Only weighs 71g uncut too for a 53deg, tacky rubber. Better than all the hybrids I've played before (I'm nearly at double digits)!

Thoughts?

Wanna give it a try once my MX-D wears out.

I have ordered me a sheet and I will get it soon if everything goes well. I am not sure if it is fully available yet.

@SmackDAT: Could you give a description of how it is different to the hybrids you have tried? Also, is it a step up from the current ESN offerings which culminate in the likes of Donic Z1, Rasaner 48?

Step up for sure, faster than k1 euro but still feels as controllable - way faster than 'dead' Rakza Z, slightly tacky but has a slap noise when I go for chinese style topspins (just like H3). 

Faster than gold arc 47.5 (or at least as fast), can do fan zhendong backhands like mad.

It's a crazy rubber and was destroying people in league today, first time ever using it

Can you please compare it to dignics 09c?

No

Interested to know if you boosted it from the packet and if you did with which booster. I've heard it's quite heavy boosted straight out of the packet as well.

It sounds to have quite a few advantages both having that tacky topsheet sheet and lighter weight with an good level of speed.

I'm guessing everyone will want to make the D09C compare...to be honest.

Cheers

No booster, for my stroke it's quite close to MX-P/at least as fast as Gold Arc 8 - and the weight surprised me, less than Rakza Z by far - very happy

Cheers thanks for the info.

No worries, total setup weight is 193g with edge tape (so ~50g per sheet cut).

Lovely cracking sound when I drive and topspin, it for sure has sticky rubber properties and I prefer it significantly over T05H or T19. Faster than H3 Neo boosted, less tacky though ofc.

I play both sides as I don't lose enough speed to justify going full euro. In fact, I think overall it is faster than a T05 (unless you count the really light shots a lot). I can rip backhands more efficiently with K3

What do you mean by faster than "dead" RazkaZ? You find RZ dead or RZ than has been boosted and lost its boost, or RZ loses its speed quickly and becomes dead? (BTW-I think RZ is an euro rubber that is tacky rather than a hybrid-if that makes any sense...)

I don't mean properly dead, but if you watch TT11's review, I agree with them - it's heavier and duller than most euro rubbers, and even other hybrids like Donic Bluegrip. 

I'm really being picky as Rakza Z is fast enough, and only slightly slower than K3. But in this case, the marketing is right, something with the factory boosting is just one level above Rakza Z, it's almost like K1 Euro harder and slightly faster too!

It is a hybrid - it's the same thing (just depends on your definition) - by your definition K3 is also euro rubber that's tacky, I call it a 39.5deg hybrid (says on packaging).

By saying that it does not seem like a hybrid I guess I mean that it is tacky, but I can play loop and do topspin play with exactly the same stroke I used for rasanter R47. I play with it like it is a euro rubber. But it i

There is a 15 dollar price difference between K3 and RZ at TT11.

But back to K3....

Actually I am playing with Rakza Z on forehand, because ...

vanjr wrote: I really like razkaZ-I find it very linear. By saying that it does not seem like a hybrid I guess I mean that it is tacky, but I can play loop and do topspin play with exactly the same stroke I used for rasanter R47. I play with it like it is a euro rubber.

and because of the fact that the over all speed is not as fast as hell and very controllable.

That's the reason why I play with RZ on forehand (T05 on backhand).

In the last days I tested the Tibhar Hybrid K3 during 2 training sessions and like the feeling. K3 is not really tacky, but extremely grippy. It is a big fun to loop with this rubber, because it grips the ball at least as good as Tenergy 05 or better.

If I compare K3 with Butterfly rubbers, it does not feel like Dignics 09C. It is more a combination of Dignics 05 and Tenergy 05. For me K3 has the feeling of T05 with the speed of D05. This sounds very positive for a Tibhar rubber (especially if I compare it with the prices of those Butterfly rubbers), but for me this high speed is a little disadvantage in the moment, because it is (like D05) a bit too fast for me (at least on my actual blade). 

