I am pleased to introduce a new looper's blade - Rapscallion.  The prototype blade initially appeared anonymously in http://mytt.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=46506 - 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.

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

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).  

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 - 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.

Dear forum members,

[Editorial comment: half of this post are incomplete musings generated with little sleep]

There is no pleasure in delaying the sharing of my experiences and thoughts about the Rapscallion. A sudden loss in the family exacerbated an already heavy semester and research schedule. Yet, these are not the only reasons for the delay, I must admit. There is no excuse for falling into the trap of rethinking, reevaluating, and seeking more comparisons. Yes, I confess that I have been deliberately playing with other blades, studying, weighting, and feeling them (a lot of touching involved).

But, let's be clear that I have only done this because I have wanted to understand the Rapscallion's characteristics in a broader context and not because any philandering impulses. Now I can add the BBC 1Ply, Timo Boll ALC, Donic Waldner Dotec Carbon, andAndro Kinetic Supreme Zylon/Kiso Hinoki OFF- (soon the American Hinoki WRC 9) to the list of excellent blades to which I have methodically compared the Rapscallion (notice the high quality levels of blades to which the Rapscallion is compared—it is like the Roman generals who only fought against “worthy” enemies).

The Rapscallion is at this moment back on Dan Notestein's hands who is a high level player and the coach of the Table Tennis Team at Virginia Tech. As I mentioned before, he reviewed the blade together with me, and be assured that I will be publishing his review as part of this ongoing conversation/review. I have recently surrender the blade to Notestein because he seemed to have grown fond of it, and also to show my gratitude for his hard work in developing young minds and promoting the game in the area.


It has only been 5 days, yet this separation from the Rapscallion has produced a sort of nostalgia that I was not expecting. Nothing feels the same; not the carbons; not the other wooden bats. I can hardly wait for the two Rapscallions I have ordered from Ross to arrive. One is on flared and the other in a pistol-tenaly handle style. I could have a bit more control while blocking with blades made purposely for this. Other blades, particularly the carbon, could also deliver a more rock-like feeling; that sensation that you have when hitting across the second and third bases with a metal bat--. But none can give me the spin I get with the Rapscallion. And more importantly for me, no blade I have seen yet could bestow on the player the seemingly opposite gifts of (non-mushy) dwell and (non-catapult) power (seeking certainty on this point has pushed me to seek a broader net of comparison).

This last paragraph leads me to a thought that has been swirling around my head while going through this review process. I think we all agree that what TT players refer to as a “feel” on the blade is within the twilight of subjectivity and myth. So, why have we continued using this word/concept to evaluate the racket's worth?

I now think that the pervasive use of the word “feel,” instead of a more scientific and empirical sensory analysis, has something to do with an innermost desire we have. I refer here to the player wanting to fancy the paddle as a hand extension, and thus more fully sense every ball contact as a hand touch. The sound of the ball encountering the paddle, and the speed and movements of the ball as perceived by our eyes are all ways we gather precious information about the game. Yet, the sensations from the hands may just be the most important. After all, we have developed an extraordinarily complex and thick network of sensory points on our hands. Our brains appear to request from the paddle information about our movements in the same way it demands feedback from the hand. For our brains, the paddle is part of the hand.

However, if we could have been playing with our hands we surely would not have needed a blade (and perhaps saved money). Our hands can carry and slow down the ball. They are also directly connected to our nervous system and thus can respond to the brain's need for information. Paddles, on the other hand, are unable to send reliable information. Paddles can, however, do what the hand can't, which is to hit the ball harder, and spin it.

A seeming contradiction and gap in knowledge appears when we want the power to send the ball to the table from afar while also wanting to sense the ball's direction, its dwell time and possibly even wanting to grab it and vigorously carry it to the other side. We are not patient enough to wait for evolution to “grow” the perfect looper's hand. So, as humans have done for millions of years, we need a tool to fill in the gap between our bodies and the blade. Our urge is to loop with power and land the ball on the table even from afar while also wanting to sense the ball's direction and its dwell time.

