Why are there so few blade archetypes?

[TensorBackhand]

Almost every blade I see basically falls into the Koto-Fibre or the Limba-Ayous-Fibre archetype.

Why are there hardly any other blade archetypes being made?

 

[lodro]

If one is a big manufacturer there is a certain amount of leeway for experiments and taking chances with new "inventions" . If it becomes a flop it will be a financial loss.
On such a small thing like a ping pong paddle there are only a limited amount of ways to "skin the cat' and this a possible reason why we see the same old stuff in a slightly different configuration and the true experiments are left to the small custom manufactures.

 

[DukeGaGa]

Because it's all about the "special fiber" nowadays, in the days before fibers were a norm, there used to be a lot more different types of wood used to make a blade, but then ITTF happened and ball became larger, then ITTF happened again and balls became a little larger again, and the material also changed as well.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

You should look into Blades By Charlie: https://www.bladesbycharlie.com/home

I got a chance to try several blades that he made for a friend of mine several years ago. The construction of the blades was pretty unique. And all the blades I got to try, I have to say, felt pretty darn amazing. Better than anything I have felt from the big brands.

 

[TensorBackhand]

You should look into Blades By Charlie: https://www.bladesbycharlie.com/home

I got a chance to try several blades that he made for a friend of mine several years ago. The construction of the blades was pretty unique. And all the blades I got to try, I have to say, felt pretty darn amazing. Better than anything I have felt from the big brands.

But is he better than this seller?

shop for Blades | elcomgroup.net

Shop for the Best Blades | Speed & Free Delivery, Save your Money. | elcomgroup.net

www.elcomgroup.net

Look! you can get Harimoto SZLC for $88 and Timo Boll ZLC for $79

 

[dingyibvs]

But is he better than this seller?

shop for Blades | elcomgroup.net

Shop for the Best Blades | Speed & Free Delivery, Save your Money. | elcomgroup.net

www.elcomgroup.net

Look! you can get Harimoto SZLC for $88 and Timo Boll ZLC for $79

He can make it however you like. I had him make me an ultra-small cybershape (about 1/2 the blade head size area-wise) with a regular, solid pistol grip handle to practice my focus. He only charged 30 bucks, with used M1 and D05 glued on. If you're ever in the bay area you should come to my club and talk to him, very nice and knowledgeable guy.

 

[TensorBackhand]

He can make it however you like. I had him make me an ultra-small cybershape (about 1/2 the blade head size area-wise) with a regular, solid pistol grip handle to practice my focus. He only charged 30 bucks, with used M1 and D05 glued on. If you're ever in the bay area you should come to my club and talk to him, very nice and knowledgeable guy.

Thanks. I'll keep that in memory if I'm ever in the bay

 

[turbozed]

But is he better than this seller?

shop for Blades | elcomgroup.net

Shop for the Best Blades | Speed & Free Delivery, Save your Money. | elcomgroup.net

www.elcomgroup.net

Look! you can get Harimoto SZLC for $88 and Timo Boll ZLC for $79

Woah, why the heck are blades so cheap there. That can't be legit can it?

 

[Scarfed Garchomp]

Woah, why the heck are blades so cheap there. That can't be legit can it?

I would be very, very surprised if this was not a scam website.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

He can make it however you like. I had him make me an ultra-small cybershape (about 1/2 the blade head size area-wise) with a regular, solid pistol grip handle to practice my focus. He only charged 30 bucks, with used M1 and D05 glued on. If you're ever in the bay area you should come to my club and talk to him, very nice and knowledgeable guy.

Yep. And the blades I tried, that he made for my friend, they were three of the best blades I have tried. The guy he made them for had a Stiga Clipper from 1990 or 1991, and an Avalox P700 from about the same time. Those blades felt amazing. The three blades from Charlie felt just as good but they all had some composite layer. They felt like all wood blades from the 1990s but they had a composite layer. I don't know how he did it. But he made them feel amazing.

If I was to say, all in all, those 5 blades were the blades I have tried that felt the best to me. Of all the blades I have tried, those 5 (2 from the 90s and 3 made by Charlie) felt better than any other blades I have tried.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

But is he better than this seller?

shop for Blades | elcomgroup.net

Shop for the Best Blades | Speed & Free Delivery, Save your Money. | elcomgroup.net

www.elcomgroup.net

Look! you can get Harimoto SZLC for $88 and Timo Boll ZLC for $79

One thing to know about Butterfly: they do not let authorized sellers put their blades on sale like that. They do not let sellers from one region sell out of their region. And the prices are set within regions. So, if this seller is selling Butterfly products at that much of a discount, he is either losing money or selling counterfeits.

You can ask TTTony about that. He can explain to you how those prices are less than Butterfly would charge the seller for the blade. By a lot. If the Harimoto blade is costing the consumer $399.00, the seller would likely be giving Butterfly more than $300.00 and taking less than $100.00.

So I would say, buy at your own risk.

But if the issue is, a blade that does not have a formulaic layer construction and a blade that is better than the blades from the major sellers, it would be worth looking into Blades By Charlie.

So, Blades By Charlie is not not only better than some dumb counterfeit seller who is looking to sell you a $2 blade and try to make you think it is a $399 blade. But he is making blades that are unique. And since your question at the beginning of this thread was about why so many blades are made with the same darn layer constructions.....your question about the site you mentioned seems kind of weird to me.

 

[Scarfed Garchomp]