C u s t o m H a n d c r a f t e d T a b l e T e n n i s B l a d e s
b y D.A.b S t u d i o
CORE MATERIALS
GLUES AND FINISHES
For all-wood blades we use exclusively proprietary made hide-glue which does not form a layer between the veneers and therefore helps to maintain wood's feeling. PVA glue is only used for gluing balsa sheets together or handle hardwoods. As the glue is applied hot and hardens with cooling, placing the blade near heat sources (ie on top of a radiator) is not recommended! For composite blades (carbon etc) we use a marine and wood epoxy system which cures in room temperature, sometimes combined with the other types of glue if necessary.
Edge bands are made of heat-adhesive wood ribbons. This allows for easy replacement in case the edge is severely hit. In such a case you may send us the blade to replace the edge band free of charge (exc. shipping costs).
The surface of the blade is sealed with 2 coats of mat-finish, acrylic sealer. The handle is treated with 3 coats of Danish oil and then with 2 coats of nanomaterial sealer to keep out (for ever) any moisture or sweat that may deteriorate the interior of the handle. And finally, our logo is engraved on the surface by laser. You may also ask for your name to be engraved on the handle at no extra charge.
BALSA: soft, very light, springy wood with non-linear effect at ball contact.Thick balsa core tends to result in very springy, offensive blades; due to its softness , it can allow the ball to sink in, resulting in high dwell time, ideal for choppers and loopers who want to produce a lot of spin. Good also for deception and spin variation. It scratches easily, therefore a foam edge band or wood band is required for protection. Thickness starts from 1mm, 1.5, 2, 3, etc. Janka:90 lbf, SG:0.14
AYOUS (aka abachi, obeche, samba): Lightweight, stiff wood, excellent for close to the table counterdrive play. Used in the core, keeps the blade light but not as much as balsa. Its high elasticity gives a nice bounce effect. A very common core material in trade blades. Thickness varies between 2.1 and 4.2 mm. Janka:430 lbf, SG: 0.32
KIRI: Soft but torsionally stiff wood widely used at the core of commercial blades like BTY . Harder than balsa but still light-weight, a great choise for a fast blade with low vibration. Janka:250 lbf, SG: 0.26
CORK: Cork at the core of the blade gives exceptional touch/feeling, not very fast but still good speed on off the table loops. Used in an all wood blade or with soft composites like GF.
SPRUCE (european): Soft and light wood, similar to cypress and cedar in terms of feel. Used in the core or as a medial ply.Thickness varies between 2.1 and 4.2 mm. Janka:380 lbf, SG: 0.32
CEDAR (Lebanon or Canadian): Similar to Port Orford cedar, a bit hard and dense wood, good substitute Hinoki cypress, suitable mainly for core material.
VENEERS
for medial or outer plies
The following veneers are arranged according to the Janka rating (hardness). The harder the wood, the faster the blade. SG (Specific Gravity) refers to wood's basic weight and therefore to how much the ply contributes to the overall weight of the blade. Please note that not all of the mentioned veneers are available at the same time, contact us to check availability.
RED WESTERN CEDAR
jANKA: 350lbf
S.G:0.40
SPRUCE
jANKA: 380lbf
S.G:0.32
AYOUS
JANKA: 430lbf
S.G: 0.32
POPLAR
JANKA: 540lbf
S.G: 0.40
LACEWOOD
JANKA:710lbf
S.G:0.43
OAK
JANKA: 1100lbf
SG:0.51
ZEBRANO
JANKA: 2097lbf
SG:0.64
MAHOGANNY POMMELE
JANKA: 910lbf
SG: 0.55
WHITE ASH
JANKA: 1320lbf
SG:0.49
BUBINGA
JANKA: 2410lbf
SG:0.72
ELM (Dutch)
JANKA: 850lbf
SG:0.48
BAMBOO
JANKA: 1410lbf
SG:0.38-0.64
INDIAN ROSEWOOD
JANKA: 2440lbf
SG:0.75
KOTO
JANKA:930lbf
SG:0.55
SAPELE
JANKA: 1450lbf
SG:0.63
EBONY MACASAR
JANKA: 3220lbf
SG:0.89
CYPRESS (HINOKI)
JANKA: 560lbf
SG:0.54
ANIGRE
JANKA: 930lbf
SG:0.44
WENGE
JANKA: 1630lbf
SG:0.74
WILLOW
JANKA: 570lbf
S.G: 0.34
WALNUT
JANKA: 1010lbf
SG:0.51
PEARWOOD SWISS
JANKA: 1660lbf
SG:0.62
LIMBA
JANKA:670lbf
S.G:0.43
CHERRY
JANKA: 1100lbf
SG:0.55
PADAUK
JANKA: 1970lbf
SG:0.61
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SOME NOTES ON THE PROPERTIES OF WOODS
Willow: The ideal defensive wood especially for choppers. Used as an outer ply, its main characteristic is that it eats up the power of the opponent's hit. Used by Butterfly, TSP and Nittaku for their defensive blades.
Limba: Perhaps the most favored European topspin wood,heavy and fast, but not springy; limba adds the soft feel and great control needed by today's modern topspin players; it is lighter and softer than hinoki or koto and as an outer ply the thicker it is (0,8mm) increases the hitting ability. Used widely by all major manufactures.
Koto: Soft topspin wood, typically used as outer ply to produce a faster and stiffer blade. Great wood for players who rely on both looping and countering techniques. Koto wood surface plies encourage crisp, fast blocks and hard hitting for sharper ball contact and faster rebound. Used widely by all major manufactures.
Anigre: Is considered to be the ultimate contol wood. Providing a soft feel on contact, this wood is favored by many all-round styles of players; it is mid-hard, solid, and non-elastic; can be used as an outer as well as medial ply. Used mainly by Joola and Yasaka.
Walnut (american and european): Dark coloured wood that is fast, hard and expensive; outer ply material; pairs up well with a soft core; it has a hard but crisp feeling. Used by Butterfly, Donic, Nittaku, Yasaka.
Cherry: Very stiff and hard, this wood has, as an outermost ply, a flat return curve. It is mainly known for providing much spin reversal to slick rubbers but is also said to support smashing quite well.
Wenge: It is extremely stiff and heavy. As outer ply, it is best suited for pips or antis operated near to the table, especially it supports spin reversal very well, but also some spin.
Bamboo: Known for its good spin reversal with OX long pips
You may read more on the properties of wood and other material here
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
CARBON - ARYLATE/CARBON (ALC) - ARAMID/CARBON (ARC) - ZYLON FABRIC (ZLF) - GLASSFIBER (GF) - CARBON/KEVLAR/GLASSFIBER hybrid
