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Yinhe NR-70 review. |
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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Posted: 10/24/2012 at 12:47pm |
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I recently picked up one of these blades from a forum member for a very reasonable price. It is 6.7mm thick and weighs 86.4g. Essentially, it is a clone of the Stiga Rosewood NCT VII. However, that comparison does not do it justice in my opinion.
Though Stiga designed the Rosewood first, I believe it is Stiga who should be copying Yinhe in terms of production. The quality of this Yinhe blade is phenomenal. I have nothing against Stiga (though I know some do on this forum). Many of their blades I enjoy greatly. But I think even the most fervent Stiga fan must admit that their quality can fluctuate--even within specimens of the same model--and their finishing touches can be questionable even on the most expensive models, which can be quite expensive. Although not addressing the price issue ($149, yikes!), Yinhe definitely addressed the quality issue. - Appearance: This blade is perfect. There are no seams where two pieces of Rosewood veneer had to be pieced together. All outer veneers are one solid piece. I've seen or owned 5 or 6 Stiga Rosewoods and Ebenholz and not one of them had a single piece veneer. The NR-70 veneers themselves are of almost perfect uniform thickness (which is something unusual to come by, even in high quality blades from XIOM, for example). The grains are actually fairly uniform as well. It's as though the veneers, on this particular specimen at least, were hand selected. Personally, I love the color scheme of this blade. I think the outer layer of the handle is wenge, which is a wood I love. It is polished to a perfect level of comfort. Overall for appearance I give this blade a 10/10. - Handle: I should mention right off the bat that these blades are special order. Yinhe does not normally make a ST handle version of this blade but the forum member made a special request and therefore had to buy them in bulk to get Yinhe to concede. I've grown a fondness for ST handles because it makes backhand shots much more comfortable for me. The flares often dig into my palm/wrist. This ST handle has the same width as my Stiga Carbo 7.6 ST handle. The NR-70 is a little thicker (about 1mm or so) and a little shorter (about 2mm). Again, the handle is made of very attractive wood species and is sanded to a perfect finish. It is very comfortable in my large hands (I'm roughly 6'3"). All lenses, stamps, and so on are aligned without any ugly gaps, etc. I give this blade's handle a 10/10, for both feel and appearance. - Play: This blade will appeal to a specific taste. I have a strong preference for "linear" blades, which to me translates as stiff. There is little flex to "catapult" the ball. It provides a feeling of an equal ratio of energy in to energy out. This blade fits that bill perfectly. I like a stiff blade as it provides better blocking and less erratic behavior on kill shots, IMO. So for those of you who like flexy blades then this one isn't for you. (Think of a fancy cutting board with a handle and rubbers glued to it. ) For testing I used TopENERGY Soft on my FH (yes, I recently worked out my technique issues regarding Chinese rubbers, for those of you who read that thread) and on the BH I used Renanos Hold (my favorite BH rubber). Both of these rubbers are quite "linear" in themselves. With this combo last night, there were no surprises. Very reliable, consistent, confidence-inspiring performance. Despite a lack of flex, I had no problem lifting heavy backspin from my chopper training partner (after slight adjustments to my technique). Blocking from the backhand was a dream since the lack of flex really allows me to ignore incoming spin for the most part (obviously combined with the correct angle compensation). The speed of this blade is in the OFF range for sure; although, I had no problems controlling it in the short game. I'm sure the rubbers helped with that since neither are terribly bouncy. Nonetheless, there was no area in which I perceived a liability. Overall, for my desires, I would rate this blade a 10/10 for performance... though this may or may not be modified as I gain experience with this setup. - Feel: In my experience, the NR-70 provides a better sense of control and feel for blades this fast. Very large sweet spot with nice sound and feedback. It feels very solid with none of the "mushiness" I get from Stiga Rosewoods and Ebenholz. The NR-70 has only mild vibration--more than an arylate/carbon blade, but less than an average 5-ply. It is, after all, a wood blade. But it is very pleasant. All of this review is obviously subjective, but feel is probably the most subjective... so keep that in mind. But this blade has an ideal balance of pleasant feedback. The right amount and right kind of vibration. Overall, 10/10. As you might have inferred, I'm smitten. I promise, I don't work for Yinhe! Admittedly, my opinion of this blade may fluctuate as I play more with it. But I rolled the dice with this purchase and so far I've never been more pleased with a gambling outcome. One thing I can say with confidence without having to wait is this: If you are in the market for a Rosewood NCT VII, you're better off spending your hard earned money on a Yinhe NR-70. You get a far better playing, better feeling, and better looking blade for your money. |
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JimT
Premier Member Joined: 10/26/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 14602 |
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It is kinda pricey though - isn't it? Costs more than Stiga RW blades...
