Weight: 89 grams

Plies: 7 (limba-ayous-ayous-ayous-ayous-ayous-limba)

Blade Head Size: 150x156mm

Hardness: Slightly Stiff

Thickness: 6.7-6.8mm (approx.)

Speed: OFF

Test Rubbers: Tenzone Ultra SF, Globe 999 National, Tenergy 05fx

I waited for about 6 months in order to get my hands on these 2 blades! The Force Pro Black Edition (let's call it the FPBE) is indeed a great improvement over the previous Force Pro blade with the blue handle design that came out 2 years ago. The handle which is flared is bigger than most Tibhar flared or concave handles and is comfortable to my large hand. It is surprisingly comfortable to hold unlike those blades that are too squarish in shape. The FPBE also has a large handle. Compared to the Stratus Powerwood, the FPBE has a cross sectional size of 36x26mm compared to the SPW's 34x24mm

Speed

The Force Pro Black Ed. is convincingly faster than its predecessor Force Pro. The original Force pro is rated between OFF- to OFF. Sometimes in some shots it is quite slower than the FPBE. Among other brands, the FPBE is faster than a regular Clipper wood but slower compared to the Clipper CC or an Adidas Challenge speed blade. The FPBE is a good counter hitting or smashing blade. This is good until middle distance. Far from the table it seems have lesser speed and power in shots. The optimal distance is close to the table and middle distance.

Spinning

The FPBE can spin good but the original Force Pro seem to be easier to do spin especially on loops and spin drives because you could brush or graze the ball easier with the Force Pro. Middle distance, the FPBE seem to shine better when counter spinning the ball. The Globe 999 national version was equally good on both blades on looping with the favoring heaving slow top spins on the original Force Pro. The FPBE however spins better when you need more power and speed. The FPBE gives a medium to high arc on slow loops when using the Globe 999 national and T05 fx. 

Feel

The FPBE feels a little bit harder compared to the original FP blade. The regular FP is almost similar to the stiffness of the regular Clipper but the FPBE feels harder and gives a more solid feeling when flat hitting the ball. 

Control

There are times the FPBE behaves like a an OFF+ blade and so does its control. The original Force Pro is more controllable than the FPBE but I wouldn't say that the FPBE lacks it. 

Overall:

The Force Pro Black Ed. is a great improvement over the original Force Pro. People need a little bit of adjustment when playing with this great blade. I would not recommend this to a beginner unless they choose a thinner rubber because the bounciness can be quite uncontrollable. Playing chinese rubbers are highly recommended because it pairs very well with a hurricane 3 or globe 999 national provided you can tolerate an increase in its weight. Also, the only draw back i can think of this blade is that you need to seal the blade surface especially if you change rubbers or reglue your rubbers frequently. I notice sort of very thin, hairlike splinters even with the use of a rubber cement glue but this is not a problem as long as you seal the blade when a thin layer of sealant. 

 

nice blade, one of the best blades out there, in my opinion it is 1/2 to a 1/3 of the price of the 7 ply nittaku blades and it plays better.

Does anyone know how does Pure Wood compare to something like OSP Expert?

We too had our equipment reviewer Patrick test the Samsonov Force Pro Black Edition. 

He concluded that "it's an excellent blade that allows for a balanced game style with equal parts looping, hitting, and blocking, while still providing excellent feeling and control for serves and touch play."

If you wish to read the full review, http://blog.tabletennis11.com/tibhar-samsonov-force-pro-black-edition-review" rel="nofollow - you can do it here. We're curious to hear if you strongly agree or disagree with something Patrick wrote about this blade.