For lower level players like me the higher control of rubbers like Tenergy 05 or Rakza Z seems to be more important than the higher speed of K3 or D05. But if you are playing at a higher level and prefer to power-loop, do not hesitate to test the new K3, because you will like it. I really do not see any argument to buy a D05 instead of K3.

Personally I have 2 options: 

1. I will continue playing with Rakza Z because of the higher control.

2. I could switch to a more controlled blade, paired with K3 on both sides.

As our season will have a break between the middle of November and the middle of January, I will test the K3 with 1-2 AR (+) blades in these 2 months. But for the moment Rakza Z is still my favourite.

I bought right now both colors and I cannot appreciate differences in terms of tackiness

Did you try the rubber? Can you please compare it to other hybrid rubbers as well like dignify 09c.

I came off Butterfly rubbers a long time ago and I have not had one in 5 years so I cannot compare the HK3 to anything Butterfly.

As for my thoughts, it is a very good rubber indeed. However, it is not as special as the reviews might suggest. If I look at the prices of similar rubbers on TT11 to compare: HK3 costs 63,4 EUR,  Donic Bluegrip C2 52,81 EUR, Victas Triple Double Extra 52,81 EUR I find a 10 EUR difference which does not manifest itself in performance compared to its competitors.

Why did I say that? I bought a C2 along with this new Tibhar wonder and tested them yesterday in training. I am convinced that the sponge under C2 and the Tibhar HK3 is the same and the difference lies in the topsheet: the Tibhar's is visibly thinner and the pimples are a tad smaller and perhaps a little more densely spaced.

I put the C2 on my Viscaria and the HK3 on a Tibhar Szocs. In terms of endspeed we did not see a significant difference between the two. Spinwise, both of them are terrific.

How it compares to other hybrids? The original Hybrid K1 Euro pales in comparison to this new rubber in every possible way, that is for sure. Other than that, I have tried the aforementioned C2 / C1 and Victas TDE. The difference is the way the topsheet bites and releases the ball.

The THK3's topsheet is more rigid but still grips the ball fantastically in terms of ESN rubbers. The C2, C1 and the Victas TDE (I know it is made in China) have a slightly more supple topsheet that bears resemblence to the way the Bluestorm series  work in spite of them being a hybrid. Therefore they lose a little edge on close to the table opening topspins. The THK3 fixes this and is noticeably harder from the topsheet, taking it closer to a Hurricane Neo 3, for example. You can be more aggressive with it from close up. This rigidity also translates into less catapult compared to the others. Blocking against strong topspin is easier. It is adequately fast up to 2-3 meters from the table.

The throw angle is definitely lower than C2. As far as spin goes, I do not think it is spinnier.

So in summary, in terms of feel, this hybrid comes the closest to a H3 Neo that I have come accross. There is a lot more speed to it, too. It is a step forward from the relentlessly catapulty rubbers such as Z1 and its equivalents because is a rubber at long last that leaves the user more say into what arc they want to produce on loops which is especially important in my view. However, I do not see that somebody using a C2 would be at a disadvantage against a THK3 user. I think the price difference is not justified.

Please bear in mind that these are my first thoughts and by next Wednesday I will have probably moved my sheet to a Viscaria. I will give an update then.

It is the same level as Rakza Z at best

Thx. I'll stick with K2 then.

Don't misunderstand this. Although K3 is not tacky, you are able to produce as much spin with it as you get with Rakza Z or other hybrid rubbers - especially if you are used to European rubbers normally.

K3 is also very linear. Short game is really easy because it is not bouncy in this part of the game.

None of them?

I really like Nittaku Hurricane Pro Turbo Blue & Orange (not ESN obviously), but they are stupid heavy. I am going to try them in 1.8mm next to see if that saves enough weight to make them useable. I don't think you need much sponge thickness for those given the hardness of their sponges, plus I mainly brush loop. 

*Update* 1.8mm NH3PT Blue & Orange on a 90g blade still comes in at 206g glued, so you only save around 5-6g vs 2mm. The low weight of Hybrid K3 is a massive advantage it has over rivals, even if it isn't 'sticky' and is closer to D05/D09 than H3. My team mate is using K3 on his forehand and I have never seen him be more consistent and he seems to have less trouble returning spinny serves than when he used MX-D before. 

