Tenergy for $42?

[Haraold]

if you buy in germany and it exceeds a certeain limit,you always get stress with customs and in the end you buy it for more than usual and tbf A.... stinks with tt equipment.

 

[piligrim]

I like to buy blade clones. For example, I own a couple Stuor Viscaria's. They are actually quite good and of course they say Stuor on the blade's face and blade's handle. After all, the blade composition is not a big industry secret. And I am sure it is not "patentable." Anyone can try to duplicate the wood and carbon composition of the blade and is not infringing on any patent per se.

Make blade with same composition doesn't mean it will play same as original. There are many blades with same composition as Viscaria from different brands but no one play same as Viscaria

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I don't think you need to be that aggressive with @TensorBackhand

From his posts, I know he buys a lot of stuff from Aliexpress. And I know from Aliexpress, a lot of items do have this QR code thing that you can scan with your phone to see if it is authentic. Quite honestly, the stuff are so cheap, I don't even bother to authenticate it.

Maybe he really does not buy Butterfly stuff or he has not bought it for a few years.

Hey, at least we are not talking about boosting here....

common sense tells me that
1) Butterfly is the strictest of them all - on who is allowed to sell and where they can sell to

2) that the seller in OP's link a) does not look like table tennis shop b) does not look like an authorized/approved/legitimate Butterfly reseller (don't need much brain to see it is dodgy as hell)

3) that common sense should prevail, especially when trying to save a few bucks here or there (you get guys who
want to drive half way around town to save a dollar, but they forget the cost of fuel and car maintenance and time)

4) When the price is too good to be true,, what is the saying?

5) if you don't get common sense, then buy things from that seller and pay school fees and over time, school fees will help gain you common sense. (Some people may have too much cash, and are eager for these kind of adventures)

End of the day, I know you get many types of consumers
One that shops around for the cheapest, or those that support local (and legitimate/official) small stores, or those that support official big stores. End of the day, it is all about relationships (or maybe not for some, as they don't care about it), and if you want to build relationship with someone who doesn't offer customer service, in return for cheap pricng, and risk fakes while doing so, well, that just who you are or who you want to be and the consequence follows too.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Make blade with same composition doesn't mean it will play same as original. There are many blades with same composition as Viscaria from different brands but no one play same as Viscaria

correct

Many think it is just same "material"
However, making a blade clone is so much easier than making a rubber clone.

With blades, it so technical, and just minor parts like - temperature control, or bonding method will make a huge difference to end result of how the blade plays and I'm not going into the technicality of how the plys are prepared and the design of sweatspot/balance.

Its like all those cybershape clones, they think cutting the blade to the same shape will also provide same sweatspot/balance. Getting the blade right is so difficult, that is why so many tier 1 brands have failed to mimic some of the top blade makers in the world today and even why some top blade makers fail to stay top, because the trend has moved from wood to carbon and wood only makers are now struggling to adapt.

 

[JJ Ng]

correct

Many think it is just same "material"
However, making a blade clone is so much easier than making a rubber clone.

With blades, it so technical, and just minor parts like - temperature control, or bonding method will make a huge difference to end result of how the blade plays and I'm not going into the technicality of how the plys are prepared and the design of sweatspot/balance.

Its like all those cybershape clones, they think cutting the blade to the same shape will also provide same sweatspot/balance. Getting the blade right is so difficult, that is why so many tier 1 brands have failed to mimic some of the top blade makers in the world today and even why some top blade makers fail to stay top, because the trend has moved from wood to carbon and wood only makers are now struggling to adapt.

I thought even among Viscaria's, one blade can play differently than another.

Honestly I do not like my Viscaria so I hope I got a "bad batch."

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I have seen those fake Tenergy on Aliexpress. If they are non-tensor, which is probably the case, I would not buy them even at $11. At that price I would rather buy Mercury II or Sanwei TT88 UltraSpin for around $8-9 with import taxes and shipping included.

I like to buy blade clones. For example, I own a couple Stuor Viscaria's. They are actually quite good and of course they say Stuor on the blade's face and blade's handle. After all, the blade composition is not a big industry secret. And I am sure it is not "patentable." Anyone can try to duplicate the wood and carbon composition of the blade and is not infringing on any patent per se.

Out of the three major clone companies coming from China: Stuor, XVT and Lemuria, I like Stuor the best so far. Their blade handles are comfortable. Shipping is very fast. I own a real Viscaria. Stuor's Viscaria clone plays eerily similar. However, does Stuor really use the same carbon material? I assume everyone's ALC's or ZLC's carbons are different, from Stuor to Butterfly to Tibhar to Gambler to Joola. Furthermore, we all know that each patch of wood is different. Even Butterfly's Viscaria from blade to blade, it will play differently. Hence no one can guarantee the weight range of any blade really at the end of the day.