Most blades would choose an option over the other: power or dwell. My most pressing question at this point is, would the Rapscallion give us one or the other? I submit to you that it gives you both.

Will come back soon

I- The Rapscallion is a uniquely beautiful 5ply all-wood blade made specifically for the mid to high level looper. It is an OFF to OFF + speed (Ross had it on Off-, but my impression and those that reviewed this blade with me is that it is much faster and powerful). Its control for me, after about two days of playing, is 9 out of 10 (with many gears to accommodate). It is hard medium, and medium flex, with a flex-hard touch as oppose to “soft” touch. This allows for absorbing attack balls, helps generate lots of mechanical spin and power-shots. Its throw angle, relative to speed and handling, is between the broad range of low and medium high (this may require a separate discussion).

Its stats are: 

Compact-2 head -157mm (L) x 150mm(W)

FL handle - 104mm (L) x 23mm (thick)

85.4g 

6.2mm thick

The specific composition is of Masur Birch, Mahogany, Kiri, Mahogany, Masur Birch. The inner ply, the Kiri, is noticeable larger, while the outer and harder plies are thinner. As discussed before, this combination has a gradual expansion toward hardness away from the center, and this may be an important reason why this blade can be hard and flexible at the same time.

The handle shows a beautiful layout and goes well with the Masur: the Chakte Viga produces a smooth contrast while the Olivewood replicates the Masur's appearance. (After heavy use, I found the Chakte-Viga to change colors. The handling, sweat and hand’s oil did not help in keeping its beauty. But after sanding it and applying some wood conditioner, it recovered some of its luster. I had now requested other woods for the new blades’s handles; woods that are friendlier to the heavy handling I will be giving to them.)

This is a very “forgiving” blade. It absorbs the opponent’s shots, and allows you to carry and then direct the ball at your wish to the other side of the table.  However, this blade works better in the hand of a player with some experience wanting to improve the game’s speed and power considerably. This is definitively not an “All” or defensive blade, but more a hybrid between power and offensive blade. The player should be willing to take (a relatively short) time to fine-tune the technique in order to make more effective use of the blade’s many gears. 

II- The freak-figured Masur Birch has been a piece in blades many times before, as a trip to the New York MET’s weapon section would show. However, I have not seen evidence yet of this wood being the chief hitting or cutting element in any composition. Having the Masur Birch outer ply as the whacking veneer is only one of the ways the Rapscallion is a different blade type. As mentioned before, it is genuinely gorgeous, hard and yet flexible, the ideal blade for loops near and far from the table. And better yet, without artificial flavors. This is a true worldly product with plies from across the globe, and thanks to the Internet, put together with feedback from experiences of people around the world. 

Knowing your wood well has always been considered an extremely important human occupation. Our first tool was, most likely, a piece of wood and since then, we have not ceased to go back to the longest-lived member of the natural world. In fact, despite the technological revolution, plastic and metal still fall short to the organic wood. Weight for weight, wood is as strong as steel. Its molding has always been the vocation of dedicated craftsmen and craftswomen. And as responsible and creative wood-makers from the past has shown, working the wood creatively and conservatively may help solve even our most mundane challenges. Perhaps it is because of the extra resin in the Masur Birch’s bird-eyes, but the all-wood Rapscallion needs no carbon ply to propel power shots. 

III- The arrival of the Rapscallion may be compared to the arrival of the steel blade. Bronze hammers, swords and Chinese http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dao_%28sword%29 - Dao abounded from Western Africa and Iceland to all the way to the Asian Pacific coast. Yet, when smiths, under multiple pressures, improved their techniques to convert iron to steel, bronze weaponry began its long, but definitive and gradual migration to museums. A steel blade was much lighter and stronger than a bronze one. Its comfortable weight would allow a fast and decisive stroke in a life saving situation, and thus it became both the offensive and defensive weapon of choice. It could also be molded in infinitively more shapes and forms. They were rarely made in mass quantities, but made to fit the styles of its users. This would required, of course, a close interaction between the user and the creator, not that different from that of the taylor and the trouser user.  

