The Butterfly Viscaria Super ALC blade is an excellent 5+2 composite blade that caters to players with a modern offensive playing style, i.e., two-winged loopers playing more directly with less emphasis on spin. It also works very well with short pips. Compared to the classic Viscaria blade, the VIS-SALC is faster, softer feeling, and lower throwing. It has a similar capacity for absorbing incoming energy and a slightly larger sweet spot. Read the full review here. 

The Victas Swat Power is an excellent, well-balanced, and super versatile 7-ply all-wood blade that supports several different playing styles depending on the rubber choice. If combined with soft to middle-hard rubbers, a topspin-oriented close-to-the-table and mid-distance playing style is promoted. If the Swat Power is combined with hard rubbers, a more direct driving, blocking, and counter-looping style is facilitated. The blade also works beautifully with offensive short pips, as it provides the stability and crispness that these player types typically crave. Read the full review here. 

The Butterfly Revoldia CNF produces a soft, almost hinoki-blade-like feeling, but it does not have the strong catapult effect of hinoki-based blades. The blade feels like a carbon blade on attack shots, whilst providing a soft woody touch on soft and medium effort shots. The Revoldia will appeal to players who want to transition away from all-wood blades but don’t enjoy that sharp feeling of traditional carbon blades, and who want a balanced blade for spin-offensive strategies. Read the full review here. 

The DHS Hurricane 301x blade is a great blade for skilled aggressive two-winged loopers, and especially for those using the traditional Chinese set-up, i.e., a tacky slow FH rubber and a springier non-tacky inverted BH rubber, while it is less well-suited for players using short pips. The feeling upon striking the ball is markedly sharper and more carbon-like than with the regular DHS Hurricane 301, which in turn feels far “woodier” and more hollow. 

Read the written TT11-syndicated review here.

The Harimoto ALC is an interesting limba-based 5+2 ply offensive blade that is moderately bouncy, which will suit two-winged loopers of nearly all levels who play from mid-distance and like to produce shots with softer trajectories and greater clearance over the net. Read the full review here. 

The Butterfly Viscaria is an outstanding composite blade and it is clear why it has been used by – and continues to be so popular with – many professional and advanced-level recreational players. It offers a unique blend of dynamic properties on high-impact strokes, absorbing capabilities on passive strokes, extended dwell time providing sufficient clearance over the net on topspin shots, and a crispness that allows the player to feel the ball. The Viscaria is a blade for advanced and professional players employing aggressive strategies. Read the full review here. 

The Tibhar Dynamic JC Darko Jorgic is an outstanding 5+2 ply composite blade and my favorite Dyneema-fiber-containing blade from Tibhar. It is definitively a blade that is geared towards advanced-to-professional level aggressive players. It offers the stiffness and solidity of 7-ply all-wood blades that I need for my BH short pip driving/blocking style, yet it has the flexibility that facilitates FH topspins, all while offering excellent control in the short game. This is a blade that can be used from all distances. Get all the details here.

The Tibhar Dynamic J7 is an excellent addition to Tibhar’s range of all-wood 7-ply blades. It is noticeably slower than the Samsonov Force Pro Black Edition and also slightly slower than the Bernadette Szocs Signature 1. The J7 feels slightly stiffer and linear than the other two. However, these differences are marginal. Of the three, the J7 is probably the least suitable for hard and slow Hurricane-like rubbers, and the most suitable for being paired with faster European and Japanese rubbers. Players with a controlled offensive style, playing closer to the table and enjoying a sharper feel will gravitate towards the J7, whereas more players preferring a bouncier feel will choose the BSS1, while those wanting higher top-end speed and playing a little further out from the table will enjoy the SFPBE. 

Read the review here. 

The Nittaku Goriki Super Drive is a heavy, bulky and absorbing blade suited for players with game styles like Hou Yingchao or Wang Xi. These player types can use this blade to their advantage to generate spinny FH loops from mid- or long-distance distance, produce rock-stable blocks both close to the table and from mid-distance, and utilize a mix of defensive strategies. The Nittaku Goriki Super Drive is well-suited for players using a non-traditional defensive rubber in their BH (e.g., pips or antispin) coupled with a fast offensive FH rubber.  

The Nittaku Goriki Danshi is a peculiar blade. It is big, heavy, slow, stiff, has an extended dwell time, and produces a somewhat disengaged feeling. Clearly, this is not a blade for an all-out attacking player, but rather for a player with a reactive game style, i.e., someone who focuses on strategic pushing, blocking, and spinny looping close to the table and doesn’t mind giving the opponent the initiative in the rally. 

Read the review here.   

The Nittaku Tornado King is not an overly fast blade but one that gives the player tons of feedback on faster shots. While the TK suits a variety of play styles, I think its optimal operating range is 1-3 steps away from the table, where it allows for a controlled driving and blocking style that is interspersed with powerful topspins. The TK will cater to players ranging from intermediate level to highly advanced players.