However, I have noticed that some Lemuria blades literally print Viscaria on it or ZJK special edition, with Butterfly logo and name, including on the blade's face and blade's handle. I have a problem with that. I would not buy any blades like that. There is no question at that point they are infringing on logo's, etc. I would not buy and support that.

If I have a Stuor Viscaria clone, then I want my blade to say Stuor, both on the face and the handle. I don't care if they print "Stuor" all over the blade because it is a Stuor blade. Big deal I use a cheap carbon blade.

If have a Lemuria blade that is made by Lemuria but it prints Butterfly and Viscaria all over the blade, then that is going too far.

I don't buy bags. But I have no problem buying a generic bag for cheap and it lasts for a while because it is well made. Great.

But if the bag is fake, being sold by some roadside stand in Hong Kong, for twenty dollars and it says Gucci on it, that's going too far. I would not buy it for the principle of it.

So everyone of us has to figure out what he or she is comfortable it.

Again it is not like other major table tennis brands have not tried to copy Viscaria composition and stamp their own logo on the blade. Of course Viscaria is one of the most popular Butterfly or non-Butterfly blades in history. So anyone, including other major table tennis brands, trying to copy the composition of the blade, that is fair game.

But to copy it and put Butterfly printing and logo's on it, I would never support that at all.

Therefore, going back to the original topic, I would not buy a fake Tenergy no matter it is 5 dollars or 11 dollars. But I would be more than happy to buy Mercury II or Sanwei T88 Ultraspin for cheap.

However if OP did buy a sheet and it is genuine, then I would buy it myself.

Another way of looking at it: if a company is trying to make a product that performs as close to Tenergy as they can but putting their company's name on it, so you can contact them if something goes wrong, they are acting as a responsible company.

If a company makes a product that is a counterfeit, that pretends to be the product of a different company, THEY ARE BREAKING THE LAW, and the people who are hurt are:

1) The person who buys the counterfeit product.
2) The company whose product is being counterfeited.

And when there is a defect in the product at hand and the customer contacts the company they THOUGHT made the product, and that company informs the consumer they have been scammed, the consumer has no recourse to towards the ACTUAL company that made the product because the company that made the counterfeit product has been hidden behind the brand of the company whose product they were counterfeiting.

And this is why COUNTERFEITING is an actual criminal offense.

So, imagine, someone was running around breaking the law and pretending they were you (identity theft): how would you feel about someone with credit card debt racked up in your name causing your credit rating to go down the tubes and causing debt collectors and law enforcement to come after you for something someone else did? Counterfeiting is kind of doing that to a company via their products.

 

[Lazer]

Another way of looking at it: if a company is trying to make a product that performs as close to Tenergy as they can but putting their company's name on it, so you can contact them if something goes wrong, they are acting as a responsible company.

If a company makes a product that is a counterfeit, that pretends to be the product of a different company, THEY ARE BREAKING THE LAW, and the people who are hurt are:

1) The person who buys the counterfeit product.
2) The company whose product is being counterfeited.

And when there is a defect in the product at hand and the customer contacts the company they THOUGHT made the product, and that company informs the consumer they have been scammed, the consumer has no recourse to towards the ACTUAL company that made the product because the company that made the counterfeit product has been hidden behind the brand of the company whose product they were counterfeiting.

And this is why COUNTERFEITING is an actual criminal offense.

So, imagine, someone was running around breaking the law and pretending they were you (identity theft): how would you feel about someone with credit card debt racked up in your name causing your credit rating to go down the tubes and causing debt collectors and law enforcement to come after you for something someone else did? Counterfeiting is kind of doing that to a company via their products.

That’s the Chinese way…
A friend of mine not that long ago visited the corporate world on behalf of our union.

Outside the factories there was numerous people selling anything made from factory discards and other stuff with fake brands on. All trying to give visitors the idea that it was original stuff.

This is why I NEVER buy anything from a Chinese web site… It is waaay too easy to cheat behind the www wall…

Cheers
L-zr

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I thought even among Viscaria's, one blade can play differently than another.

Honestly I do not like my Viscaria so I hope I got a "bad batch."

you could easily get a 5 to 10 gram differences.
The lightest to heaviest will all play differently
Just go check those Stiga blades with weights. Same blade, but by different weights, the blade changes drastically.

Equipment is very technical. EJs just make it seem like it's easy. We haven't even talked about playing level yet...
Sponsored pros like Lin Yunju gets 50 to 100 blades sent to him at a time, of which maybe only 1 or 2 is suitable for usage.

