Why are J-pen rackets so expensive?

[Wuh]

Why are j-pen rackets so expensive in comparison to c-pen rackets? I’ve been trying to find a new j-pen racket but my budget is low and I can’t find anything within my budget at the moment. But I can find so many c-pen rackets within my price range and it just confuses me. Considering attempting to make my own racket right now.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Cost of material
a lot of Jpen uses very expensive wood, like cypress or hinoki
and not many brands make Jpen, the ones that do, focus on quality, not quantity (since its such a small and niche market)

Look at Yinhe Jpen, there have few cost effective options

 

[Wuh]

Cost of material
a lot of Jpen uses very expensive wood, like cypress or hinoki
and not many brands make Jpen, the ones that do, focus on quality, not quantity (since its such a small and niche market)

Look at Yinhe Jpen, there have few cost effective options

What would you say is the cheapest fully built J-pen racket I could get on the market at the moment?

 

[JJ Ng]

Cost of material
a lot of Jpen uses very expensive wood, like cypress or hinoki
and not many brands make Jpen, the ones that do, focus on quality, not quantity (since its such a small and niche market)

Look at Yinhe Jpen, there have few cost effective options

I think those blades (Jpen) also use a lot of hinoki or cypress. And they might be made in Japan where the labor costs are higher. Finally, maybe lack of demand has something to do with it? Meaning, the manufacturers might need to charge a higher price per blade to make their money back but then that decreases demand any further.

I have seen many shakehand blades that have a layer of hinoki, etc. and are still very afforable. But maybe those blades are made in China or Slovenia (I think Tibhar makes some cheaper blades in Slovenia), where labor costs are cheaper and the blades even with hinoki wood in them are very affordable.

 

[pong99]

I think forum member Sergio of SDC will make j pen if you request it. You can get any composition, so you are not limited to a 1 ply blade.

His prices are very reasonable and he does excellent work. (I have one of his blades, although not a j pen)

 

[Gozo Aruna]

J-Pen are beloved because of using Kiso-Hinoki one ply as the construction material. The premium lies in the cost of material. Have you ever see J-Pen that is using ply wood or carbon fiber e.g. ALC or ZLC? My point exactly. J-Pen are for the purist. J-Pen are not for winning nice shinny plastic medals ( a bonus if we do win ). J-Pen player play simply to enjoy the sublime feeling. Just like a Kyudo archer. Their goals is not winning competitions but attaining the perfect jinba-ittai ( unity of archer with the bow ).

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

What would you say is the cheapest fully built J-pen racket I could get on the market at the moment?

you can look at the cheapest Yinhe blade and add your desired rubbers on.

 

[Scarfed Garchomp]

Have you ever see J-Pen that is using ply wood or carbon fiber e.g. ALC or ZLC?

Yes

 

[brokenball]

In addition, the thick piece of hinoki must be clear from any defects.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

Yes

Show & Tell pls. I personally have not seen one. I need to broaden my horizon.

 

[Scarfed Garchomp]

Show & Tell pls. I personally have not seen one. I need to broaden my horizon.

Off the top of my head, Butterfly has released a fair number of composite jpen, the most recent ones being Garaydia Revolver series, they also released Ryu Seung Min ZLC which is a variation of the Haruvatart (also ZLC) and the RSM T5000, and have made blades like Selebes arylate, Capricorn and Tectonic T5000 in the past. Juic and TSP/Victas have a few composite jpen, like Juic Light Carbo and TSP Hino-Carbon Power, and Kokutaku has made a jpen version of the Laser carbon blade. That being said it is much more common to see single ply hinoki jpens because they are more popular, the feeling of a thick single ply hinoki is unreplaceable

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I think those blades (Jpen) also use a lot of hinoki or cypress. And they might be made in Japan where the labor costs are higher. Finally, maybe lack of demand has something to do with it? Meaning, the manufacturers might need to charge a higher price per blade to make their money back but then that decreases demand any further.

I have seen many shakehand blades that have a layer of hinoki, etc. and are still very afforable. But maybe those blades are made in China or Slovenia (I think Tibhar makes some cheaper blades in Slovenia), where labor costs are cheaper and the blades even with hinoki wood in them are very affordable.

It all depend which country the raw material is from.
Some are cheaper, while some other are more expensive.

Jpen have not been main selling skus for any brands for few decades now, so no one is expecting to make money off it. That is why so many brands don't even sell Jpen.

buying CPen blades today is already very difficult
Jpen is even more difficult. If you not in the far east, good luck

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Off the top of my head, Butterfly has released a fair number of composite jpen, t

There are tons of carbon based Jpen blades out there.
and for decades too already

 

[Topspinslinger]

Aliexpress has around €25 for Jpen blades. i'd recommend yinhe blade because they are better in qc

 

[JJ Ng]

There are tons of carbon based Jpen blades out there.
and for decades too already

I had a JPen carbon blade back in 1994. I don't see them around as much anymore. I also don't know where that blade went. Back in 1994, adding carbon to the blade (shakehand or penhold) was new and novel.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

I had a JPen carbon blade back in 1994. I don't see them around as much anymore. I also don't know where that blade went. Back in 1994, adding carbon to the blade (shakehand or penhold) was new and novel.

Let me assist to recall your memory.

You hated that blade so much, you threw it inside a woodchipper and never ever saw it again.

#Hinoki4Life

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I had a JPen carbon blade back in 1994. I don't see them around as much anymore. I also don't know where that blade went. Back in 1994, adding carbon to the blade (shakehand or penhold) was new and novel.

giving away your age 🙈

carbon was added to blades from the late 1980s, before that, it was all wood

 

[jbvttcc]

buying CPen blades today is already very difficult
Jpen is even more difficult. If you not in the far east, good luck

Actually, tabletennis11 has a good variety

Table Tennis Penhold Blades | Tabletennis11.com (TT11)

Buy table tennis Penhold Blades at Tabletennis11.com. Low prices, special offers, free worldwide delivery and great customer service.

www.tabletennis11.com

 

[jbvttcc]

J-Pen are beloved because of using Kiso-Hinoki one ply as the construction material. The premium lies in the cost of material.
J-Pen are for the purist. J-Pen are not for winning nice shinny plastic medals ( a bonus if we do win ). J-Pen player play simply to enjoy the sublime feeling. Just like a Kyudo archer. Their goals is not winning competitions but attaining the perfect jinba-ittai ( unity of archer with the bow ).

Love your comments about Jpen Hinoki blades especially your analogy with Kyudo.
A quality single ply Hinoki blade, like those from Darker, is a precision instrument that indeed contributes to the sublime feeling that’s experienced when we’re playing table tennis.

 

[Gozo Aruna]

Love your comments about Jpen Hinoki blades especially your analogy with Kyudo.
A quality single ply Hinoki blade, like those from Darker, is a precision instrument that indeed contributes to the sublime feeling that’s experienced when we’re playing table tennis.

I never knew about how wonderful it is to play with a one-ply-hinoki blade until
I play again with my old five ply all wood blade. After the comparison I made up my mind; never shall I go back to multiple layer all-wood blade again.

It is the same with a seven ply all wood blade. It is stiff and does not have the catapult feel of a one-ply-hinoki.