SDC Handmade Blades

[hipnotic]

Hi hipnotic,

I am just wandering, that for many blades the most usual ply structure is to include harder plies towards the surface.
Did you made and/or played blades with reverse order - progressively harder plies towards the core, except that the core is also a soft and light wood (for example, Joola Rosskopf Emotion came into my mind with hinoki | koto | thin carbon | ayous structure)?
What differences do you feel between the usual and the JRE kind of blades in gameplay - and does this affect your rubber choices?
The same question would apply to "sandwich" blades as well - 7 ply all wood with hard | soft | hard | soft arrangement.

I would be happy to hear other members' thoughts as well, just I guess, you are familiar with these either by your experience, or by your clients' experience, who requested similar blades.

There is a limit to how much a blade can weigh, otherwise it will become unplayable for most people, so you can't use heavy woods everywhere. Putting the hard and dense plies on the outer part of the blade is the most efficient way in terms of stiffness and hardness. The core is usually the thickest layer on a blade, so if you use a heavy wood you really limit the other plies, they will have to be really light light or thin. The consequence of putting a very hard layer against a soft one is that it can make the blade feel "hollow". That can happen on all types of structures, including inner fiber blades with a really hard composite and a soft core. For me, blades with harder outer plies are more predictable, they may have a higher base speed, but the speed increment is proportional to the force you apply. Some inner fiber blades can become a bit tricky to handle, for example when you have szlc next to the core. They feel tamed of soft strokes, but will suddenly shoot off on higher impact. Rubbers will perform differently on different blades, but it's really more of a personal taste rather than a good or bad situation.

 

[hipnotic]

Another Katana 🙂

Composition: Hinoki / ALC / Kiri / ALC / Hinoki
Weight: 86.6g
Thickness: 7.1mm
Freq.: 1485Hz
Balance: 2.7cm (Low)

 

[Zwill]

Another Katana 🙂

Composition: Hinoki / ALC / Kiri / ALC / Hinoki
Weight: 86.6g
Thickness: 7.1mm
Freq.: 1485Hz
Balance: 2.7cm (Low)

This is really interesting. It's similar to a Primorac Carbon but the freq of a PC is so much higher around 1800Hz. I wonder if it's due to the pure Tamca 5000 vs ALC. Still it's always fantastic to see a hinoki blade I always wondered if the year ring lines influence the play of the blade. I just noticed that PC blades have very dense lines near playing area and on the "non playing" area (if you hold the racket in shakehand the top area) the lines are much less dense.

 

[hipnotic]

This is really interesting. It's similar to a Primorac Carbon but the freq of a PC is so much higher around 1800Hz. I wonder if it's due to the pure Tamca 5000 vs ALC. Still it's always fantastic to see a hinoki blade I always wondered if the year ring lines influence the play of the blade. I just noticed that PC blades have very dense lines near playing area and on the "non playing" area (if you hold the racket in shakehand the top area) the lines are much less dense.

The frequency on this one came out a bit lower than expected, I'm not sure why. I've made this exact composition at the same time and the frequency was 100Hz higher.

The growth rings definitely affect how the blade performs. More rings means more density, which also means more stiffness and more weight. It would be logical to use the higher density part for the hitting area, but I'm not sure if Butterfly does that kind of quality control...

 

[hipnotic]

Make 5 plies great again!

Composition: Limba / Limba / Ayous / Limba / Limba
Weight: 87.6g
Thickness: 5.8mm
Freq.: 1185Hz
Balance: 3.0cm (Med)

 

[hipnotic]

Based on a Hugo Hal, a fast attacking blade with a relatively soft feeling.

Available FS.

Composition: Koto / Aramid / Limba / Kiri / Limba / Aramid / Koto
Weight: 90.0g
Thickness: 5.75mm
Freq.: 1485Hz
Balance: 2.9cm (Med/Low)

 

[damszelfly]

Hello hipnotic,

Do you know this wood?
https://www.wood-database.com/tornillo/

By visual appearance, it can be similar to limba regarding being coarse-pored, but the overall colors are pretty much copper and red-brown. This could be a very decorative outer plywood, which has favorable mechanical characteristics as well (hardness is around koto, but stiffness is around limba).

