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Ross Leidy
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Topic: Rapscallion by Ross Leidy Posted: 09/06/2012 at 10:36am |
I am pleased to introduce a new looper's blade - Rapscallion. The prototype blade initially appeared anonymously in this thread, but after playing the blade for a short time, I felt that it was something special. Since then, I've engaged a few other players to evaluate the blade, and the results have been very enthusiastic. I knew the composition deserved a name and to be added to the lineup.
First, a few details about the blade: 5-ply (Masur Birch - Mahogany - Kiri - Mahogany - Masur Birch) 6.2mm 82g - 88g (depending upon shape and type of handle wood) OFF- Medium flex
The Masur Birch outers are medium-hard (a bit harder than walnut), so this blade's dwell time comes primarily from its flex. It's a predictable flex that rewards an aggressive loop or loop-drive, while still maintaining sufficient stiffness to support blocking. I'm not a very accomplished looper, but with this blade I was bringing down balls that I was sure would go long. I know it's just a wooden blade, but it felt like magic. :)
I do on occasion solicit a blade review from someone who I know will really put a blade through its paces and who is able to articulate the results of their findings. In the interest of full disclosure, these are compensated reviews, but not tied in any way to the outcome of the review. Ideally, a blade will be rated favorably, and I'll move forward with the design. However, even if a blade has shortcomings or even just plain sucks, an honest, thorough review helps me determine what I need to change going forward.
The review that follows is one such review. MYTT member Caballero and I began communicating a couple months back about a possible blade project. I appreciated his enthusiam for the sport and how he expressed himself, which led me to ask if he'd be willing to evalutate and review the Rapscallion. He graciously accepted. He's shared with me some rough drafts of his review, and he's really put a lot of effort into it, which I greatly appreciate. We agreed that I would make the initial post to introduce the blade and that he would follow with his multi-part review.
To start things off, here are some photos of a few different Rapscallion blades.






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VladiTT
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Posted: 09/06/2012 at 10:51am |
Your blade Ross are with best craftmanship ever i dunno where you study and what,but you are the most talanted artist
i hope very soon will test the blade that i order to you,and will play as good as it looks :)
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Hozze
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Posted: 09/06/2012 at 11:18am |
Very nice Ross!
How do you think that would work in a C-pen format, and what would it do to the weight?
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rokphish
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Posted: 09/06/2012 at 11:58am |
WOW!! I'm salivating right now...
I must confessed that I was skeptical awhile back when looking at Ross' exotic blades. I couldn't believe that they would play as nicely as they look.
However, after trying out one of his blade I changed my opinion drastically. The one I tried was as a great of a performer as well as having a great look! From the pictures above I probably would like to play with the second AN and the ST (looks like a CO). The first AN type I haven't tried before and the FL looks small on the neck and very wide at the bottom, not sure how it would feel...
Are these already out for sale or still in the trial period?
rapscallion (ræpˈskæljən) | | — n | | a disreputable person; rascal or rogue |
Is that what you had in mind when naming the blade? 
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caballero
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Posted: 09/06/2012 at 4:11pm |
Dear Players and Fellows
It is a pleasure to see how some of you
have already began posting on this thread. I now see why Ross
suggested this venue to be the first place to submit a composite
review of the Rapscallion, a new looping blade that should have a
broad appeal as a multi-talented performance instrument.
As a scholar in addition to being a
player, I consider reviews sacred. They are, for me, discrete
representations of an attempt to place subjective impressions in the
most rational and logical format. And, in order to balance the
implacable and always present human myopia, reviewers should freely
disclose their subjectivities, inclinations and backgrounds.
So, here are my confessions. I am an
adult who, like many on this forum, decided recently to reentered the
world of Tennis Table. In the last few months I have been unlearning
and relearning most of the basic and advanced elements of the game.
Being fully aware of my physical and mental limitations (as compared
to my youth years), and of the limited time I have to master the
game, has perhaps made me more conscious of every little step in the
training process and aware of the role the equipment has in helping
(or hampering) progress and the enjoyment of the game.
