SDC Handmade Blades

[SDC]

I can always rely on you to answer with great nuance and accuracy. Thanks again.

And yes, PVA glue. Lol. Maybe someone should try 5000 psi epoxy some time. Lol.

I did not know Hide glue was more flexible than PVA glue. Perhaps its that hide glue create a non-penetrating layer of bond rather than PVA glue's method of soaking into food fibers that makes
Hide glue blades a bit harder (but in a clear way rather than dull and sharp)? A bit like listening to open-back headphones versus speakers in an untreated room.

Have you tried the whole burnt layer wood thingy like the Victas Swat? I was googling the wood hardness changes with heat and did not know certain temperatures (with short exposure) causes wood to harden but after a certain point, they actually get softer. Who knew.

I would love to read a book on all the details of your blade making nuance findings.

Hide it's generally more flexible than PVA, at least in a first stage. They are both water based so they still lift the wood fibers and hold to them, but hide it's water soluble while PVA is not. The thing is PVA remains stable after it dries, but Hide will continue to harden and shrink throughout its life. So in the first stages its more flexible, while it still has some moisture content, but eventually it gets hard and brittle.

The only experience I have with with "burnt wood" is with Thermo Treated Ash in my handles. Every wood has a residue water content, even the ones that are kiln dried, this process removes that last bit of moisture and it becomes literally dry. It also "cooks" and removes the natural wood oils, which closes the pores to some degree, this increases the density and the hardness, but it doesn't turn into a completely different wood. It's a bit like Limba vs Framiré, Framiré is lighter than Limba but slightly harder and more brittle, but playing wise the difference is not so big, it's still softer than Koto.

I would love to read that book too 😂.

 

[SDC]

I'm not sure if I can deal with that uncertainty 😭


Interesting idea. But intuitively I would have expected that if the core is horizontal then the Ayous layers should be vertical . Or wouldn't that change much?

If I did that, then I wouldn't be decreasing the longitudinal stiffness of the blade as much as possible, which is what I wanted to do in the first place. But then you say: ok, then why not to use an horizontal top ply too, there's a composite blade in there, the blade will not warp, you can do that. And then I say: Because it looks ugly 🤣

But I did once create a veeery flexible composite blade, I need to share my findings on that one.

 

[SDC]

Is it outer or inner? It's both!

Ok, it's not the first time this has been done, there are blades out there with 4 composite layers, but I really wanted to try it with a soft fiber to see if I could get more kick from it. Turns out I didn't 😅. Spectra is so light, that even with 4 layers I was able to keep this blade under 80g and with a low balance! It simply doesn't have the mass to provide a lot of offensive power. However, it still has its place in the World, it has other characteristics that might be interesting to some. The sweetspot on it is really big, especially for a blade of this weight, it's stable and with low vibrations. It has a soft, but slightly crisp feeling, and it doesn't feel hollow, which is also unusual in light blades. To finalize, it has that characteristic loud Spectra sound.

Available FS.

- Koto / Spectra / Ayous / Spectra / Kiri / Spectra / Ayous / Spectra / Koto
- 77.9g
- 5.6mm
- 158x151mm
- ST (102x28.8x22.5mm)
- 1248Hz
- Balance: 2.8cm (Low)

 

[SDC]

Simple and straight to the point. Almost looks like I made this one for myself, but decided to sell it instead because I can't play 😅. Typical HL5 structure, but with Tola instead of Limba for the top ply. Tola is very similar to Limba, but slightly lighter, here I was going to need those extra grams because I tried a different lamination process. Making a blade faster, without making it harder as well, is difficult. This process aimed to do that, but in the end there isn't a noticeable difference in speed. It does however change the feeling, making it more clear and sharp. The downside is that it's slightly heavier than my regular process, so for a already kinda of heavy composition like this, it's really hard to keep the weight down. Although the blade is not that heavy, it is a bit head heavy, but this also means you will be able to generate great power from mid distance.

Available FS.

- Tola / Ayous / AC / Ayous / AC / Ayous / Tola
- 89.1g
- 6.0mm
- 159x150mm
- ST (100x23.3x28.5mm)
- 1313Hz
- Balance: 3.7cm (High)

 

[SDC]

Another blade that was not supposed to be here, it was meant for another customer but I wasn't able to comply with all of his specifications. It was a real challenge, inner AC with Ayous core, under 89g and a low balance, while still being relatively fast and soft. Unfortunately I failed the task, achieving a low balance with this composition requires a low density core, which is not always easy to get. In terms of structure, the core is a little thicker than on HL5 with a thinner medial ply, for a better compromise between FH and BH. The shape is based on an old Vis, which had bigger wings than the current ones. While the handle dimensions may make it seem like a small handle, it does in fact feel chunky in the hand due to the larger wings.