(I could imagine a blade with this as outer ply, and a thicker ply of douglas fir underneath - maybe in addition with a spin-friendly composite fiber to make it a real monster.)

What do you think?

 

[Kolev]

Dear Hipnotic. I am big fan of your meticulous art and I am eagerly waiting to have one of your master pieces. Still choosing though...and in this contest it will be easier for me to choose if you include the more self-explanatory description as ALL, OFF, stiff/flexible , hard/soft etc . The frequency thing is not very convenient for dummies like me , or maybe it would be if you were descibing the qualities of identical models.
I like to believe that , lets say two different brands of violins , when measured will probably show the same frequency response, not to mention pianos. Although they will show the same figures, the difference of the whole sound will be huge for many other reasons.
So please don't confuse my already confused EJ mindset and try to add some standard descriptions.
With respect

 

[hipnotic]

Hello hipnotic,

Do you know this wood?
https://www.wood-database.com/tornillo/

By visual appearance, it can be similar to limba regarding being coarse-pored, but the overall colors are pretty much copper and red-brown. This could be a very decorative outer plywood, which has favorable mechanical characteristics as well (hardness is around koto, but stiffness is around limba).

(I could imagine a blade with this as outer ply, and a thicker ply of douglas fir underneath - maybe in addition with a spin-friendly composite fiber to make it a real monster.)

What do you think?

Never heard of it to be honest. But the mechanical properties are not far from the Framiré I'm using when I want something between Koto and Limba (you can look it up as Idigbo). Color also varies a bit like Limba, now I have brown sheets but the ones I was using were yellow.

I would love to use it, but first I would need to find it [emoji846]

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

 

[hipnotic]

Dear Hipnotic. I am big fan of your meticulous art and I am eagerly waiting to have one of your master pieces. Still choosing though...and in this contest it will be easier for me to choose if you include the more self-explanatory description as ALL, OFF, stiff/flexible , hard/soft etc . The frequency thing is not very convenient for dummies like me , or maybe it would be if you were descibing the qualities of identical models.
I like to believe that , lets say two different brands of violins , when measured will probably show the same frequency response, not to mention pianos. Although they will show the same figures, the difference of the whole sound will be huge for many other reasons.
So please don't confuse my already confused EJ mindset and try to add some standard descriptions.
With respect

Well, if you go to my website I have a bit more information there, including the rating. I also have posts explaining the more technical stuff, for the ones that might be confused. However, I really dislike ratings, I think it's a very poor way of describing a blade. I only use them because I understand that some people need that kind of info, and at the moment I have no better way of presenting it. A blade doesn't have speed, it's an inanimate object, a blade reacts. How it reacts depends on several factors, some of which are hard to measure and present objectively. It also doesn't have control, you control it. It might allow you to do some things better than others, and that is something I try to include. The ratings I use are based on my personal experience, and my notion of soft or hard, fast or slow, etc, might be different from yours. Whenever possible I try to make a comparison with a known blade, that is at least a starting point. The frequency, which is related to the stiffness, is just one piece of info and it tells very little about how a blade will perform. I contemplated not including that info because many people were (and still are) wrongfully relating that to speed. However, it's still useful for some, and I was asked to keep it, so you can just choose to ignore it if it does nothing for you. I have the intention of turning it to a scale, I think that will be easier to understand.

However, if you really want one of my blades you can just order one. That is what I do. The blades I have for sale on the website are just something I make between custom orders, for no particular reason, I just like to experiment. So it might be a while until I post something that you like.