We all know too well the obsession that afterward developed among warriors and knights (i.e., Samurais and martial artists). In many places they would even be buried along with their steel weapons. These were blades invariably created under the utmost care of a skillful smith, who would turn the iron hundreds of times to make it hard and yet as artistic as possible. This instrument was not, at all, a weapon of simple mechanics, but a piece of art that, as a rule, its beauty paralleled its use.  A specialized career grew in China from learning to “read” the blade’s beauty lines (wood grains?). Today, archeologist findings often match beautiful blades with how well they worked in battle (advantageous expediency). This should not surprise us. Differently from current popular expressions, beauty has long been linked to efficiency and utility. 

I am not planning to be buried with my Rapscallions, but I would sure want to have them close to me as often as possible. 

IV- As hinted previously, my connection to the Rapscallion began when I approached Ross with a query about a specific composition. I wanted to know about a possible two-speed blade that could help regulate my strengths and weaknesses with loops on both sides of the table. Soon our correspondence turned into the topic of the most appropriate veneer combinations for loops. But it was not until our exchange grew more familiar that Ross revealed his secret weapon, the Rapscallion, which he had been http://thesaurus.com/browse/deliberately - deliberately constructing and also having it tested. I was fortunate to be included in the circle. 

When Ross learned I preferred the flared handle, he then began the construction of a new Rapscallion. Something interesting began to happen the moment he started working with this Rapscallion: he sent me daily informative and visual updates about how the blade was taking shape. Each step, each message, each picture, just made it more attractive. Ross also asked me questions about each specific detail of the blade, making sure that it would be tailored to my style and taste. I came to know the blade rather well even before it arrived. This was a fabulous experience: to be treated like a king who had ordered a blade from a renown smith.  Finally, he sent me the blade on the mail and also sent me a review written by a European high level player. 

It took three long days, but it finally arrived. And this is how Ross’ superior craftsmanship looked:

It came on a leather pouch, with a signed certificate of authenticity and of ITTF approval. On the side you can also see Ross’ signature on a beautiful piece of wood. This was clearly special, each ply perfectly mulled and glued, and the shiny Masur Birch was uniquely beautiful. The moment I wielded it, it felt like the excalibur, perfect in my hands. I should admit, however, that it took me some time to learn to wield it properly. But as soon as I felt more confident with it, the improvement in my game was noticeable by all with whom I have played before. 

Immediately after unveiling the blade, I tested its sweet spot, and how sweet and capacious it was! http://youtu.be/STToRi_1OcE - Here is a clip showing the ball’s bouncing evenly and on a constant tone across most (if not all) of the blade’s head. Since doing this test and putting on several rubbers (which I will talk about later), I have purposely measured and compared the Rapscallion’s sweet spot and other qualities, to the following blades: Palio TN Double Carbon, Freundlieb TT-Piet KIC-7, Andro Kinetic, BBC 1Ply, American Hinoki WRC9, Timo Boll ALC and Spirit, and Donic Dotec Hinoki (this over the other Donic mentioned in a previous post). My conclusion is that for the purpose of offensive play and power looping, close and far from the table, the Rapscallion is a much better value than any of them. 

The Rapscallion’s traits would be closer to the Timo Boll ALC, with the Donic, BBC and Palio somewhat near too. The main differences between the Rapscallion and the Timo Boll would be that the former would hardly produce any vibration, the “feel” would be closer to the hand, the throw angle would be a bit more curve-like, and the dwell time would be noticeable longer. It would produce, however, similar power shots. These are all ideal characteristics for a looper's blade.

Consider, too, that the other blades have different traits for different purposes. The BBC 1Ply is a relative fast blade with a softer touch and is great for blocking, lifting heavy underspin, particularly dexterous for distance defense, but cannot compare with the Rapscallion power and drive (the Raps' sweet spot is markedly larger). The soft-touch Donic Hinoki is a nice blade too that works better for defense with a decent level of attacking power, but cannot compare with the tremendous force coming from the Rapscallion. 