Available FS.

- Limba / Ayous / AC / Ayous / AC / Ayous / Limba
- 91.0g
- 6.0mm
- 157x150mm
- FL (100x24.5-22.3mm)
- 1356Hz
- Balance: 3.1cm (Med)

 

[SDC]

Inner fiber blades with a low balance are very uncommon in the market. Usually they use Ayous as the core, and Ayous, while still being relatively light, is still heavier than Kiri (most of the times). The core normally corresponds to the biggest percentage of the composition, so the weight of this layer will really determine how heavy and head heavy the blade is in the end. From my experience, Ayous is getting increasingly heavy, low density Ayous is getting harder and harder to get. So, this blades is the first of a few attempts at replacing the core with Kiri, in order to achieve a low balance inner blade. The problem with this, is that Kiri is also softer than Ayous, so on harder shots you don't get the extra kick that Ayous provides. We can bypass this by using denser weave composite layers, and even denser top plies. Not exactly what I did here because this Koto is fairly light, but I did use European Cypress instead of Ayous in the medial layer. EC doesn't have the same bouncy nature that Asian Cypress has, in fact it's quite neutral, so in the end this turned out to be a really linear blade with a medium hardness. The handle is also made from Cypress, and it's chunky and full, not appropriate if you like small handles.

Available FS.

- Koto / Cypress / S-AxC / Kiri / S-AxC / Cypress / Koto
- 87.9g
- 6.05mm
- 157x150mm
- FL (100x24.8-22.8mm)
- 1335Hz
- Balance: 2.9cm (Low)

 

[SlowPower]

Nice blade- why is the koto that thin on one side?

 

[SDC]

Nice blade- why is the koto that thin on one side?

Thanks. It's thin on both sides, 0.45mm to be precise.

 

[SDC]

Today's blade comes with a sentimental rant, so please bear with me.

When I stated this 4 years ago I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just wanted to work with something that I loved and manage my own working hours. However, slowly but steadily, the business gained proportions I never thought off, and I found myself working more and more. It's a lot to deal with for just one person, buying the supplies (wood, tools, fibers...), processing the supplies, the communication with the customers, managing the website, posting on social media, actually building the blades, managing the financial part, shipping the blades... Plus managing my personal life and issues, which hasn't been easy for the past couple of years. But you know what? I love all of it! And there is not a shed of regret in taking this path. I love what I do, and I do what I love, but that is only possible because other people also love what I do and support this craziness. That is one of the best feelings ever. All my life I heard my ideas are stupid, crazy, it will not work... Well, most of the time they are, but what if they do?! Starting this was perhaps my craziest idea ever, but it has worked so far 🙂. That's how I am, I like learn things, understand, experiment, learn from my mistakes, and it's nice to know that there are many people out there that also share this. I'm also the least snobby guy you will know, one of the reasons was also because I could wear comfortable clothes all day 😅. Making fancy handles was never my intention. I like practical, well crafted things that perform well, beauty is also important but it's secondary. However, I was challenged again and again by my customers to create more beautiful things and improve my woodworking skills. This blade is a testament to that, something that I would never dream I would be able to make 4 years ago. Not something I would personally use, but a representation of stepping out of my comfort zone. I had a whole background story prepared, on how the flames represent the duality of life (which kinda do), but to be honest it was just a spur of inspiration. Perhaps because it was how I was feeling inside? It is the priciest blade I've ever put here, but also the most expensive one in terms of materials, and the one I spent more time working on.

Getting here was not easy, 1000 blades doesn't seem like much, most brands probably do that in a day! However, I don't have a line of blades, or specific models, around 80-85% was custom work and the rest came out of my own initiative. This means that 800-850 of these blades were specifically crafted for a single person. I have not been alone in this path. I've had the unrelenting support of my parents, some people from my past that always believed in me, new people that believe even more, and my amazing customers always pushing me forward. To all, thank you!

So, when did it all start precisely? Was it when I made my first (very crappy) blade? Was it when I sold my first blade? Was it when I registered the business and started paying taxes? This brand is a reflection of me and a big part of my life, SDC stands for Sérgio Diz Cunha, and I make sure that every blade out there with this name has 100% of my effort and dedication. So, to me it only makes sense to celebrate its birth on my own birthday.

Happy birthday to SDC I guess 😅

- Kiso Hinoki / ZLC / Ayous / Kiri / Ayous / ZLC / Kiso Hinoki
- 86.3g
- 6.4mm
- 158x152mm
- FL (100x25.2-23.2mm)
- 1614Hz
- Balance: 2.4cm (Low)

 

[Lazer]

Happy b-day hipnotic 🎉

Cheers
L-zr

 

[darucla]

Hopefully I will get to try my new SDC blade on Wednesday. A variation on a BTY MPS. It looks great. Just came before an enforced playing break.