Perhaps it was this awareness that took
me to Ross, which then led to the writing of this review.
I may be preaching to the choir here,
but as I ready to share my thoughts and that of friends who played
with the Rapscallion, I propose that this review should follow an
interactive flow, similar to that which I have seen on this forum. My
plans are to submit pictures, thoughts and data organized in at least
four sections.
First, I will share an evaluation
summary in the common conventional format. Second, I plan to narrate
the blade's experience here in Blacksburg, VA, and address the issue
of handcrafting versus mass-production and how that may impact the
player's performance. Third, I will share my friends' reactions
(players with considerable TT experience), so you will have a broader
spectrum of voices to consider. The other section(s) will address
issues of blade construction, performance (loops, chops, drives,
blocks, serves, etc.), and rubbers' suitability.
Forum member's reactions, questions and
concerns posted now and after the summary will certainly influence
the way that the other sections will develop. So, feel free to
continue giving life to this thread.
Cheers
Caballero
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Hurray for outstanding independent blade-makers:
Leidy's Rapscallion
Charlie's 1Ply & 9-10-9
American Hinoki's WRC Quantum 3-ply
Nexy Calix
Feedback Caballero
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Ross Leidy
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Posted: 09/06/2012 at 10:23pm |
Hozze wrote:
Very nice Ross!
How do you think that would work in a C-pen format, and what would it do to the weight?
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Yes, I could certainly build it as a Cpen. I'd estimate that the weight would be around 80+/- depending on the type of handle wood used.
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Ross Leidy
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Posted: 09/06/2012 at 10:28pm |
rokphish wrote:
WOW!! I'm salivating right now...
I must confessed that I was skeptical awhile back when looking at Ross' exotic blades. I couldn't believe that they would play as nicely as they look.
However, after trying out one of his blade I changed my opinion drastically. The one I tried was as a great of a performer as well as having a great look! From the pictures above I probably would like to play with the second AN and the ST (looks like a CO). The first AN type I haven't tried before and the FL looks small on the neck and very wide at the bottom, not sure how it would feel...
Are these already out for sale or still in the trial period?
rapscallion (ræpˈskæljən) | | — n | | a disreputable person; rascal or rogue |
Is that what you had in mind when naming the blade?  |
Thanks, rokphish. I'm glad you enjoyed your time with the SOJ. I build the blades on-demand, so if you'd like to buy a Rapscallion, please contact me offline and I can get you on the waiting list.
I definitely had rascal/rogue in mind when naming the blade. 
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rokphish
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Posted: 09/07/2012 at 12:04am |
Ross Leidy wrote:
Thanks, rokphish. I'm glad you enjoyed your time with the SOJ. I build the blades on-demand, so if you'd like to buy a Rapscallion, please contact me offline and I can get you on the waiting list.
I definitely had rascal/rogue in mind when naming the blade.  |
I'll keep that in mind while waiting for the reviews... Great job!
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Jolan
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Posted: 09/07/2012 at 12:08am |
Nice conical handle on pic N°4 !
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Kong Linghui premium ST Xiom Omega VII europe DHS H3-50 mid 2.1mm
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liulin04
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Posted: 09/07/2012 at 12:12am |
I do like scallions
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Carryboy
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Posted: 09/07/2012 at 12:51am |
liulin04 wrote:
I do like scallions
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 !!!!!!!!!!!! Me too
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Spin Master Carbo Power (Stefan Elsner Custom) Donic Acuda S1 Max Donic Acuda P1 Blue Max
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aeoliah
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Posted: 09/07/2012 at 11:22am |
What are the factors that give this blade the good looping capability ?
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Ross Leidy
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Posted: 09/07/2012 at 9:42pm |
aeoliah wrote:
What are the factors that give this blade the good looping capability ?
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There are a few factors: it has a relatively soft core, the overall thickness allows some flex, and the masur birch seems to be a resilient wood. I think that its non-linear grain pattern gives it a bit more flex even though it's a medium-hard wood. All of this contributes to the dwell time of the blade.