Have a sheet coming for FH and views would be appreciated. 

I concluded the final testing of my sheet today and to me, it is a huge disappointment. After about two weeks it lost its tightness and its qualities faded away. I have not tried Dignics 09C but I managed to compare it to one of my teammate's T80 and they are lightyears apart.

It was a clever move from Tibhar to bring it out this time of the year after baiting the audiences by dragging out the market  launch. I have tried it on a Viscaria: there was no real spin difference compared to a Bluestorm Z1 or Z2. Then I put it on a Boll Forte OFF- but the end result was the same.

In brief, my take is that it is absolutely not worth the money. If you are into true Chinese rubbers, the K3 is very far from it. At the same time, it does not do anything better than any recent ESN rubber (Bluestorms and the likes from other brands).

Is there like a significant drop in spin production potential and catapult after like 2 weeks?!

Yes, I have found it to be so.

I am curious as to what other members have experienced. I know my review is very abrupt.

Honestly i played in the past with mx-p and the rubbers were still going strong even after 2 months. 

truth is probably the 95% of people on this forum (me included) are not even capable of exploiting the full potential of this kind of rubbers and would benefit more by playing with slower equipment

Damn if that is true, I'm sticking with tried and true Dignics....

Probably MX-P is one of the more durable rubbers from ESN, it has different sponge than other brands and even without booster it's pretty nice.

I used K2 before and I would also consider it above normal ESN durability, and I didn't really feel the factory boost nor the absence of it over time. K3 looks a bit expensive to be honest, especially with the negative feedback it's getting.

My 09c lasted almost a year with only minor degradation in performance.... It is really something else altogether. I'm trying out K1 plus now and it's amazing out of the packet but I feel like I'll probably go back to 09c if the performance deteriorates after just 1-2 months, ironically that makes it even more expensive than 09c....

For me it's 80 euro (£67.5) per dignics vs £26.5 per rubber with 4 K3 and 4 MX-P.

I prefer to have a newly factory boosted rubber every 2 months (I'm rather addicted to the out of pack tensor effect), than change every 5 months for dignics

Personal preference as my level is similar, if that makes sense

Cheers

Tabletennis11

4x MXP (4 for 3), 4x Hybrid K3 (30% off)

Comes to 200 something Euros, divide by 8 and convert to GBP ;)

SKV,

One of my local TT buddies is a good level amateur player and simply LOVES the K1 (sry, not K3) and it is one of the most controlable rubbers he ever played - everything there for spin and feel.

K1 lasts him MONTHS and MONTHS. I can use K1 on BH in any hardness - Euro or Plus or Pro. For the money a very worthy rubber usable on both wings.

Dude, 09c is specifically designed as a FH rubber lol

Hans Regenkurt wrote: Yes, I have found it to be so. I am curious as to what other members have experienced. I know my review is very abrupt.

I didn't notice drop in catapult. Vice versa, I feel it got faster after ~6 training sessions, flat hits/smashes and blocks became a little bit better than at the beginning. Not sure whether spin got worse, but spin/speed ratio slightly changed due to speed change. Today is 1 month since I switched to it, still happy with it, despite it feels a little bit different.

Durable so far with very if any signs of wear. 

Hopefully the feeling lasts... Fingers crossed! 

Told ya! What blade?

First 4 training sessions were like: somewhat slow but spiny rubber, I felt that I lack some speed but that I simply cannot miss any ball

Then like 3, maybe 4 training sessions I felt like it became faster and that I can spin like it was in celluloid era with speed glue, or like when I tried Tenergy 05 back in 2008 (if I remember its release year properly). That feeling was ideal to me, I could overspin any of my regular opponents simply due to this rubber, people started making mistakes on my topspins not due to placement or speed, but due to spin much more often.

