Butterfly GMax
Yasaka Hasha V

These are the closest. I had GMax before, the “bite” and catapult was good but not as amazing as my Speed 90.

Hasha V still in production. Never used it but heard it’s a good one.

Thank you for the suggestions, I have looked up on the g-max but found that 400+ Sing is quite a sizable price. I found the cypress-s more accessible.

 

[olive-nguyen]

You can talk with one of my friends, @greenbeanmachine
he knows his way around Jpen

Other than that, if you really want cheap go with the Yinhe 982. If you want a better one, go with the Butterfly T-Max.

Also, I suggest getting new rubbers along with the blade; gives you a new connection xD

For rubbers, I suggest:
Skyline (either boost or get the NEO)
Nittaku Fastarc
Hurricane

Btw, I also think it is better to remove the BH. I heard it removes some of the feel of the hinoki. If you really want, make ur pips in OX, not 0.7, cuz OX is just better (satire)

I have been thinking more accessible being the 982, with boosted h3, 2.1mm, as it’s not really at a point where I can say I deserve the t-max. As for the backhand pimps at 0.7mm, I use it during serve receives, (not with twiddling tho), and I do use it at times for backhand chops, (following Joo Sae Hyuk on PD channel), and would OX pimps be spinny enough to land a good backspin? Or would it act as a non spin sensitive rubber.

 

[PenHoldSandro]

I have been thinking more accessible being the 982, with boosted h3, 2.1mm, as it’s not really at a point where I can say I deserve the t-max.

You can say that, but I think you should go for it.

As for the backhand pimps at 0.7mm, I use it during serve receives, (not with twiddling tho), and I do use it at times for backhand chops, (following Joo Sae Hyuk on PD channel)...

Oh you chop with it! I thought you just use it to disrupt. IMO, you can make it thinner because Hinoki blades are heavy, and the added weight could hurt ur wrist.

...and would OX pimps be spinny enough to land a good backspin? Or would it act as a non spin sensitive rubber.

I think it can be both. The one I have can do that but it isn't so good compared to sponge ones.

 

[Scarfed Garchomp]

I have been thinking more accessible being the 982, with boosted h3, 2.1mm, as it’s not really at a point where I can say I deserve the t-max. As for the backhand pimps at 0.7mm, I use it during serve receives, (not with twiddling tho), and I do use it at times for backhand chops, (following Joo Sae Hyuk on PD channel), and would OX pimps be spinny enough to land a good backspin? Or would it act as a non spin sensitive rubber.

Yinhe 982 is not Hinoki, it looks a lot like Hinoki but I have tried a few and it is not the same. Whatever wood it is is very hard and bouncy, not like the very soft and catchy feeling of true Hinoki, my Tmax and Vmax are both much better feeling. If its what you want then I guess it can be a good alternative but if you're looking for legit Hinoki feeling then you have to go for products like Victas Dynam 10.5 or whatever Xiom has to offer. You can also find Butterfly blades imported from Japan and Korea, off of eBay for reasonable prices

 

[PenHoldSandro]

Yinhe 982 is not Hinoki, it looks a lot like Hinoki but I have tried a few and it is not the same. Whatever wood it is is very hard and bouncy, not like the very soft and catchy feeling of true Hinoki, my Tmax and Vmax are both much better feeling. If its what you want then I guess it can be a good alternative but if you're looking for legit Hinoki feeling then you have to go for products like Victas Dynam 10.5 or whatever Xiom has to offer. You can also find Butterfly blades imported from Japan and Korea, off of eBay for reasonable prices

Oh Ive never heard of that! Maybe its American hinoki.

 

[olive-nguyen]

Yinhe 982 is not Hinoki, it looks a lot like Hinoki but I have tried a few and it is not the same. Whatever wood it is is very hard and bouncy, not like the very soft and catchy feeling of true Hinoki, my Tmax and Vmax are both much better feeling. If its what you want then I guess it can be a good alternative but if you're looking for legit Hinoki feeling then you have to go for products like Victas Dynam 10.5 or whatever Xiom has to offer. You can also find Butterfly blades imported from Japan and Korea, off of eBay for reasonable prices

Hmmm, so the hinoki word on the blade is a little sneaky... that being said there was no mention about what kind of hinoki it is so it's just not doing research on my part.

 

[haggisv]

There are a few varieties of Hinoki, but "Kiso Hinoki" is regarded by most as being the best (this is what Darker uses as well), and this comes only from the Kiso region in Japan.
If it's not marked as Kiso Hinoki, you can't be sure that it is in fact Kiso Hinoki, although most high-end hinoki blades from the major brands are likely Kiso Hinoki.

Darker told me a few years ago that they discontinued a lot of their blades, because of a severe shortage of high quality Kiso Hinoki wood.

 

[olive-nguyen]

There are a few varieties of Hinoki, but "Kiso Hinoki" is regarded by most as being the best (this is what Darker uses as well), and this comes only from the Kiso region in Japan.
If it's not marked as Kiso Hinoki, you can't be sure that it is in fact Kiso Hinoki, although most high-end hinoki blades from the major brands are likely Kiso Hinoki.

Darker told me a few years ago that they discontinued a lot of their blades, because of a severe shortage of high quality Kiso Hinoki wood.

I'm currently in kuching my mom's hometown and have seen a variety of jpen blades. I've asked the shop owner a jpenholder and he said he uses a nittaku miyabi with fastarc g-1. It this a good blade? It feels good in the hand and it's 1 ply hinoki, 9mm tho. Plus it's not the lightest even for 1 ply hinoki at 91g. I have seen his butterfly t-max at 87g.

 

[olive-nguyen]

I'm currently in kuching my mom's hometown and have seen a variety of jpen blades. I've asked the shop owner a jpenholder and he said he uses a nittaku miyabi with fastarc g-1. It this a good blade? It feels good in the hand and it's 1 ply hinoki, 9mm tho. Plus it's not the lightest even for 1 ply hinoki at 91g. I have seen his butterfly t-max at 87g.

As for t max, he trimmed a but of the grip and parts of the cork at the back tho.

 

[olive-nguyen]

Guys i think this chat has come to an end. I've gone and done it and bought a Nittaku Miyabi Round. Ignore the price tag the shop keeper sold it at 100RM less.

 

[olive-nguyen]

Now all I need is to find rubbers to put on it. I've talked to a distant cousin in sarawak tt team and he mentioned that there isn't much way to sustain as one side only penhold. I'm thinking Tacky on both sides and forehand rubber at 40 degrees. Backhand 37-38.
Budget at most 40SGD per rubber. I'm thinking fastarc g-1 forehand and h3 on backhand. What do you suggest?