How you protect your expensive blade

[confuser]

My anxiety rely on 300$ blade

 

[lodro]

My anxiety rely on 300$ blade

protect it from WHAT ?????

Theft ?
Rain ???
Fungus ????

Envy ????

 

[Lowday20298]

Simply put, I don't. Not many do other than a good case. Even sealing is relatively rare because the blade gets hard and slippery when you sweat.

My Viscaria is old, worn, beat and full of dents and tons of patches, still plays beautifully, even if it looks more like a bunch of patches with a blade somewhere in there, lost in the chaos of patches on patches.

For my Intensity, I just make sure to take care and not hit it accidentally against the table, and of course put in case when not in use. Sometimes I let it out on my desk overnight if I had a long session and sweat a lot to let the sweat evaporate.

And talking about sweat, sweat comes with a bunch of misconceptions. A good quality blade will not get damaged from sweat alone even a bit. The only effects is that it will get slightly softer and more easily playable, also known as breaking in the blade. Of course colour will change too. If it starts ripping apart because of the sweat, then the blade was bad to begin with.

Blades are meant to be used, if it gets damaged, it's on you. If it wears out because of use then good, you're making use of it. If it gets too damaged to use, buy a new one.

Ryu seung min has been using his racket for decades, his blade is hit a million times and discoloured from sweat beyond recognition. That goes to show that it'll be fine, as long as you don't break it.

Hell, it's enough for an Olympic champion...

 

[confuser]

protect it from WHAT ?????

Theft ?
Rain ???
Fungus ????

Envy ????

Damage, dusty color

 

[dingyibvs]

I don't do anything different. I seal all my limba blades, and I put edge tape on all my primary blades (thin cloth one over the entire edge, additional foam one over the FH edge).

 

[ben1229]

I don't get it. Showcase blade? If its your main blade, you don't have to do anything , if it don't broke , it last years.

 

[kingkimchi]

Damage, dusty color

Damage: Edge Tape, (IMPORTANT NOTE: AFTER USING EDGE TAPE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, THE SIDE OF THE BLADE WILL TURN BROWNISH AND STICKY, SO DON'T TAKE IT OFF UNLESS IT COMES DOWN BY ITSELF.)
Dusty Color: Use like wrapping tape like ik butterfly has one but it's hella expensive. Maybe try tennis, hockey, or badminton wrapping tapes to stop sweat from getting into the handle.

 

[SamTheMan]

I use this edge tape. It will protect your blade from lighter hits on the table. https://www.tabletennis11.com/other_eng/nittaku-edge-tape-super-shock-guard

 

[PaddyPolar]

I use this edge tape. It will protect your blade from lighter hits on the table. https://www.tabletennis11.com/other_eng/nittaku-edge-tape-super-shock-guard

Yeah, normally the 'smoother' edge tapes work better that the kind of soft ones. Less vulnerable to tears in itself, providing more protection to the blade.

 

[Lazer]

It’s a no brainer:
- A thin layer of varnish against moisture and ripping.
- 2 to 3 layers of raw linseed oil on the handle, against sweat.
- Edge tape against catching on the table edge.

Cheers
L-zr

 

[ben1229]

Anyone use carbon type edge tape? Wanna try one, but hard to find. Seems very light and strong, 6mm will be perfect!

 

[TackyForehand]

Hard case with interior foam
Sealant of 2 layers
Foam edge tape
Rubber film protection (prolongs rubber use to reduce rubber changes and chance of wood splitting on removal)
Store away from heat and cold, pests and termites, and control humidity against mold
Never attempt the edge and corner shots

Just a short list off the top of my head. Perhaps there is more that could be done and an insurance policy that can be bought somewhere.

 

[Der_Echte]

Wipe that puppy with your Der_Echte bear sweat, run it down the side of your shorts, ceremoniously wave it around, then toss that sucka in ur bat case and call it a day.

 

[Der_Echte]

If the outer ply of the blade is hard and dense grain, you are often fine without a sealer. if top ply is thin and fragile, like Limba on Stiga blades, you better seal that joker or you gunna disintegrate like an icy meteorite entering the atmosphere.

 

[Trevize84]

Seal the blade, use edge tape, use rubber protection sheets (sticky if rubber isn't tacky), buy a bat cover either hard case or a very thick and soft case, keep the bat far from kids, animals, water and fire, don't hit the table and last but not least don't use the handle for pleasure sake especially in the lower parts of your body (if that sounds strange, you can't imagine what you can see in an emergency room).

 

[Lazer]

Anyone use carbon type edge tape? Wanna try one, but hard to find. Seems very light and strong, 6mm will be perfect!

6mm is too thin, You want the edge tape to prevent the rubber to pull off the top layer of your blade when the overhang catches the table…

Cheers
L-zr

 

[lodro]

Anyone use carbon type edge tape? Wanna try one, but hard to find. Seems very light and strong, 6mm will be perfect!

unless you use 6mm wide and at least .3mm thick titanium tape, nothing will prevent the "edge-crack".

 

[ben1229]

6mm is too thin, You want the edge tape to prevent the rubber to pull off the top layer of your blade when the overhang catches the table…

Cheers
L-zr

Nah, I just want to cover the blade, that's it.

 

[ben1229]

unless you use 6mm wide and at least .3mm thick titanium tape, nothing will prevent the "edge-crack".

Never worry about edge crack, just couries how it is.

 

[Lazer]

Nah, I just want to cover the blade, that's it.

The most likely damage you’ll get is your rubber ripping your top layer, happen to me twice before I started to use edge tape…

Cheers
L-zr