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

 

[Lazer]

Dear Hipnotic. I am big fan of your meticulous art and I am eagerly waiting to have one of your master pieces. Still choosing though...and in this contest it will be easier for me to choose if you include the more self-explanatory description as ALL, OFF, stiff/flexible , hard/soft etc . The frequency thing is not very convenient for dummies like me , or maybe it would be if you were descibing the qualities of identical models.
I like to believe that , lets say two different brands of violins , when measured will probably show the same frequency response, not to mention pianos. Although they will show the same figures, the difference of the whole sound will be huge for many other reasons.
So please don't confuse my already confused EJ mindset and try to add some standard descriptions.
With respect

What You are asking for is close to impossible. It's easy to measure the frequency, but since it does not always correspond to speed a blade must be played with to determine the ALL OFF etc levels.
To be able to determine this each blade need to tested, specially with unusual ones.
Frequency is basically standard, but again is only a rough estimate.
I found this some time ago (don't remember where) :

Blade frequencies:
- 1,000 DEF
1000 - 1,100 ALL
1,100 - 1,250 ALL+
1,250 - 1,400 OFF-
1,400 - 1,600 OFF
1,600 - OFF+

Cheers
L-zr

 

[jammmail]

Make 5 plies great again!

Composition: Limba / Limba / Ayous / Limba / Limba
Weight: 87.6g
Thickness: 5.8mm
Freq.: 1185Hz
Balance: 3.0cm (Med)

Love the look off this one - great work!

 

[damszelfly]

Never heard of it to be honest. But the mechanical properties are not far from the Framiré I'm using when I want something between Koto and Limba (you can look it up as Idigbo). Color also varies a bit like Limba, now I have brown sheets but the ones I was using were yellow.

I would love to use it, but first I would need to find it [emoji846]

Sent from my MAR-LX1A using Tapatalk

It seems, that I found already a very similar wood to Tornillo in your veneer list:
https://www.wood-database.com/anigre/

Very closely resembling, just more closed structure, thus, better modulus of rupture. So this is probably only cosmetics from now on, but still, an interesting find.

 

[hipnotic]

It seems, that I found already a very similar wood to Tornillo in your veneer list:
https://www.wood-database.com/anigre/

Very closely resembling, just more closed structure, thus, better modulus of rupture. So this is probably only cosmetics from now on, but still, an interesting find.

Yes, Anigre is also another option. We get to a point where some woods are so similar that the differences will be mostly visual. Anigre is nice due to its closed pore nature, very smooth and does not splinter easily.

 

[hipnotic]

Dracula ordered a blade 🙂

I will be honest, I had no curiosity in making this shape, but I'm only here to fulfill my customers' wishes. I'm just happy to have customers that go along with my crazy ideas, so why not a coffin shaped handle to go along with the coffin shaped head? And make it extra bloody to spark fear on the opponents!

Composition: Ash / Ash / Kiri / Ash / Ash
Weight: 88.4g
Thickness: 5.4mm
Freq.: 1162Hz
Balance: 2.4cm (Low)

PS: I had no intention of copying Stiga, this was just a fun challenge, so if you really want a Cybershape, I suggest you buy the real thing 🙂

 

[chintanmashroo]

Stiga patent pending

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6010 using Tapatalk

 

[hipnotic]

Stiga patent pending

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6010 using Tapatalk

Right, but I doubt that Stiga will feel threatened by a small blade manufactured. They will have much more problems with the Chinese! Anyway, this was probably a one time thing, I was really more curious about the handle than the shape itself.

 

[Lazer]

Dracula ordered a blade 🙂

I will be honest, I had no curiosity in making this shape, but I'm only here to fulfill my customers' wishes. I'm just happy to have customers that go along with my crazy ideas, so why not a coffin shaped handle to go along with the coffin shaped head? And make it extra bloody to spark fear on the opponents!

Composition: Ash / Ash / Kiri / Ash / Ash
Weight: 88.4g
Thickness: 5.4mm
Freq.: 1162Hz
Balance: 2.4cm (Low)

PS: I had no intention of copying Stiga, this was just a fun challenge, so if you really want a Cybershape, I suggest you buy the real thing 🙂

That's a really nice shape, but I don't think I would like to hold coffin handle even though it's looking goood.

Cheers
L-zr

 

[hipnotic]

That's a really nice shape, but I don't think I would like to hold coffin handle even though it's looking goood.

Cheers
L-zr

It felt comfortable to me, but then again I'm not too picky about the handle as long as it's not too small.

 

[hleett]

Stiga patent pending

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6010 using Tapatalk

Can they patent a hexagonal shape? If a shape can be patented then we can patent the oval shape of the Viscaria and start suing all the TT blade manufacturers. We'd made a fortune.