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melarimsa
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Posted: 09/07/2012 at 9:42pm |
Best handle I ever laid my hands on !
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W0LovePP
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Posted: 09/07/2012 at 10:03pm |
It is a pretty blade! Would you mind sharing the thickness of each layer, including the core? Thanks.
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aeoliah
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Posted: 09/08/2012 at 12:04am |
What would be the estimated weight for J-pen ? Can you do something on the handle to make it attractive like SH or C-pen without sacrificing too much in weight ? Perhaps using one wood layer on the surface of the handle ?
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fatt
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Posted: 09/08/2012 at 12:23am |
aeoliah wrote:
What would be the estimated weight for J-pen ? Can you do something on the handle to make it attractive like SH or C-pen without sacrificing too much in weight ? Perhaps using one wood layer on the surface of the handle ?
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he is falling for it  1 question for you aeoliah: for a traditional jpen player, how hard is it to adapt to that double jpen grip below; if not too hard you might have fun designing something with Ross.
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caballero
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Posted: 09/08/2012 at 7:02am |
Perhaps aeoliah's question is this
review true opening shot (or better yet, first “thrown blade,”
since we are talking about a blade here).
Totally legitimate—what makes this
blade the holy grail of looping blades? In short, the blade, at 85
grams, is light, but it is also noticeably flexible and (most
importantly) remarkably powerful (I would not say “fast” because
the response mechanism takes a few milliseconds more than, say, a
stiffer blade).
As any TT blade expert would say, the
flex is key for producing spin, for picking up the opponent's
heavy and low underspin shots, and for carrying up the ball from
below enveloped in a new spin. Its light-weight allows the
player to exert the highest level of physical activity for a longer
time (looping is a true tiring activity), and move the blade faster
afar from the table to a flip near the net. The blade's power
is responsible, then, for sending the ball back to the other side of
the net even when you are far from the table: without having to spend
all your energy in a single shot, a powerful blade like this one will
make it seem as magic.
Powerful, flexible and light? Too
contradictory to simply be for real. This seemed too much like the
blurbs and write-ups of equipment companies: the misinformation that
fuels much of the uneducated EJ outbreak among the upmarket. It is
at this point, when I saw and felt the living contradiction in my
hands, that I became convinced that this blade was exceptional.
I will attempt expanding on Ross'
classic 3 property points answer to aeoliah (soft core, thickness
flexibility and the masur birch), but as we continue on this
discussion my main contribution will hopefully be on showing how, in
fact, the Rapscallion dramatically improves every looper's shot and
movement.
The blade's unique composition: masur
birch - mahogany - kiri
-
mahogany - masur birch
The Chinese Kiri tree (Paulownia
tomentosa), the core of the Rapscallion, is shrouded in beautiful
myth in areas of Asia, but largely despised as an invasive species in
the Americas—its seeds traveled the world with the coveted Chinese
porcelain. It helped that these seeds grow into majestic trees rather
quickly. And, I speculate, that its speedy growth may have something
to do with its light weight-- it must be difficult to build a
dense-wood tree in a hurry. The Kiri is about twice as hard as the
Balsa, yet it remains among the most weightless wood-layers available
for TT paddles—a sprightly, agile and graceful one. No wonder,
then, that by having at its nucleus such a migratory and locomotive
wood the Rapscallion can easily flex to absorbs the ball's impact.
However, sucking up the ball alone will not suffice a gladiating
looper. This blade should have a way to shoot back the ball with
power and precision.
With less effort than it seems, the two
harder veneers guarding the softer Kiri will make out of the 40 mm
ball a dangerous projectile, sending it back faster and spinier than
it came. Closer to the Kiri, and becoming harder only gradually, is
the venerable Mahogany, native of the Caribbean and Central
America—used for the last 500 years as one of the main sources of
ship building and famously durable furniture. The Mahogany, true to
its reputation, is a key reliable piece in this blade; it takes the
ball into a deliberately harder push out.