These comparisons show, again that the Rapscallion cannot be easily categorized; it strolls between the tremendous strength of power blades and the dexterity of offensive blades.

I will next share some of my “mini” reviews and the reviews of other higher level players I had sent to Ross, and later will address questions about rubber, gears, and adaptation. 

Forum members,

Thanks for your patience. As I mentioned before, I would have wanted to have posted all the review installments a few weeks ago, but a family tragedy slowed me down significantly. 

The good news is that we are getting close to publish all the material I have prepared for this review. And here is another installment on the Rapscallion review. 

In this post I am sharing a first attempt to review the blade. This an (lightly edited) email I sent to Ross on August 29. 

The highlights of this post are:

1- The Rapscallion’s compared to other blades (since the writing of this email I have included other blades to compared, of which I already commented on a previous post).

2- Its throw angle and gears (I think this part is super important to understand the blade well).

3- Spins, chops, loops and sweet spot. 

4- My own usage (I should add that since writing this I won several important matches with this blade on a local tournament)

5- At the end I have included comments on the blade by two of the Virginia Tech TT team with USATT scores of 1600 and 1750 respectively.

In my next post I will be sharing coach Dan Notestein’s review of the blade. 

Hope you find this material helpful.

------

Ross,

Hope you are doing well. Allow me to share more thoughts about the blade. In a way, this could be seen as a first draft that attempts to put my subjective impressions in order in preparation for the more formal review writing.

I have played with the "Rapscallion" every single day for the last two weeks now. With a few exceptions, I have played against players at a much higher level than I currently am. The blade has been dressed with five different rubbers (T05, T6f4x, Nittaku Narucross GS Super Soft, Palio CJ8000 - Quality B,C and Globe 999, both on a 2.3 Lemon Sponge-- three more to go: TG3eNo, Sanwei T88 and Axiom Vega), and have also been played by a limited, but well-experienced and critical players. 

The jury concurs that this is not a common type of blade, definitively superior to the bunch, perfect for all types of loops, and excellent for chopping, backhand and forehand drives. But since good looping blades are difficult to find, this blade should distinguish itself for assisting loopers to produce unmistakably smashing and spiny loops that would land on the opponent’s side more often than with other blades. The power it produces is comparable to Timo Boll's ZLF, but with significantly more dwell time. If compared with Timo Boll’s control blade, the blocking on the Spirit FL may score better, but only because the power and the gears in the Rapscallion are plenty more. And this is, in my view, the most interesting characteristic of the Rapscallion as I was not alone to perplex over the fact that, like the ant, this was a very light blade with a strength beyond its weight that would throw an amazing punch (it was this unexpected surprise that may have accounted for the first impression as “uncontrollable”). 

When not playing with the Rapscallion, I have been wielding a TT-Piet KIC-7, custom-built combination blade by Peter Freundlieb. This is a good paddle too, much better than the pricier (yet, not necessarily bad) Andro Kinetic I still have. This German blade sent my older Palio Double Carbon, and a Stiga All to rest indefinitely. But now, after playing with the Rapscallion non-stop for two weeks, I don't want to play with any other blade, not even with the TT-Piet KIC-7. I have been sold to light yet potent dwelling blades that have been carefully constructed with an extra large sweet spot. 

It took me the first 5 hours of play and touch-games, but the Rapscallion soon grew in my right hand better than the other blades. I also found it more controllable than any other I have played with (including the ones I borrowed from my club friends [the Spirit FL may be an exception in control, and the Donic Dotec in its comfortable handle]). The throw and the blocking, which were issues at first, soon were not. The throw angle is not variant and unpredictable as you feared, but is just a bit more sensitive to the player's stroke. Players will understandably want to feel and read the blade's throw angle immediately. But playing with this blade for me was like graduating from a three-gears beginners' bike to a 10-gears fine mountain-bike that could ride through the city's pavement unnoticed and also fly you across Snow-Shoe unscathed. The young rider will necessarily have to experiment with the many more gears before feeling totally in control on the new bike. This means that the Rapscallion offers the player a larger selection of distant shots than a more defensive blade. And, after carefully testing its gears, the player will receive as a grant precise and consistent shots (I can say this with certainty as measured by visible improvements on my backhand). 