 

[Haraold]

SDC - Sérgio (Diz Cunha) Dance Continues, keep on doing what you love.maybe it started all for us when we fell in Love with Table Tennis.I love this game which i mean with the Dance.
And that one is Fire- it Burns and it Warms
Now get 2 Bluestar A1 for this beauty or your beloved Z2 or Z1.Happy Birthday!

 

[SlowPower]

Happy birthday and congrats to the 1000th blade (which is a beauty)!

 

[Tyce]

Congratulations Sergio! It's great to see lots of activity here again. I hope you are doing well and will keep on doing well for a long time.

 

[SDC]

To be honest I had the plies for this blade glued for a while, but when I moved the workshop it got forgotten inside a cabinet and I only finished it now. I think that the main characteristic of this blade is that it's very light, so it won't be as powerful from mid distance as other heavier outer fiber blades. However, it is more agile near the table. It also has small wings, so it's good if you don't really like to feel the wings touching your hand, or if you have a high grip position.

Available FS.

- Limba / ALC / Ayous / Kiri / Ayous / SZLC / Koto
- 79.6g
- 5.75mm
- 156x149mm
- FL (101x24.8-22.8mm)
- 1507Hz
- Balance: 2.7cm (Low)

 

[SDC]

The issue with the new trend of inner fiber blades with a thick core and and thinner outer plies, is that this puts the composite layer closer to the surface. You get an increase in stiffness, but also the hardness of the blade. Since we are still using an Ayous core, which is harder than the Kiri normally used on outer fiber blades, we need to be careful not to make the touch too hard due to the increase in thickness. What I'm doing here is using AxC instead of regular AC, because it's stiffer but softer, and it helps to balance the blade in terms of feeling. This one has a decently dense core and a slightly larger head size, which makes it head heavy, but powerful from mid distance. The handle is made from Limba with a cork center which feels nice in the hand. It's not a shape I usually do, it's very flared and doesn't quite sit right in the hand if you like to hold the blade with your entire palm, but it works really well if you just keep pressure with your thumb, index and middle finger.

Available FS.

- Limba / Ayous / AxC / Ayous / AxC / Ayous / Limba
- 87.5g
- 6.0mm
- 159x151mm
- FL (101x24.9-22.9mm)
- 1380Hz
- Balance: 3.7cm (High)

 

[SDC]

Similar in structure to #1007, it has a slightly thinner core made from Kiri, instead of Ayous, but a denser version of AxC composite fiber. Here you can see the importance of the core material, while the weights of these two blades are similar, the difference in balance is massive. On the other hand, it won't be as powerful from mid distance as #1007, that's why I used a denser composite, so that you can get a little more help from the fiber. The handle is also very different, normally flared handles are thicker at the bottom and thinner near the wings, this one has a constant thickness so it feels very chunky and full, not good for players with small hands.

Available FS.

- Limba / Ayous / S-AxC / Kiri / S-AxC / Ayous / Limba
- 88.2g
- 6.0mm
- 159x151mm
- FL (102x25.0mm)
- 1356Hz
- Balance: 2.7cm (Low)

 

[SDC]

This one is similar to #1010 but this time I thickened the core, used a lower density composite and a standard head size. It's an inner fiber blade but we are pretty much in outer fiber department in terms of stiffness and speed, although it will be slightly softer. Vis style shaped handle, but slightly chunkier.

Available FS.

- Limba / Ayous / AxC / Kiri / AxC / Ayous / Limba
- 87.8g
- 6.4mm
- 157x150mm
- FL (100x25.2-22.8mm)
- 1421Hz
- Balance: 2.7cm (Low)

 

[Der_Echte]

TTT, this may not be a good place for this post, maybe start a new discussion.

 

[SDC]

Pretty much the same structure as #1010 but with Izanas-Carbon instead of S-AxC, and a standard head-size. While they have a similar stiffness, Iz-C has more horizontal carbon content than S-AxC (which has none). Essentially, #1010 will give a bigger holding sensation on harder shots, while #1016 will give an extra kick. The handle is made from American Walnut, with a few color accents, the shape is again based on Vis, but slightly chunkier.

Available FS.

- Limba / Ayous / IzC / Kiri / IzC / Ayous / Limba
- 89.4g
- 6.0mm
- 157x150mm
- FL (100x24.8-23.0mm)
- 1400Hz
- Balance: 2.8cm (Low)