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Magic_M
Platinum Member Joined: 05/31/2012 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 2217 |
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Posted: 12/31/2013 at 8:00am |
Hello together,
today I got two very nice blades. One of them is a Borko blade and the other one is from Armstrong, but I don`t know anything about these blades (properties, construction ...). Who can help me with some informations? 1. Borko & Son Weight: 77g / Thickness: 5,9 mm / Headsize: 16,0 x 14,9 cm 2. Armstrong Hinoki Weight: 80g / Thickness: 6,2 mm / Headsize: 15,8 x 15,5 cm Edited by Magic_M - 02/08/2015 at 2:14am |
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Tassie52
Gold Member Joined: 10/09/2010 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 1318 |
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I would have thought that the easiest solution for the Borko blade would be to contact them directly and ask. I'm sure they'd be happy to share the information.
http://borkoandson.com/index2.php |
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regiz.rugenz
Super Member Joined: 09/25/2013 Location: San Jose, CA. Status: Offline Points: 461 |
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Seeing from these pictures, I remember using a similar blade way back in the mid 90s.. I am not sure if it's the same blade, but its the only blade I knew from Armstrong that looks exactly like it. The way the handle is flared and those vertical stripes that crosses at the bottom, from how the surface of those outer plies looks like, and those chamfered edges at the circumferences. I just didn't know that it was a Hinoki on its outer ply. Oh well, it don't matter anyway coz I didn't know anything about Hinoki either, balsa, koto or whatsoever at the time. One thing for sure I know is that it was a glass composite blade, though hard to tell if that is glass on its second layer coz it seems too thick for a glass. So if this is that same blade, I could definitely say that it is somewhere from an allround to allround(+), and could also be a good defense blade. I thought at first it was kinda fast compared to carbon blades but wasn't so. The glass on the second layer actually helps soften the vibration on the blade thus making it more controllable. Though I didn't really like the touch feel of it since for me IMO it was dumping the vibration too much, making it less touchy on the ball.. unless perhaps one uses a really thin sponge on it, but then it would be more likely a defenders blade. You might also likely get into a problem when glueing your rubber on it with a water base glue since the outer ply is so smoothed out it might not stick well. I had few problems of my own even I was using some real damn good speed glues at the time. Probably peeling off the lacquer on it would help if you'd encounter such. I guess I paid a decent $100+ on it at the time but was not really happy with it especially when I tried to reshape the head with a sharp tool and sandpaper. The glass on the second layer collapsed like a glass window and totally made the blade useless as it became way too slow and inconsistent. But then again, I'm not really sure if that is a glass composite on it's second layer as it looks really thick as shown on those pictures. I later switched to a much faster blade, Armstrong Carbon LEVEL 91 which I still have it until now as backup to my new Viscaria Light, as you see on the picture attached.. |
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Regiz°ᆗ
Rosewood_Carbon/Huricane_King °FH:Vega_Japan/T64FX °BH:OmegaV_Euro/Rasant °°°° |
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Magic_M
Platinum Member Joined: 05/31/2012 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 2217 |
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@Tassie52:
Thanks for the link. Of course I tried to contact Borko before I started this topic, but until now I did not get a response. I hope, he will answer during the next days. But maybe someone here in the forum can tell me something about the properties and characteristics of this blade. @regiz.rugenz: What do you mean with "glass"? Do you mean glassfibre or something like that? My new Armstrong blade (shown in the pictures) has no composite fibres. It is definitely an all wood blade. Are you sure, that the Level 91 has carbon-layers? In the 90`s I had some of these Armstrong blades, for example the Level 79 (my first blade) and also the Level 91.I don`t remember the construction, but as I know, there were a few all wood blades (Level 64 was the slowest, 79, 85, 91 and 95 as the fastest) and a carbon blade named Level Carbon.
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regiz.rugenz
Super Member Joined: 09/25/2013 Location: San Jose, CA. Status: Offline Points: 461 |
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@ Magic_M
Yup pretty sure Level 91 does has carbon. You'll see a black layer exposed at a chipped off corner at 12:00 attop of my rim. not sure whats the outer ply but really rock solid.. sounds great on Persson light speed glues. A light 3 plyier plus 2 carbons less than 80g. for the Hinoki.. yes, what I really meant was it has glass fibre.. I'm also pretty for that was the only glass blade I ever had, I probably had a different model.. I remember it had a different logo plate at the bottom handle. There's probably not much of an info for that blade nowadays. it is now about a decade and a half year old.
Edited by regiz.rugenz - 01/01/2014 at 11:46am |
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Regiz°ᆗ
Rosewood_Carbon/Huricane_King °FH:Vega_Japan/T64FX °BH:OmegaV_Euro/Rasant °°°° |
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Magic_M
Platinum Member Joined: 05/31/2012 Location: Germany Status: Offline Points: 2217 |
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A short info about the two blades:
1. The Armstrong blade is from 1980 - 1982 and it is called "Armstrong Allrounder". It is a 5-ply all-wood-blade with hinoki outer veneer. I played it with Tibhar Evolution EL-P (1,9-2,0 mm) and was astonished about the speed. I have to say, that the EL-P is not my main rubber (it was the only rubber, which was big enough). But nevertheless the combination of Armstrong Allrounder with EL-P on both sides was never All, at least All+, but I would compare it with a Primorac (Off-). The feeling was very good, very easy to loop and also enough power. Maybe the EL-P in 1,9-2,0 is a bit too much on backhand. It was only a first short test, but this combination could be a real opinion. 2. Borko & Son Allround: I tried to contact Borko with email, but he did not answer. So I did not get any info about this blade up to now. Maybe I will test it within the next two or three weeks.
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regiz.rugenz
Super Member Joined: 09/25/2013 Location: San Jose, CA. Status: Offline Points: 461 |
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I happen to play with a jun mizutani this week, and somehow had difficulty handling it's weight and speed. It was a tad faster and heavy than my Viscaria light that when I switch back to Viscaria it would feel so mushy. So I pulled out my Level 91 that I haven't played with for a decade+ ( except for a couple times on a friend's garage) and wanted to compare it with the MJ.. slapped a Xiom Vega max on fh and Rhzym 2.1 on bh.. and WOW! what I feeling that it recalls me of the speed glue era. it was a lot faster than the MJ with such a humungous control. The new generation rubbers, ie: Tenergies, Rhyzm, Rasant, Xiom.. felt and sound almost or closely identical to the oldster rubbers on speed glue. The Xiom I had was only a Vega Europe in max sponge and clicks a noticeably sharp, high pitch distinct sound coming off the Level 91, a sure thing closer to the sound of a speed glue'd rubber that I truly miss, than the mimic sound artificially produced by new tension rubbers. Now I feel like inclining back to my Level 91.. having some thoughts of restoring it or a way to clone but have no idea of it's ply composition. The outer ply might be a gray koto but seems a lot harder than the koto plies in Viscaria. So glad I'd keep that blade. I can now hopefully put a stop EJing on blades. ツ Edited by regiz.rugenz - 03/01/2014 at 9:13am |
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Regiz°ᆗ
Rosewood_Carbon/Huricane_King °FH:Vega_Japan/T64FX °BH:OmegaV_Euro/Rasant °°°° |
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