 

[zeio]

That’s the Chinese way…

https://youtu.be/ajIRkk1FOkM?t=120

Do you realize how much of a role China plays in keeping Stiga afloat, despite all the junk the latter has been churning out the past decade?

 

[Lazer]

https://youtu.be/ajIRkk1FOkM?t=120

Do you realize how much of a role China plays in keeping Stiga afloat, despite all the junk they've been churning out the past decade?

I was in China 1983 entered in Harbin via the Soviet transiberian railroad. China was a very nice place back then. Almost no cars and most people dressed in the mao’ish uniform either green or blue. Poeople were really nice and nobody (I met) would dream about stealing your money. If you entered a bus (normally very crowded) at the back you give the person in front of you money, they give it to the next person until it reached to ticketing person. The change came back the same way.

But that all changed China is a different place now, where people try to scam visitors for their money way to often and where the national sport is table tennis and pirate copying…

No I won’t buy anything from China …

Cheers
L-zr

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

No I won’t buy anything from China …

Cheers
L-zr

wow, where you going to buy from then?

 

[Lazer]

wow, where you going to buy from then?

From a well respected importer of course. Right now I have mocker on this site which I trust completely. There is also TT11 and Dandoy which I also trust.

I can not say that dealers appearing on aliexpress falls in the same category…

Cheers
L-zr

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

From a well respected importer of course. Right now I have mocker on this site which I trust completely. There is also TT11 and Dandoy which I also trust.

I can not say that dealers appearing on aliexpress falls in the same category…

Cheers
L-zr

was going to say, half the things in any one's house is from China

 

[lodro]

I can not say that dealers appearing on aliexpress falls in the same category…

I know many that do and i can trust them.
Also your previous comment : "This is the chinese way" shows just what a dork you are. I have seen Italian men trying to sell """Swiss watches""" to tourists many decades ago. 🤣

 

[Lazer]

was going to say, half the things in any one's house is from China

Yes but they are the real thing no, counterfeits…

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I know many that do and i can trust them.
Also your previous comment : "This is the chinese way" shows just what a dork you are. I have seen Italian men trying to sell """Swiss watches""" to tourists many decades ago. 🤣

a south african former colleague of mine, living in a very run down neighborhood in crime ridden Johannesburg (I don't even dare visit his house), got mugged the first time in his life in Rome.
Fake police approached him out side a 5 star hotel (or was it real police?) and his money, gone...

But yeah, I won't go and label it as the Italian way

 

[Lazer]

I know many that do and i can trust them.
Also your previous comment : "This is the chinese way" shows just what a dork you are. I have seen Italian men trying to sell """Swiss watches""" to tourists many decades ago. 🤣

Dork you can be yourself… Go ahead an buy, I won’t…

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Yes but they are the real thing no, counterfeits…

you should actually look deeper to see how counterfeit products are actually part of the same bosses as the originals. They make the originals, then they make cheaper quality ones for the likes of costco or those factory stores, then some of them are invovled in the fakes too (since if they don't do it, someone else would). Its all money for them.

It is a big business segment as it capitalize on people cravings and desire and the need to spend as little as possible.

Look at OP, his eyes so big when he sees a $42 tenergy that has a seller using super old packaging photos and clearly a non table tennis seller too.

Some times I don't understand some peoples logic on this forum
You go Tenergy for its quality, not for its price.
you go Tenergy for its speed and spin, not for its control (other thread).
So if you talking price from a dodgy seller,,, then you not a good fit for Tenergy, imo.

 

[Lazer]

you should actually look deeper to see how counterfeit products are actually part of the same bosses as the originals. They make the originals, then they make cheaper quality ones for the likes of costco or those factory stores, then some of them are invovled in the fakes too (since if they don't do it, someone else would). Its all money for them.

It is a big business segment as it capitalize on people cravings and desire and the need to spend as little as possible.

Look at OP, his eyes so big when he sees a $42 tenergy that has a seller using super old packaging photos and clearly a non table tennis seller too.

Some times I don't understand some peoples logic on this forum
You go Tenergy for its quality, not for its price.
you go Tenergy for its speed and spin, not for its control (other thread).
So if you talking price from a dodgy seller,,, then you not a good fit for Tenergy, imo.

I know and I said this in my original post “factory discards”.

They do it on the street outside the factories what do You think is sold on the web..

Cheers
L-zr

 

[Topspinslinger]

a kid of our club bought Tenergy 05 and Hurricane 3 national for like €40 combined. He doesn't know they are fake. He likes it a lot tho, i tried it and they feel like grippy sheets of plastic😭😭