I bought a Viscaria as a begginer. Here's what it did to me and my thoughts on the subject.

says Resident cheepo ej
says Resident cheepo ej
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I got my Viscaria in my second year of playing.

I used a Adidas premade for about 6~8 months when I first started playing and because I was playing quite a bit the rubbers gave out. I got a Donic Persson Power AR Senso V1 with china/jap hard hybrid rubbers for about 35 euros for the blade and 15 bucks for both the rubbers, my coach's recommendation and started playing.

After a year I had played some defense, that I didn't like, and got a pair of Rozena. Hated how they played on the Donic, it felt hollow and inconsistent, I wanted a blade with a big sweet spot that would have consistent contact, so after a few more months I found a good deal on a new Viscaria, it was on sale, and I bought it without knowing much, other that my coach saying it was not a blade for my level. I got it, glued the Rozenas on and started playing with no problem. Took me a week to get used to it, I fell in love with the balance it had and if I hadn't treated it so bad and hadn't got damaged, I would still use it.

But covid hit and I didn't play for some 7~8 months, when I went to play I couldn’t control it, I bought a Clipper to develop some feeling but ended up liking it, kept it for a year, then bought my bestie's Stiga Intensity NCT on a great price and played with it until now, about 1,5 year.

Now I want to get back to the original plan, BTY outer alc but the Viscaria is badly damaged. I sat down and fixed it by using super glue and wood pieces, and filling what’s missing with a glue and sawdust mixture. Then I sanded everything down to make it flat and even and it was done. The blade looked like it survived the great war, ww2 and the cold war, then came out of it with a bunch of scars like damn Rambo.

Funny part is that it plays like brand new, it’s completely even and flat. Now I’m scared to use it because I have a connection with that blade. I don't want to damage it again.

So here I am, 6 years after first buying my Viscaria, finding out that blade is now 170 euros in my local shop, same price with Boll alc, me wanting to try a straight handle having realized that all European pros use straight almost exclusively and debating if I should get a Boll alc with the nice thick and square straight handle, or another Viscaria with the nice thick squared flare.

I’m leaning towards the TBALC because I don’t like buying same blades and I feel like I want to see what it has to offer. The only case I don’t buy the boll is if the st handle doesn’t fit in my hand, or if the weight is too much or little. I’ll go to the shop and see how I like it.

So 6 years after buying my baby, and I’m kinda crawling back for round two. That’s what good equipment does.

To answer the obvious question, did it affect me negatively getting a carbon blade so early on?

No, it fit my style and I put in the work to quickly advance and control it. After the Rozena I also put Hurricane 3 on the forehand and Baracuda on the backhand, so I had a bit more control, to the point where I had no problem playing with it, and it showed in tournaments, I did well and got a few medals. If you’re thinking of doing the same thing and are confident in what you are looking for, do it. I recommend the Viscaria because it’s a softer outer carbon blade with the carbon engaging linearly and consistently, making it predictable and easy to understand. Inner carbon blades tend to have a hard kick when the carbon activates making them a bit more unpredictable on the low level. TB spirit is also another good blade, I played with it a bit a few years back, I guess the TB alc too since they are supposed to be identical, but they are a bit harder from what I remember.

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says Resident cheepo ej
says Resident cheepo ej
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keep playing it! I've seen some of the best players with the most beat old blades. You gotta go with what works
I was in that boat but every time I change rubbers on this, I have to glue back all of the pieces that come off. It's an endless loop...
 
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Hard to find an old vis nowaday, maybe fzd alc is a sub option. My old vis S series also damaged in the cord,then I changed blade. If you can try out fzd alc try it before you buy other blade.
 
says Resident cheepo ej
says Resident cheepo ej
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Hard to find an old vis nowaday, maybe fzd alc is a sub option. My old vis S series also damaged in the cord,then I changed blade. If you can try out fzd alc try it before you buy other blade.
It's too expensive, I'll just buy another viscaria and be done with it. It's the same gen, I'll just make sure it's close to this one's weight
 
I'm not selling my baby.

I already bought a new one too.
Glad you bought a new Viscaria.