As I told you before, I am not the best of players. The group with whom I have been playing this summer are all experienced, fine, and dedicated players between 1600-2300s--not your average U.S. club attendees. They play no fewer than 5 days a week (the coach plays every single day) and have been overwhelmingly focused on improving their game and learning as much as possible from a special visitor from China, Wu Xian Sheng - “Mr. Wu” (coached China's Liu Guoliang when Guoliang was a little kid). On the other hand, I reentered TT recently and have been focused on unlearning most of what I knew, and building new muscle memories. So, I cannot say I have won any match with this blade against my better playing friends (have won many against other players on the weekends outside of the club, though). 

However, I have certainly won a few club games and, more significantly, have been mastering difficult new techniques much better with this paddle than with the Andro or the TT-Piet KIC-7. Forehand loops are much easier to produce (although they are still a challenge compared to my backhand), but the two things that the Rapscallion has clearly done for me has been to intensify the control and speed in my backhand loop and drive, and develop a better control on the forehand drive that was unimaginable two weeks ago (of course, the blade is not the only reason for this improvement, but it was certainly a factor).  

Moreover, I have found that compared with other blades I have played before, the Rapscallion is also better for chops and under-spins, which are new lessons I have been receiving from the coach these days. Its light weight allows me to quickly move my hand from behind the table to near the net. And because there is no noticeable "catapult" effect, I can better brush the ball while also "dwelling" it to spin it more precisely on short or long responses, as I see fit. Again, the light weight, combined with power and dwell-time (with no catapult effect), allows me to try a bewildering number of micro movements that would lift a spiny ball in any number of ways. The blade's dwell time cuts into the opponent's spin and provides me with relative control and also with a new spin, while its power helps me move the ball faster than expected (which has been more clearly shown in my backhand) (I am unable to review this blade's ability to assist in flips because I am barely learning about them).

Soon after feeling comfortable with the blade, I noticed its forgiving nature. I found that, much more than before, I could hit the ball standing outside of my comfortable position and still make it to the other side of the table. Hitting fast topspins on the forehand more than 50 times without a drop against the club’s coach was not possible a few weeks ago, but while holding the Rapscallion it became a benchmark I can now keep in record. And though learning appropriate position and technique were the most important reasons for this newly found control, I also have to credit the Rapscallion for its aid. In order to gauge the Rapscallion’s ability to keep the ball hitting on the table, I often moved from one blade to the other, comparing the Rapscallion with as many blades there were available at the club. 

For a time I wondered how this blade could have many gears in its throw angle, throwing the ball between low and medium angles, while also allowing me to topspin it and chop it back with more precision than with other blades. It seemed incongruent to offer various shot angles while also providing the player with more control in looping or driving the ball back to the other side. This was a burning question until I became aware of two issues. One is about the way the player must use the blade and the other is about the blade’s construction. 

First, the consistency of my loops and drives was closely linked to the amount of spin I applied to the ball. The more spin (mechanical or brushing), the more precise the ball fell on the table. The blade is certainly a “spinfile” and will award loopers and choppers with unbelievable. Of course, spin-less blocking was also good, so good that my drill partner would have to remind me to spin the ball back to him because it was so easy just to hold the paddle against backhand drives. Yet, more precision came from the spiny counter drives/loops I sent to the other side. 

Second, from the moment I first handled the blade I noticed its uncommonly large sweet spot. This I documented by bouncing the ball on different parts of the bare blade, measuring the blade's feel and ball’s height, and by repeatedly hitting down the ball on the table around the blade’s entire bare surface while studying its vibrations and feedback. The resulting view was that the blade appeared amazingly consistent across and around: no matter where I hit the ball, it felt as if I was hitting on the middle of the blade--a rare trait indeed, which must result from the high quality of it craftsmanship. Without doubt, this expanded sweet spot accounts for its forgiving nature (attention sinners) and its ability to help the player to keep the ball in the game.