By the way, Eacheng says some strange things about it http://www.eacheng.net/index.php?act=detail&ID=3327 like thickness = 5.8 mm (???). Also lower weight (85) instead of 93 at Megaspin. And cheaper of course. |
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Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member
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frogger
Premier Member Joined: 08/03/2010 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 3062 |
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Any blade with those initials( NR) I have to get....those are my initials.....somebody hit me again please.
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Wood Paddle
Red side Black side. |
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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Yes, it is expensive. I won't mention the price I paid in case the seller here doesn't want to give everyone the same discount. But, I purchased mine new and I did not pay anywhere near the $150 price tag. So it was totally worth it for me.
I believe the NR-70 is about $10 more than the RW NCT VII. I cannot say if these prices are justified. Each person has to figure that out for his or her self. But I can say that IF someone wants to spend that much on a 7-ply rosewood blade then they will get much more value for their money from Yinhe than they will from Stiga. (This is assuming the quality of my blade is representative of the quality of all NR-70s.) Edited by Anton Chigurh - 10/24/2012 at 3:21pm |
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vic#74
Super Member Joined: 07/26/2010 Location: Russia Status: Offline Points: 442 |
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Very appealing review, Anton. Thanks!
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ITC Premier XR
Nittaku Sieger Pk50 Tibhar Evolution EL-S |
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decoi
Gold Member Joined: 09/25/2011 Location: Dublin, Ireland Status: Offline Points: 1375 |
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i think the price is jsutified when compared to Stiga blades.... for example i have the RW6 a light sanding on the face so that the rubber could stick for more than 2 seconds and it splintered.. did the same with NR50 and not a bother also it weights 70gr ( cpen) :O. which is nice but the blade head is a a tad small well at least it feels small... so atm im juggling between rw5 and Nr50. i would however like to try and nr/ne70
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Blade: DHS Hurricane Hao
FH: TG3 BS BH: Xiom Omega 4 Aisa Blade: Hurricane Hao 2 (656) Fh: Dhs Gold Arc 3 Bh: Stiga Tour H http://www.youtube.com/user/decoyla?feature=mhee |
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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Just wanted to mention that I have logged quite a few more hours on this setup (NR-70 with TopENERGY Soft and Renanos Hold).
It gets better and better each time I play it. I will be purchasing another one. |
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JimT
Premier Member Joined: 10/26/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 14602 |
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So, Anton - is it really 6.7 mm thick or 5.8 as Eacheng says? It's kind of a deal breaker for me - I don't like blades thinner than 6.2-6.3 mm.
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Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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I don't have any calipers to measure the precise width, but my Carbo 7.6 is roughly 6.3mm I do know for sure. The NR-70 I have is noticeably thicker, so I'm guessing it is close to the advertised 6.7mm. Sorry I cannot be more precise. But it is definitely not 5.8mm. |
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JimT
Premier Member Joined: 10/26/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 14602 |
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Thanks. It's just that I have found two or three sellers (Chinese) and they all list thickness at 5.8 mm - probably copied it from somewhere. It's very annoying that Yinhe still hasn't got their website running again. Also - they say that the handle is hollow. Do you feel it in vibration or in balance being shifted into the head? |
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Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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My Carbo 7.6 is WRB. The NR-70 allegedly has a hollow handle. Both of my setups are within 0.4g of each other, yet the Carbo 7.6 feels noticeably heavier. It is much more head heavy than the NR-70. Further, the Carbo 7.6 has much more vibration despite the carbon. Hopefully that comparison tells you something. Even with a hollow handle, the NR-70 is better balanced with less vibration than the Carbo 7.6 that is WRB. Let me send you a PM to put you in touch with someone who has some NR-70s to sell. You can see if you guys can work something out. |
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JimT
Premier Member Joined: 10/26/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 14602 |
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That actually does indeed tell me something as I used to own (among many other blades) Carbo 7.6 and played a bit with it. Good blade in its own right. Thank you. |
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Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member
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melarimsa
Premier Member Joined: 06/22/2006 Location: North East US Status: Offline Points: 5618 |
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Carbo 7.6 was one of the best blades I have ever played. Also, my 1300US rated dad loves that blade. He said it is a best feel he ever played with. You have to understand that my dad is also EJ, as I feed him with all different blades, ha ha ha ...
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Anton Chigurh
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Although I currently prefer the NR-70, I will definitely not be getting rid of the Carbo 7.6.
I do love that blade. From what I've gathered, most people who try it feel the same. Awesome blade. |
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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I ordered (and received) my second NR-70. I just wanted to mention that this second blade is of equal quality as the first one I purchased. That is, perfect finish, single piece rosewood veneers (i.e., no splicing), near perfect uniform thickness, and very uniform grain.
Simply beautiful. |
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JimT
Premier Member Joined: 10/26/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 14602 |
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I asked that same forummer to try and get me NR-70 FL around 85-86-87 g. If that happens, I will add my impressions here as well.