But to make the shot as devastating as
the looper hopes, the Masur Birch has to come in exactly at this
time. This Birch, well-known around the world for its grains and
face, which seems to exhibit bird eyes, is original from Scandinavia
and Northern Russia. The strange flecked figure, its unique aspect,
seems a byproduct of a defense mechanism against insect attack. This
high figure and strength, which developed while healing the damage
done by an invasive boring beetle, comes to good use in the
Rapscallion. It is stiff, but not too much and as such it seems even
soft, and yet it is remarkably strong and potent (perhaps this is why
Ross used the word “resilient” in an earlier post to refer to the
Masur). If compared to composite blades, the Masur does the driving
effect of the carbon, but in the Rapscallion, it does it from an
outside veneer—completely within the ITTF guidelines. And when
polished well, the Masur not only looks gorgeous, but it makes gluing
and ungluing a piece of cake.
Hopefully you have already noticed that
a Rapscallion's important yet uncommon characteristic is not only the
interesting combination of core and veneers, but the order in which
they are placed. Moving from the center, the layers advance from
soft, harder and hardest, and perhaps, this may be the reason why
this blade has a totally different feel of power and dwell than any
other blade I have wielded (and I have wielded a broad diversity of
them for the purpose of this review). As seen through the eyes of
the Janka Ratings:
Masur (1200)- Mahogany (800) – Kiri
(250)- Mahogany (800) - Masur (1200)

This progressive movement of force may
account for the strange lack of an obvious catapult effect on a blade
that absorbs hard hits and yet spits out balls at a unbelievable
speed.
I will continue writing about its sweet
spot, vibrations (or lack of thereof), throw angle and other
important aspects of this blades in sections like this separated by a
day or three. Your questions and comments will definitively find
their way in what I will say.
(In attempting to address aeoliah's
concern I may have deviated a bit from the original format).
Edited by caballero - 09/08/2012 at 8:22am
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Hurray for outstanding independent blade-makers:
Leidy's Rapscallion
Charlie's 1Ply & 9-10-9
American Hinoki's WRC Quantum 3-ply
Nexy Calix
Feedback Caballero
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rokphish
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Posted: 09/08/2012 at 7:50am |
just a suggestion, perhaps you should re-shoot the photo above as it looks like it's out of focus. if you use a digital camera you might want to turn on the macro (flower) mode... 
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Ross Leidy
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Posted: 09/08/2012 at 11:04am |
rokphish wrote:
just a suggestion, perhaps you should re-shoot the photo above as it looks like it's out of focus.if you use a digital camera you might want to turn on the macro (flower) mode...  |
While this photo isn't perfectly focused either, it does show the plies close-up.
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W0LovePP
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Posted: 09/08/2012 at 12:00pm |
Rapscallion's layers are hardest on the outside, hardness of layers decreases towards the inside, reaching the softest in the core. I have been wondering about a design the opposite way: hardest core, but softest outer layer. Could anyone throw in some comments on this kind of design to have certain flexibility for looping, good control close to the table, and for power away from the table? Thanks.
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tabten5
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Posted: 09/08/2012 at 7:19pm |
Two points:
1) We need to know what level, and style, caballero plays in order for the review to have meaning 2) Compensated reviews are the lowest form of review. They render the reviewer biased, and that's a terrible shame.
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fatt
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Posted: 09/08/2012 at 7:40pm |
tabten5 wrote:
Two points:
1) We need to know what level, and style, caballero plays in order for the review to have meaning 2) Compensated reviews are the lowest form of review. They render the reviewer biased, and that's a terrible shame. |
I independently (despite my inclination to support Ross' work) disagree; for example, among all journalists doing reviews about any product, if too many were biased we would by now have no credible review about anything at all and that obviously is not the case. I would say that a compensated review encourages the reviewer to be 1) more focused on quality of research, presentation and wording and 2), especially when there is full disclosure like in Ross' case, 2) very careful about not being biased because any exaggerated praise will of course sound doubtful and annoy some people (like you).