You have already read Dan Notestein review of the blade, which I plan to include here. Two other players have promised just a few more sentences, which I will also add to my review. One of them has already sent his, and they are below. 

Sudip Saha 

12:21 AM

Hi Dennis,

 Thanks for asking me for my review. Let me try this one,

       My friend at the local table tennis club got this blade. I tried it for twice or thrice. The blade feels really good to handle. It gives good control while playing loops. I am not a chopper and I don't push that much [either]. So, can't tell much on this aspect. But, I think chopping and pushing should be OK with this blade. Overall, this is a nice blade.

TT Players,

Here I present Coach Dan Notestein’s review of the Rapscallion. He has been an avid player for over 20 years. He has also coached the Virginia Tech teams for several years and is now the Virginia Divisional director for the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association. He is a certified level 1 ITTF coach and maintains a wiki with coaching and playing advice at http://pingpong.syncad.com/ -

The Review: 

Blade Configuration:

FH: Tenergy 64 

BH: Nittaku Narucross GS Super Soft

I'm a very aggressive two-winged looper, so I tend to prefer medium weight blades (i.e. ~90 grams). Generally when I've tried lighter blades like this one, my loop has felt weaker. But with this blade, I haven't felt this way at all. My loops with this blade are very fast and spiny. I've been daily practicing against a 2340 player with tremendous blocking ability and it's quite apparent that he's having more difficulty blocking my loops now than when he was blocking against my old blade. Part of this is probably attributable to the change to using tensors, but I'm still impressed that I'm able to hit with such power with such a light blade.

I also really like the touch of the blade. I'm very comfortable flipping off the backhand with it, and I'm even able to flip fairly effectively off the forehand side (which has generally been a bit of a challenge for me).

I suffer from elbow tendonitis, which has lead me to normally use a "pistol paddle" instead of a regular shake-hands blade as it seems to put less stress on the elbow. However, I've successfully been playing with this blade for about two weeks without too much pain, which I think can be attributed to the lightness of the blade.

Overall, I'm pleased with the performance of this blade. If I can successfully adjust my backhand strokes (Backhand on a pistol paddle is fairly different from a shake-hands blade and I find my backhand is not as consistent with a shake-hands blade right now), I will consider buying a blade like this for the increased power it provides.

best regards,

Dan

aeoliah wrote: Thanks for the review Caballero, may I ask some questions : How is the feel, hard or soft ? How is the sound ? I hope it will not give a hollow sound.

aeoliah   

The short answer is that the blade is only semi-stiff, so it is a bit more flexible than soft. Compared to the gamut of choices, from the very soft and to the very hard blades, the Rapscallion has an in-between moderate range of sensations. With a relatively hard crust but a softer center, the blade can be both. In the short and close game, it would be smoother, and thus, more appropriate than a carbon blade. In the long and far-from-the-table game, this blade would speed-up and draw out the ball in such an unexpected way that you would feel it harder than you thought it was.  Look for example at Mr. Wu’s testing of the blade http://youtu.be/JEUCddM_uiM -

 In other words (the long answer now), the “feel” is neither too soft nor is it too hard. I would say that it is deceivingly right for the occasion and task you require from the blade. If you just throw the ball lightly, at a low altitude (as I did on the http://youtu.be/STToRi_1OcE -

We only know things by comparison. That is why I took the time to experiment with several blades and become familiar with 1ply blades, and more traditional carbon blades. The latter are harder and obviously powerful. And the former are softer and yet fast.  In contrast, the Rapscallion’s “feel” is definitively dynamic. The Rapscallion’s flexibility absorbs the impact smoothly, making it seem softy, but it immediately throws a hard punch by sending the ball longer and harder than the 1ply blades (I think that this is what some call “catapult” effect, but I prefer not to call it this way because I may imply it is uncontrollable). 