Now like 4-5 training sessions later, it got a little bit faster, but I don't feel that spin potential anymore. It feels like it is simply hard grippy rubber, nothing extraordinal. It is still good, it is fast enough, it is quite spiny, but not that ideal like it used to be 2 or 3 weeks ago. And that makes me think about trying some other hybrid rubber in a couple of months or about trying booster, just to see whether it will restore anything in this rubber (or in my impressions)

P.S. Maybe it doesn't hold a ball as long as it used to be, but it still can lift it a little bit, I would say even higher than when it was brand new. 

I use 1 medium layer of seamoon national yellow to revive over the weekend.

Magic trick that manufacturers hate me for

Nice I am using on viscaria, switched to T64 bh as mxp topsheet *too* stiff

Your backhand rubber?

But the feel can be similar in that T64 feels soft like 43-45 degrees

D05 usually but am thinking of maybe going a bit slower. Had even though about chinese rubber on the backhand.

I don't mind D05 it's a really great rubber but the price is becoming an issue after wrecking a brand new sheet on a crazy opening backhand opener.... after about 40 mins of play ...

Just pain in one word...ok 5...

Go for something like Victas V15 or even tenergy 80?

I will boost Hybrid K3 with seamoon national (just 1 medium layer) after the factory boost wears off. I think it will respond very well - what do you think?

But man, it's a top rubber.  Bit harder to use than R-Z, arc stays a little low, but wow you can generate serious power with good contact on the ball.

I would expect it to respond well to booster - if it starts to fade away.

AndySmith wrote: But man, it's a top rubber.  Bit harder to use than R-Z, arc stays a little low, but wow you can generate serious power with good contact on the ball.

What about the amount of spin AndySmith? Always interested to hear your view, as mine often seems the same, so we must have similar technique perhaps.

Spin is very high on anything other than passive shots.  And it makes an incredible "CRACK" sound too, so probably heavily factory boosted as people have suggested already.

Best comparison I can think of - it's like a very, very slightly tacky MX-S.  Has very high stability on drives and counters, little bit slower, but instant grab on the ball and easier to brush loop.  But not as forgiving in terms of arc as Rakza Z.  If you're fast on your feet and have good technique then that won't matter to you.  If you're old, fat and lazy like me then you might find it a bit demanding.  It rewards active play more than R-Z.

It has a great mix of being relatively easy on direct shots (block, counter) while having a really dangerous top-end.

Yes that click sound is absolutely ridiculous, louder than my T64 with a 53deg sponge. 

Feel like because it's so boosted out of the pack, once it dies, it will respond well to maintenance boosting - what do you think?

AndySmith wrote: haggisv wrote: AndySmith wrote: But man, it's a top rubber.  Bit harder to use than R-Z, arc stays a little low, but wow you can generate serious power with good contact on the ball. What about the amount of spin AndySmith? Always interested to hear your view, as mine often seems the same, so we must have similar technique perhaps. Spin is very high on anything other than passive shots.  And it makes an incredible "CRACK" sound too, so probably heavily factory boosted as people have suggested already. Best comparison I can think of - it's like a very, very slightly tacky MX-S.  Has very high stability on drives and counters, little bit slower, but instant grab on the ball and easier to brush loop.  But not as forgiving in terms of arc as Rakza Z.  If you're fast on your feet and have good technique then that won't matter to you.  If you're old, fat and lazy like me then you might find it a bit demanding.  It rewards active play more than R-Z. It has a great mix of being relatively easy on direct shots (block, counter) while having a really dangerous top-end.

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Zhang Jike ALC AN (88g)
Tenergy 05 Hard (2.1, B)
Tenergy 19 (2.1, R)
https://goo.gl/bFWoxW" rel="nofollow - https://goo.gl/bFWoxW

Andy, Is the top end spin or if you want power, significantly different between the THK3 and R-Z?

I looks like it has a good sponge for that, impossible to know until you try but a friend of mine has had a lot of fun boosting Rakza Z (with falco).  Can't see why it wouldn't work with K3.

tom wrote: Andy, Is the top end spin or if you want power, significantly different between the THK3 and R-Z?