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danhs
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Posted: 09/08/2012 at 8:49pm |
W0LovePP wrote:
Rapscallion's layers are hardest on the outside, hardness of layers decreases towards the inside, reaching the softest in the core. I have been wondering about a design the opposite way: hardest core, but softest outer layer. Could anyone throw in some comments on this kind of design to have certain flexibility for looping, good control close to the table, and for power away from the table? Thanks. |
I think the reason that's not really a good idea is that the harder woods are generally (although not always) much heavier, so you would either have an extremely thin, flexible blade of ordinary weight that was also very soft OR a blade of normal thickness with a soft feel but very heavy. Neither option sounds great to me.
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tsanyc
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Posted: 09/08/2012 at 9:51pm |
nice pics
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caballero
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Posted: 09/09/2012 at 1:05am |
I will attempt to address a few of the
issues just raised (sorry for the elongated and “nerdy”
response).
I- rokphish
1- Pics
rokphish, thanks for the tip. Yes, I
should have taken more care with the pics. Ross obviously took better
pictures, and his shows the layers more clearly. It surprised me at
first, but the fascination some members of this forum (and that of
OOAK) have for beauty, craftsmanship and detail has honestly inspired
me to experience this sport more fully.
II- tabten5
tabten5, you submit candid and
necessary questions. In truth, Ross and I had already began answering
them. I was also planning to continue addressing them in piecemeal.
Fully covering them now, however, may just be the best choice (others
may be thinking like you).
1- “Compensation”
Directly to the point: Ross'
“compensation” is not that different from what publishing houses
do when I review academic and scholarly manuscripts:
http://bit.ly/RqvpsY Rarely, if
ever, there is a published review in which the book is not given
totally free (this is the common practice in academic and trade
publications alike). This compensation, however, hardly affects the
outcome of the review (there is no reason why it should since the
“compensation” never compensates for the effort).
Often these books are really expensive
because of their limited circulation, and yet reviewers receive them
gratis simply as a small token of appreciation for their hard work.
In reality, the work of writing a book-review is many times more
consuming and difficult than what it seems. The same happens with
blade-review, I now realize. For those who have done their share of
reviews (in academia this means, pretty much, everybody), to think
that “compensation” fuels or stains the review, is a joke.
Moreover, short unsolicited and spontaneous reviews are hardly
considered trustworthy.
The fact is that after inviting me to
write a review, Ross first simply offered a modest discount for the
blade, never a sufficient motivation for going through this process.
But as I brought members of the (state undefeated) VT team to test
and write about the blade, he expanded the offer and included the
team's coach in the discount (you will be reading his review shortly,
I hope).
The story began a couple of months ago
when I approached Ross about trying one of his demo blades. At that
time I felt stuck in my TT training (could not maintain a consistent
100 hard shots and was getting frustrated by the slow progress in
mastering other techniques). I acquired some new and used equipment,
and began learning to work with the rackets on my own (Ely Cole was a
great help too). Paying more attention to the equipment, I thought,
may also help to learn how and why practicing certain techniques was
so important. I had read many threads and posts about Charlie, Kevin
and Ross' blades, that I decided to contact them. Reading about these
craftsmen, and then communicating with them gave me a insight on
blade-making that I would not have gotten in any other way.
When Ross, in what it seemed as an
authentic desire to evaluate his brainchild, offered me the
opportunity to write about the blade, I saw this in the same way I
see academic journal's invitation to write about a book: a chance to
learn more about the subject. And since this was not a finished
product (Ross was decided to create not simply a beautiful blade, but
one that would fill-in the gap of looper's blade), I thought I would
participate in its creation by giving it a close and critical
evaluation.
Looking at how much effort and
dedication Ross (as other craftsmen) put on their work, I would not
even consider feasible to do less than what they do. Moreover, (and
this is something I plan to expand later) Ross was persistently
inquiring with doubts he had and pressing me on points that may
produce negative reactions on players (i.e., how players may react to
the sudden power increase the blade shows and the many gears its
throw angle has). This, I thought, was an admirable display of honor
and openness.