As of today, I have not received my new Rapscallions. So, for two hours I played with two 1ply blades and with a traditional carbon blade (all three dressed with tensors T64fx, Bluefire, Xiom Elite). My wish throughout the entire session was to have a blade with the characteristics of all three in one. The 1plies would give me awesome control to  block, to position the ball on the table, some “mechanical” spin and the power to even loop well at mid-distance. On the other hand, the carbon blade would give me an awesome “brush” spin, and would let me power-loop with confidence from any distance. I think I would have played my style much better (certainly with more confidence) if I would have had one of my Rapscallions. 

In regards to the sound, it is exactly as you suggested: not hollowed, but a full and deep click. It may be louder with some tensors and definitively clearer with a tuned rubber. A few weeks ago I recorded and prepared a short http://youtu.be/R9zPPCqMj2M - Hope this is helpful. Let me know of any other questions.

Our intention, clearly spelled at the opening shots, was to encourage a conversation in which others would join with questions and even reviews of their own. So, come in, the water is fine. As with most threads, it ends when we all decide to do so.

As explained before, what I have been sharing here was produced by my coach (a respected figure in the sport), other high level players and myself. I was going to do most of the writing, but this was decidedly a group project (the names were given previously), and clearly not the work of a simple amateur player. 

We happily invested time and (not so happy) money hoping to receive joy and education, and in return it yielded lots of material. But we were also sincerely wanting to share. Ross and I knew we were taking a risk with this format, but we went ahead with it for the sake of innovation. The tragedy that stroke my family, however, seriously delayed my posts. So, apologies to those who have found it inconvenient. 

In this thread we have shared more analysis and information than found in ordinary reviews. So, I will be reducing my participation after this comparison with other blade, analysis of rubbers, surface & re-gluing, and comments on the throw angle, gears, and a few other nuisances (“bad”?) --and I will try to make it as short as possible. :)  (there are two new video clips on this post)

Against Other Blades

I have written more in-depth in other posts about how the Rapscallion fares with other blades. Here I just want to offer an idea of where this blade fits in a continuum. We call it a loopers’ dream because it flexes well while also shooting incredibly powerful. Its semi-stiff and grabbing abilities promote both brush and mechanical spins. So, within these traits, the Rapscallion leaves in the dust all low and mid levels blades (Palio’s Carbon, Andro’s Kinetic, BBC 1Ply), and still out-steps Timo Boll Spirit, ALC and Andro Zylon, offering the player the power of the Carbon with the smoothness of the wood (Zylon nears the Rapscallion on its "feel"). 

Rubbers

I dressed the Rapscallion with tensors and non-tensors, and found that tensors work slightly better (rubbers mentioned in a previous post). The basis of comparing this specific aspect of the review were five other blades dressed exactly the same. 

http://www.apple.com/ - P http://www.palio.co/en/palio/pblade/carbon/item/83-tn.html - alio TN Double Carbon

http://www.tabletennisdb.com/blade/andro-kinetic-supreme-off-minus-kiso-hinoki-zylon.html - Andro Kinetic Off, Kiso Hinoki Zylon

http://mytabletennis.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=50708&title=short-review-bbc-cypress-1ply - BBC 1Ply

http://mytabletennis.net/Forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29356 - American Hinoki WRC-9

http://tabletennis.about.com/od/blades/a/timoboll_spirit.htm - Timo Boll Spirit . 

What I noticed was that, even after accounting for the particular characteristics of each rubber, the Palio and the WRC 9 played at their expected levels with both tensors and non-tensors. Perhaps because of its thickness, the BBC 1Ply played markedly better with tensors (particularly fast ones). The Rapscallion, as well as the Andro and the TBs, would play only slightly better with tensors. 

This means that while the Rapscallion shines with tensors, those preferring Chinese rubbers would hardly notice the difference in performance. That there is a slight difference was “proven” when I tuned the non-tensors (which I did for analysis and pure fun!). Stupendous performance! In fact, not even the tensors worked as well (non-tensors were transformed by the tuning far more markedly than tensors). 