I was away from the game for 10 years before I came back. When I came back, I was using Yasaka Ma Lin carbon. My coach took a look at it and says it is too slow for the 40+mm plastic ball and set me up with a brand new Viscaria with Tenergy 05 fx on the forehand and Tenergy 64 fx on the backhand side. I hated it. I could not control it.

On my own, I downgraded to Tibhar Stratus Powerwood (5-ply all wood) and put Hurricane on the forehand and ESN rubber on the backhand (started with C-1 before upgrading that side to G-1). I liked it very much. I just recently switched to a carbon blade about a year ago but the carbon is fast but not too fast.

I still think Viscaria is too fast for me but I have not bothered trying it out recently.
 
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Glad you bought a new Viscaria.

I was away from the game for 10 years before I came back. When I came back, I was using Yasaka Ma Lin carbon. My coach took a look at it and says it is too slow for the 40+mm plastic ball and set me up with a brand new Viscaria with Tenergy 05 fx on the forehand and Tenergy 64 fx on the backhand side. I hated it. I could not control it.

On my own, I downgraded to Tibhar Stratus Powerwood (5-ply all wood) and put Hurricane on the forehand and ESN rubber on the backhand (started with C-1 before upgrading that side to G-1). I liked it very much. I just recently switched to a carbon blade about a year ago but the carbon is fast but not too fast.

I still think Viscaria is too fast for me but I have not bothered trying it out recently.
I'm curious, why didn't you use the Ma Lin Carbon instead?
 
I'm curious, why didn't you use the Ma Lin Carbon instead?
Don't know. Ma Lin Carbon was a slow carbon so I ended up picking an all wood blade for its feeling. And Tibhar Stratus Powerwood had good reviews on it. I played with that blade for 3-4 years. I like it!
 
says Resident cheepo ej
says Resident cheepo ej
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Glad you bought a new Viscaria.

I was away from the game for 10 years before I came back. When I came back, I was using Yasaka Ma Lin carbon. My coach took a look at it and says it is too slow for the 40+mm plastic ball and set me up with a brand new Viscaria with Tenergy 05 fx on the forehand and Tenergy 64 fx on the backhand side. I hated it. I could not control it.

On my own, I downgraded to Tibhar Stratus Powerwood (5-ply all wood) and put Hurricane on the forehand and ESN rubber on the backhand (started with C-1 before upgrading that side to G-1). I liked it very much. I just recently switched to a carbon blade about a year ago but the carbon is fast but not too fast.

I still think Viscaria is too fast for me but I have not bothered trying it out recently.
I used to play it years ago, I don't like my new one right now because it just feels too hard and the ball flies too much.

But I know how it's gonna be in a few months time due to my experience with my old one. It needs some time to break in and soften up, it's gonna take some years to fully break in and become like my old one, and I'll give it the time it needs, I purposely sat out this season to give time to the blade and rubbers to break in. The rubbers are new and Tenergy needs about a month to get into playing condition. The viscaria on the other hand will take a bit longer.

So it's a setup that needs time, you have to play the long game with it. Especially the Viscaria, when new it's hard and unpleasant, when it breaks in it becomes soft and nice.
 
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I used to play it years ago, I don't like my new one right now because it just feels too hard and the ball flies too much.

But I know how it's gonna be in a few months time due to my experience with my old one. It needs some time to break in and soften up, it's gonna take some years to fully break in and become like my old one, and I'll give it the time it needs, I purposely sat out this season to give time to the blade and rubbers to break in. The rubbers are new and Tenergy needs about a month to get into playing condition. The viscaria on the other hand will take a bit longer.

So it's a setup that needs time, you have to play the long game with it. Especially the Viscaria, when new it's hard and unpleasant, when it breaks in it becomes soft and nice.
Hm... What series is your new vis? I try more than 5 X series in the club they all softer than old one.
 
says Resident cheepo ej
says Resident cheepo ej
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Hm... What series is your new vis? I try more than 5 X series in the club they all softer than old one.
My old one is s series and new is x. Same blade, but the old one has been broken in for a long time and it's gotten nice and soft. Years of gluing, once speed glued a rozena, and a bunch of Chinese rubbers that I liked to add more glue, so it softened up real nice.
 
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