2- Playing level
From the start I made it clear to Ross
that I was only reentering TT as an adult with limited experience in
the game. But he insisted that other issues mattered most: the
passion for the game, a critical yet balanced evaluation, and the
ability to convey its meaning in a coherent manner.
As a teenager in the Dominican
Republic, I had played long outside of professional clubs (what in
the U.S. is called, “basement” playing), and unfortunately, had
developed poor techniques. As an adult, I tried my luck at Mitchell
Seidenfeld's club in Minnesota-- at which time I realized I had to
work hard if I wanted to become a decent player. The academic
tenure-track, unfortunately, did not afforded much time. This year,
however, my kids showed a sudden and more serious interest in TT, and
they, I have to confess, rule my life.
Prompted by new hopes I decided to
invested myself fully into this game (by now you may have noticed
that this is my modus operandi). So, I approached the VT team
coach, and began playing hard with him and the team, and at the local
club. 
Moreover, in the last six months we have been particularly
lucky to have been training with Wu Xian Sheng - “Mr. Wu” (coached
China's Liu Guoliang when Guoliang was a little kid and is 2350
USTT). 
I cannot tell you my USTT score because I have not been at a
USTT tournament yet. The players with whom I daily train and play are
mostly between 1600-2000. And, as I mentioned above, I have included
them in this blade's evaluation (I did not feel I could present to
you the most objective and informative review of this blade without
their help). So, as I mentioned at the introduction, in this review
you get more than one review; you get the best a diverse group of
dedicated players think about this blade.

Thanks again for the chance to
explain. Hope I have addressed your concerns.
Edited by caballero - 09/09/2012 at 1:40am
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Hurray for outstanding independent blade-makers:
Leidy's Rapscallion
Charlie's 1Ply & 9-10-9
American Hinoki's WRC Quantum 3-ply
Nexy Calix
Feedback Caballero
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assiduous
Platinum Member
Joined: 05/01/2011
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 2592
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Posted: 09/09/2012 at 1:10am |
such beauty. Ross Lady, I appeal to you again, figure a way to engrave letters on them. There is no way the person who did such a blade cannot figure a way to burn a few letters on them
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puppy412 : Sorry man, I don't mean to sound disrespectful, but I know that more training will make me better, I don't need to come here to figure that out
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fatt
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Joined: 07/15/2007
Location: Seattle, WA
Status: Offline
Points: 14668
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Posted: 09/09/2012 at 1:39am |
Caballero: reading your English is as peaceful and enjoyable as sitting on a creek's bank and listening the clear water flow. Thanks again; can't wait to read more about your RL endeavor.
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aeoliah
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Joined: 11/18/2005
Location: Indonesia
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Points: 3096
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Posted: 09/09/2012 at 2:27am |
Hi Fatt, actually I have the double sided J-pen : I have two double sided Violin J-pen, J-RH and J-PH, but I do not seem to like (or more frankly speaking I find it difficult to execute  ) the RPB, so in the end I custom ordered a normal Violin J-pen. I even have the C-pen version. I am a poor looper, so I am interested in this blade. I envy you guys for having very attractive handles, whilst I have to content myself with the cork block  I have one suggestion to Ross : perhaps it is time to give some identification on the blade (in this case perhaps by etching the name : "rapscallion" so we know what blade we are using. I have now two, perhaps the third is already in mind, and it might happen that I will forget which one is which.
Edited by aeoliah - 09/09/2012 at 2:30am
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Member of the Single Ply Hinoki Club Roots 9, Acuda P2 max.
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emihet
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Joined: 09/22/2009
Location: CALIFORNIA
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Points: 2042
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Posted: 09/09/2012 at 4:04am |
how does this blade play in comparison to your copy of the acoustic?
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Stiga Clipper Wood, Viscaria,BBC,
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