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Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member
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Anton Chigurh
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I'm interested to hear your impressions. I'm currently considering picking up a NE-70 (the Ebenholz version)... but I need to decide if it's worth being murdered by my wife first... Edited by Anton Chigurh - 10/31/2012 at 12:45pm |
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JimT
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That is always a worthy consideration I am going to get rid of a few of my possessions - couple of extra blades and some rubbers to make room for NR-70, so I am not worried there. I hope she won't notice anyway... |
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Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member
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Anton Chigurh
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Just wanted to come back to this thread briefly and mention that my positive feelings for this blade are none diminished. If anything, increased. I now have two of these blades--one my main blade and another as a back up.
A couple of my training partners have tried it and thought very highly of it, in terms of construction, play, and feel. One of them owns and used to use extensively a Stiga Rosewood NCT VII. He said he felt the NR-70 was a much superior blade to his Stiga. These blades are pricey, but for anyone looking to spend the big bucks on a Stiga Rosewood NCT VII, I would strongly recommend considering a Yinhe NR-70 first. JimT: Did you have any luck tracking down a blade in your preferred weight range? Also, here are a couple pics: Edited by Anton Chigurh - 11/30/2012 at 1:57am |
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Imago
Premier Member Joined: 07/19/2009 Location: Sofia Status: Offline Points: 5897 |
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Lately I didn't hear from JimT. Probably his wife finally killed him. My wife also remembered - quite of a sudden (nothing to do with my latest Barwell Fleet acquisition) - that she used to be a former Master of sport in Biathlon.
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JimT
Premier Member Joined: 10/26/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 14602 |
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I am alive! Just was really busy preparing for and then playing NA Teams.
PingPongHolic10 promised to try and find NR-70 within my weight range. When he gets back from his trip (in about two weeks) I am hoping he'll bring it. |
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Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member
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JimT
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Quick! Run out and buy her a laser sight for her biathlon rifle as a Christmas present. |
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Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member
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Tinykin
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Just make sure that there are no Raptors overhead when she turns it on |
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Blade:
Darker Speed90 Rubber Fh and Bh DHS Hurricane 3, 39/38deg Delusion is an asset |
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nikk64
Super Member Joined: 08/03/2011 Location: BG Status: Offline Points: 146 |
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Butterfly Boll Tricarbon off , FH- Armstrong Attack 8 PZC-SP EX-X- 4.0 , RPB-Butterfly Tenergy 80-FX- max
video-https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0vx5 |
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JimT
Premier Member Joined: 10/26/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 14602 |
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These guys are carrying the wrong kind of gear. I am sure you could Photoshop some nice paddles there |
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Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member
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Anton Chigurh
Premier Member Joined: 09/15/2009 Status: Offline Points: 3962 |
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I have my first negative comments on these blades.
I've been EJing forehand rubbers a bit lately. Nothing too extensive--probably 4 or 5 over the course of the last couple of months. In the course of glueing, removing, and re-glueing, on both of my NR-70s the rosewood ply has started to pull away in a couple places. To be comprehensive: The blades come sealed from the factory. In addition, I am an incorrigible EJ and am quite adept at glueing and removing rubbers. I pull slowly, from the side, etc., and am quite careful and deliberate in the process. Also, across the many, many blades I've had and the hundreds of times I've reglued, I've never before had this happen. Therefore, I don't think it's me. The outer rosewood ply is very, very thin. Perhaps that's the issue. (Also, perhaps I need to quit EJing! ) But, although the quality control in terms of these two blades seemed nearly flawless, I'm not happy to see this outer ply pull away so easily. The blades play excellently but people who like to reglue excessively should be aware. Edited by Anton Chigurh - 12/10/2012 at 2:34pm |
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JimT
Premier Member Joined: 10/26/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 14602 |
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I also should add that unfortunately there is no NR-70 for me - the ones (with FL handle) that my contact was able to locate in China were all at least 92 g heavy. That's a bit too much for me.
With Anton's comment I feel like perhaps I should be looking at something else. But I seal all my blades with some extra polyurethane... perhaps that won't happen to me (famous last words ) |
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Single Ply Hinoki Club, Founding Member
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mhnh007
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Anton Chigurh
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I don't use excessive amounts of glue, but I do let it air dry. You may have a point; the only thing I would add counter to that would be that I've never had this happen to me before and I've owned, literally, at least 75 different blades and have glued/reglued hundreds of times. But perhaps I've never owned a blade with outer veneers that are this thin. I've fixed the blades so there is no permanent damage, fortunately, because I do love the way they play. |
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Imago
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Apsolutely and by all means. Also add some vanilla dust to my WBG to get the inebriating fragrance of fresh-baked cookies.
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