The Nittaku Septear Feel Inner is a moderately fast, high-throwing, soft-feeling, and rather bouncy blade that is suitable for a wide skill range of players. It is too slow for very aggressive and highly advanced players, even if combined with faster rubbers like the Nittaku Fastarc G1. However, intermediate to advanced level players will get a blade that works well both in the short game and mid-distance play. Spinny, long-trajectory shots can be produced with good consistency.  

For all details, read the reviews. 

The Donic Waldner Dotec AR is a surprisingly challenging blade to play with since it is relatively slow and stiff with a short dwell time and flat ball trajectory. 

The Donic Persson Dotec OFF blade is easier to use despite being faster. Its longer dwell time resulted in a higher throw angle and more stable trajectories. The hinoki-balsa combination facilitates a game style that is direct and emphasizes speed over spin.  

Read the full reviews here.    

The Donic Original True Carbon Inner is best suited for intermediate-level two-winged loopers who want a moderately fast blade that produces long trajectories. It’s a blade that, due to its carbon layers, will suit players operating from mid-distance and relying on loop-drives, counterdrives, and loop-to-loop rallies, but who also want to have the ability to execute high-quality serves and flicks over the table. 

Read the full review here.    

The Tibhar Fortino Pro DC Inside blade is a tamer, less extreme version of the original Fortino Pro. It is a fast and responsive blade that – at the same time – also has a dampening feeling to it, which facilitates drives and blocks. The blade allows for looping both close and further from the table, and delicate touch shots and pushes, but its strongest suits are probably smashes and loop-drives. It is a 5+2 composite blade that will appeal to a broader group of players utilizing aggressive strategies, be it two-winged loopers, flat hitters, and loop-drivers, or, like me, BH short pips players.  

Read the full review here.    

The Nittaku Ma Long Carbon 3 is a fast and bouncy outer ply composite blade that generates a relatively soft feeling. The MLC3 has a shortened dwell time, which in turn produces relatively low ball arcs and average spin levels. Highly skilled players with excellent footwork and timing, will be able to take advantage of this blade’s power reserves and create deep, penetrating shots. Intermediate level players may struggle since the blade is not very forgiving of improper timing.  

Read the full review here.    

I did a quick pre-review visual comparison of the DHS Hurricane 301x relative to the regular DHS Hurricane 301. Curious how they differ? Watch this video.     

In this review for Tabletennis11.com, I evaluated three composite blades, i.e., the Tibhar Shang Kun Hybrid ZC, Yasaka Falck Carbon and the Andro Kanter CO OFF. 

The Tibhar Shang Kun Hybrid ZC is a balanced blade that performs admirably in all shot categories without excelling in any one. Players who emphasize controlled looping and stable short game will like it. 

The Yasaka Falck Carbon has a rather long dwell time, allowing for excellent spin generation on loops, pushes, and serves, while being sufficiently fast to produce dangerous counter-loops. 

The Andro Kanter CO is a very lightweight blade, catering to players with direct aggressive styles who place less emphasis on spin. It is particularly well-suited for pimple-out players, relying on high amounts of spin reversal to confuse opponents. 

For more details, read the full reviews HERE.

In this review for Tabletennis11.com, I tested four Stiga composite blades, i.e., the Carbonado 45, Carbonado 145, Carbonado 290, and the Xu Xin edition of the Dynasty Carbon. 

The Stiga Carbonado 45 is a well-made blade with a great balance. Its moderate speed, coupled with a clearly felt contact point, and deep, informative vibrations, render this a blade for the player that desires a lot of feeling for their game style. 

The Carbonado 145 does well in all aspects of the game but does not excel in any particular category.  It might represent a reasonable middle ground between the two extremes of the Carbonado range, but it also means that it has less character. 

Stiga Carbonado 290 caters to high-level ultra-aggressive players who play close to the table. It is relentlessly fast and direct and can easily overpower opponents. Unlike many other fast composite blades, it offers excellent feeling in the short game. 

The Stiga Dynasty is a weapon of choice for spin-offensive magicians who rely on having a lot of feeling from their blade. It is truly excellent in the service and short game, but in my opinion, a little slow for looping and smashing.   

For more details, read the full reviews HERE.

In this review for Tabletennis11.com, I reviewed the Stiga Legacy Carbon, which uses a new composite material, i.e., the 12k Energy Carbon ply.  

The Legacy Carbon will suit players with game styles that emphasize blocking, flicking, and power-driving. Although I wouldn't characterize it as a looping blade due to its lack of flexibility, you can still easily make powerful loops. The blade works well with short pips, constituting an alternative to 7-ply all-wood blades.

Read the full review HERE.    

I purchased an inexpensive handheld digital "microscope" hoping that I would be able to record videos showcasing the ply compositions of different blades. The result didn't turn out as good as I had hoped, but these early 2020 videos still provide some interesting insight.