So, if you don’t mind http://bit.ly/OyGw35 -

Comparative Table

The areas of comparative analysis were (these are general-aggregate data; as always, a few rubbers would be hard to classify):

Blocking: 

• Tensors: Better
• Non-Tensors: Better +
• Tuned Rubber: Average 

Spiny-Power Looping:

• Tensors: Better +
• Non-Tensors: Good +
• Tuned Rubber: Superb

Spiny Chops:

• Tensors: good
• Non-Tensors: Better +
• Tuned Rubber: Superb

Drives and Pushes

• Tensors: Good
• Non-Tensors: Better
• Tuned Rubber: Good

Over-the-Net Flips

• Tensors: Better +
• Non-Tensors: Good
• Tuned Rubber: Superb

Spiny Serves (under, side and top spins; compete with its looping abilities)

• Tensors: Superb
• Non-Tensors: Superb
• Tuned Rubber: Superb

Flat Hitting and Smashing (weakest area; perhaps because of its arc and flex, but it was still appropriate)

• Tensors: Good
• Non-Tensors: Average
• Tuned Rubber: Superb

In the end, I kept T64FX and T05 longer because I found I could loop and chop, play on extremes, much better with this combination (in fact, it was like a dream come true). Coach Dan Notestein’s written http://bit.ly/QhtP9N -

Though I commonly prefer thick rubbers, medium thickness appeared to work better than what I expected on this blade. T64FX, Bluefire, Spin-Art, Xiom Euro, and Sun pro on 1.9 thickness had better control.  Not surprisingly, TG3 Neo was a hit on this blade when heavily tuned with Falco Long Term, but even Globe 999 National was spectacular when tuned. 

Tuning, however, made 

Surface Durability on re-gluing

Players who have changed rubbers to ordinary blades might recall that this exercise often can become a pain. In the last 5 months I have changed more rubbers than I can count, and I have always had several cases where the rubbers just break into pieces or that the outer veneer splinters, or that fibers come out with the rubber. Well, like with the Hinoki and the Cypress woods, the Masur Birch is a re-gluer’s dream. It was easy to spread both water-base glue (Hinoki and Cypress don’t like water) and contact cement. And easier to take the rubber out. As it shows http://youtu.be/ERnM30XZdQo - in this video , it was a child’s play!

The Bad or too fast for a beginner?

It is very easy to have read this (unconventional) review as if saying that any player would immediately love the blade’s performance. Once again, this blade will perpetually frustrate players who stay mostly on the defense. It will also prove challenging at first to mid level players (USATT 1600s?). But for experienced players, this blade will become part of their hands after only a few strokes. That was the difference between coach Notestein, Mr. Wu (2240) and myself. It took me a few hours of intensive game to start learning to control the blocking, and particularly, the throw angle. But, http://youtu.be/3JYn4B6blIo - as this clip attempts to show , coach Notestein and Mr. Wu were able to control the monster blade in less than 20 minutes (yet, while Dan wanted the Rapscallion, Mr. Wu preferred slower blades because they are less exhausting). So, this blade’s control is relatively medium for mid-level players, but good for advanced players. 

As mentioned in another post, the throw angle can be tricky. It is one of the most notable initial difficulties; it took me a few days to figure it out well. Half of the other players did not experienced it as bad as I did. But we speculated that it may have to do with the blade’s flexibility. It seems that as the blade flexes it has a variety of gears and throw angles happening in a relatively rapid succession. However, let’s not confused this behavior with the almost unpredictable response of the Balsa. The Kiri is more consistent. But it took me some time to learn to use these gears well. 

Conclusion

It should be pretty clear by now that we are very happy with this blade, and that we have reached this point after careful comparison and analysis of its traits. What makes this blade unique above all is its superior craftsmanship. Ross’ hands made this blade with such attention that is impossible to match on a factory (and I know this because he sent me daily updates about his work with the blade). Also unique is its composition which allows us to have two blades in one: one with the necessary flexibility to grab the ball on a loop, and one with the necessary horsepower to shoot the ball with accuracy and power far from the table (it will not bottom down easily). The blade’s unquestioned and stunning aesthetics is just the frosting on the cake (yet, there are some that prefer the frosting).