I think it's noticeable yes.  K3 plays faster, more direct, with similar spin levels so the end result is a better combination of speed and spin.  Counterlooping is very impressive.  I feel safer playing with R-Z though.

Yes I think will be nice boosting, especially as it will die faster than my Tenergy on backhand.

Also I found K3 to have similar tack (maybe slightly lower) than Rakza Z, but it's significantly faster which is great

I have one question. My friend has tenergies on his timo boll alc. They are 1.5-2 years old. They look worn out and don't feel really grippy. But, he can produce tremendous spin it on chops and topspins. Moreover, he says that this the benefit of butterfly rubbers like tenergy and dignics that they last for a long time. Is that true? If this is the case then the high price of tenergy is justified. Isn't it?

I have a friend who does this too - uses rubbers until they're worn out, and then carries on anyway.  He then has a shock when he eventually replaces them.  Fair enough if that's your bag.

I don't like using rubbers when the surface grip has REALLY died.  Some players can get along with it and focus on generating spin mechanically via the sponge and not the topsheet, but that's not my way.  Using a sheet of tenergy for 2 years and then claiming that they last longer is tenuous in my opinion because that 2 year old sheet isn't playing like a fresh one for the majority of players.

Having said that, I find that tenergies and dignics do last longer than average.  But not to the extent that I'd pay £80 for a sheet of Dignics over £30 for a sheet of Rakza Z, which I prefer in playing characteristics anyway.  Important to remember that this stuff is all very subjective, there are no right answers, and people find value-for-money in different ways.

You can enable english subtitles 

Tried K3, disappointed by the lack of gears and lack of top end speed. Short game is so so and this hybrid leans more towards the Euro side rather than the Chinese side. Reminds me of Oalio Thors.

Definitely a step below Dignics 09C and a little worse off compared to Rakza X EH.

I've been using K1 plus and it's quite good like boosted H3 Neo. But imo D09c is really hard to beat but it does cost a bomb  

MydasDiablo wrote: Xiom Tau & Tau II, Palio Thors. I really like Nittaku Hurricane Pro Turbo Blue & Orange (not ESN obviously), but they are stupid heavy. I am going to try them in 1.8mm next to see if that saves enough weight to make them useable. I don't think you need much sponge thickness for those given the hardness of their sponges, plus I mainly brush loop.  *Update* 1.8mm NH3PT Blue & Orange on a 90g blade still comes in at 206g glued, so you only save around 5-6g vs 2mm. The low weight of Hybrid K3 is a massive advantage it has over rivals, even if it isn't 'sticky' and is closer to D05/D09 than H3. My team mate is using K3 on his forehand and I have never seen him be more consistent and he seems to have less trouble returning spinny serves than when he used MX-D before.

Take what I'm about to say with a pinch of salt as I'm not an expert player or table tennis equipment reviewer.

My blade is an OSP Virtuoso AC 150x157. I useT05 on BH and on FH prior to K3 I used MX-D.

From memory I found K3 to be as spinny as MX-D but perhaps not quite as fast below full power, K3 had a slightly harder feel as well initially.

With the K3 I over hit less and in general was able to use more power/was more comfortable putting more into strokes without fear of hitting long/over hitting.

Took this rubber off after 8/9 weeks approximately 80-100 hours as the top sheet was worn to the point I felt it was an issue in the hit areas and felt like there was slippage/lack of grip  on brush strokes. The entire top sheet looked battered/like it had seen much better days in general really.  Don't know if I'm expecting to much but i expect more duration than this from rubbers.

Have put on a sheet of very very lightly (few hrs) used 09c. First session 2/3 hrs was not great, had a terrible time adjusting. 9/10 hrs in and I'm still adjusting, some things I did with K3 I just can't do with 09c at the moment. Haven't worked out bat angles yet and don't feel comfortable using as much power as with K3 yet.  10 or so hours of focused training/multi ball is going to help familiarisation/adjustment.

very interested in the durability as well!?

It is an outer carbon as well but it works beautifully with it. Too good in fact.