In this review for Tabletennis11.com, I reviewed three members of the hotly anticipated Andro Gauzy blade line, i.e., Gauzy BL7, which has a classic limba/ayous construction, the 5+2 ply rosewood composite Gauzy HL CO blade, and the 7-ply all-wood Gauzy SL blade with ebony outer plies, which is the French superstar’s blade. 

The Gauzy BL offers OFF- level speed with tons of control and a hint of flex, which is very useful for looping close to the table and from mid-distance, while still providing sufficient stability for BH blocking with short pips. And, it offers exceptional value for money. What isn’t there to love?

The Gauzy HL CO is a beautiful, OFF- level, thin, and a rather stiff blade. I expect that two-winged loopers playing with ESN-type rubber will enjoy the direct feeling that the blade offers.

The Gauzy SL is aimed towards advanced players with well-developed technique and footwork, who want to take a step up from 5-ply or slower 7-ply blades. Unlike many composite blades, the Gauzy SL offers similar levels of speed and stability in the offensive game, without feeling overly stiff or “pingy”, resulting in better feeling and high control. 

Read the full review HERE.    

In this late 2019 review that I wrote for Tabletennis11.com, I got to evaluate the Tibhar FORTINO series, which consists of three composite blades, i.e., the 7+2 ply Fortino Performance, the 5+2 ply Fortino Force, and the 5+2 ply Fortino Pro, which is rumored to be Vladimir Samsonov’s new blade.  

The Fortino Performance is well-suited for close-to-the-table attackers who prioritize controlled drives over spin. Given the blade’s moderate speed, it will cater to intermediate-to-advanced players looking to progress from 5-ply ALL+/OFF- all-wood blades in order to compensate for the loss in speed following the switch to the 40+ ball. 

The Fortino Force is a blade for the advanced uncompromising attacker, who values speed over spin. It is a blade that requires excellent technique, and which does not tolerate lapses in focus. Its catapult profile renders it particularly suitable for mid-distance players. 

The Fortino Pro is the most balanced blade of this series inasmuch it has the speed and catapult for dangerous shots to be played from mid-distance, yet it has a slightly more dead feeling on low-impact shots, enabling an effective touch game close to the table.

In this 2019 4-blade mega test for Tabletennis11.com, I reviewed for different 7-ply all-wood blades, i.e., Stiga Clipper, Neottec Gamma Seven, Nittaku Barwell, and Yasaka Extra Special, all of which have three central ayous plies.  

The Stiga Clipper is a fast and stiff blade that likely is best suited for the close-to-the-table attacker, who likes to play off the bounce. Players across a wide range of skill levels can use this blade with proper rubber pairing, ranging from intermediate to professional players. The blade’s inherent stiffness is mellowed by a relatively medium-soft contact point, which allows for decent spin generation.

The Neottec Gamma Seven is a fast and relatively stiff blade that produces a soft feeling on ball impact, and which offers exceptional value. The blade is well-suited for intermediate to advanced players with aggressive game plans, operating close-to-the table or at mid-distance. 

The Nittaku Barwell is best suited for close-to-the-table and mid-distance players. The Barwell reminds me of a minimally slower and harder-feeling version of the Tibhar Samsonov Force Pro Black Edition. Spin aficionados and loopers will likely prefer the Force Pro due to the slightly longer dwell time and higher arc, whereas players who enjoy blades that provide a more massive feeling that produces flatter trajectories, will prefer the Barwell. 

The Yasaka Extra Special is a fast blade, hard and relatively stiff blade, which can put opponents under pressure with long-trajectory power drives, counter loops, and active blocks. Good timing and feel are necessary for a high-quality short game. All-in-all, the Yasaka Extra Special offers excellent value for money.

In this 2017 review for Tabletennis11.com, I tested two DHS flagship blades, i.e., the Hurricane Long 3 and Hurricane Long 5.

The Hurricane Long 3 is a well-balanced 7-ply blade: fast, not too hard, not too soft, excellent feedback upon ball impact, and high levels of control, which instill a feeling that every shot being possible. Players who base their games on consistent loops will enjoy the Hurricane Long 3, whereas hitters and blockers will gravitate towards faster  and stiffer blades.

The Hurricane Long 5 is a fast 5+2 ply composite blade for relentless offensive play, which still enables an excellent short game. The high speed of the Hurricane Long 5 allows for more compact and controlled strokes even when playing with relatively slow and tacky Chinese rubbers.

Read the full review HERE. 

In this 2017 review for Tabletennis11.com, I tested the DHS Power G7 blade. It is an excellent blade for anyone who wants to upgrade from a 5-ply limba/ayous-based blade to a slightly stiffer and faster blade without significant loss in flexibility. It is easy to understand why the Power G7 is so popular, especially when considering its price point. 

Read the full review, HERE.