Butterfly Balsa Carbo X5

It’s a good blade if you are a beginner, but the price is high for a 3+2 blade. I was disappointed that the carbon in the blade doesn’t speed it up. It’s not as fast as some all-wood blades from STIGA, and the price is too high for a blade that lacks speed. On the positive side, the blade offers great control.

Pretty good and really bad at the same time.

Feedback is horrible, like non-existent. Also found it too light. Tried it with softer rubbers like Bryce FX… never again. Tried it with pips, not so great. Tried with harder rubbers…, finally got it to work. The rest of the review will be based on harder rubbers to keep things fair.

The problem with this blade is that it feels inconsistent. It reacts differently to different types of speed. When you hit hard it acts fast, but when you hit it softly it feels slow. So far great… in theory. But then your opponent gives you a fast ball and you want to return with something soft. Suddenly it’s weird because you’re used to a slower feeling on those shots but the fast ball makes the blade feel faster. Or vice versa you push a slow ball to the end of the table and notice it’s damn hard to calculate how much power you need to put into the ball because it reacts so differently on every pace. Getting used to this is a nightmare that won’t end.

In general: Close to table it’s hard to keep a tight play when either you or the opponent really loves to switch up the tempo. Away from the table I find it hard to chop but easy to attack with. It really gives an extra kick when you hit hard. Feels lacking when spinning and the sweetspot is small. Blocking can be done passively. Drives and spin can also be somewhat deceptively with this blade. When you play a diagonal shot but don’t do through the complete motion it goes straight ahead…

I used the blade for 4 months. However, it is very soft and weak, and I am not satisfied with it.

I have bought this blade hoping for a light looping blade with control. At 68 grams, it delivers on that. It has very good dwell which helps a lot on loops. The fact that it is flexy helps too. Blocks are good, but you have to do active blocks to make them uncomfortable for the opponent.

It has several speeds and pushing is nice and stays low. There is little vibration, but decent feedback.

Unfortunately the consistency is poor when pushing, blocking, and flipping. Sometimes I get a weird vibration and the ball simply dies on the paddle. This usually happens when making contact closer to the tip, which is a big minus on flips and pushes. I’m still using the blade only because I haven’t found any better. Because of the poor consistency, I recommend trying other products from Butterfly, as they may be better built.

Very thick (7mm), stiff and soft blade. Despite being thick and stiff, it has good dwell. It’s a light blade (mine is 80g). The structure of plies is basswood-carbon-balsa-carbon-basswood. It’s faster than Friendship/729 V-6 with less control and less dwell.

I have played 2 seasons of SOKAZ league with it, but then I found that there are better blades for loopers with more dwell time (e.g. Friendship/729 V-6). I think it’s better for pips-out (short pips) attackers on the BH side than for 2-side loopers.

Excellent blades for looping, blocking, and pushing with Barracuda and Friendship 08. It is necessary to play slightly away from the table. You will feel the excellent touch while consistently retrieving the ball.

This blade is a disappointment for me. I’ve been playing table tennis for 10 years and have used many different blades, but this one is by far the worst. The blade is very heavy and unbalanced, which makes it difficult to control. The handle is also very uncomfortable, and the blade is not very durable. I would not recommend this blade to anyone.

This blade is a must-have for pips players! I combined it with Tenergy 80 1.7mm on the FH and Dr Neubaur Allround Premium pips with 0.5mm sponge on the BH, which were spare rubbers I had. The combination is perfect. Surprisingly, this OFF blade provides great speed on the FH while maintaining a reduced response on the BH, similar to my Stiga Tube Def blade.

Additionally, the blade’s fast speed enhances the effect of the pips, making them effective for both defense and attack. Notably, the blade is reasonably priced, comparable to a sheet of Tenergy. Pips players, give this blade a try; you won’t be disappointed!

Akhirnya, pencarian blade yang ideal berhenti di sini. Blade BCX5 memiliki semua yang saya butuhkan!

Sangat nyaman digunakan untuk menyerang atau bertahan. Terlebih dengan beratnya yang relatif ringan, blade ini sangat ideal untuk kelincahan, refleks cepat, dan menghemat stamina.

Very nice blade if you are still looking for your favorite blade, it’s worth giving it a try. I would recommend it to players with fast hand wrist action as with its light weight it should add even more spin to your game. I had it with Bryce speed 2.1 on both sides (don’t know how that happened) it was great for block even a blind man or a child could block the heaviest top spin and the bat was never ‘‘catching’’ incoming spin. If someone chopped too long to my backhand every topspin BH was a killer fast, low over the net and if anything came back I was usually there with my smash forehand to finish the job.

However with this combination of rubbers I found it difficult to apply good spin on my serve also short serve was a matter of practice. Forehand was very flat good for smashes but this combination had very low throw angle hence margin for error was next to nothing on topspin to topspin play. Moving on with my rubbers I could not match this blade with any tenergy (the only one that was looking promising was T80 1.9). It could be due to playing with Bryce for so long and adapting to this rubbers on Balsa. I have moved on since then to Innerforce ALC but still got this blade as it never really disappointed me and got my game better at the time I was using it. But it’s just a step on the ladder rather than the final destination.

Reviewed with Friendship Cream Transcend 2.0 rubbers.

At first, you may find this blade a bit strange due to its dull feel and a slightly smaller sweet spot than anticipated. You’ll need a couple of weeks to adjust, after which it becomes truly excellent.

- Features a relatively high throw angle - Offers a soft feel with ample speed - Suits looping well and excels at flat hitting and smashing - Provides sufficient power for mid-distance play and even slightly farther from the table - Performs well for pushing and underspin - Blocking is not its strong point, offering little room for error - Handle is somewhat thick and not particularly comfortable

Overall, it’s a decent off-blade for versatile play. However, its price tag of $80 is not justified.

The design of the handle is unpleasant to the eye, and the surface of the racket is easily damaged.

Every time you change rubbers, you will inevitably peel off some wood.

The surface layer of my blade even became loose, and I had to reglue it myself.

I am not sure what has happened to Butterfly as of late, but the quality of this blade was extremely poor.

I have played with this blade since it was released on the market. The blade provides great vibration, but after two years of effective playing, this effect became less effective. I have played with both fast and medium soft rubbers on this blade. For forehand, I use a fast rubber, and for backhand, I use a very soft rubber. For close to the table play, using a soft rubber on this blade provides an advantage. You need 10-20 hours of practice with this blade to achieve the best performance in terms of vibration, balance, and speed. This blade is very sensitive, so it is recommended to try it with medium to soft rubbers first. You can add harder and faster rubbers later on. Currently, this blade is my secondary blade, and I intend to use it indefinitely.

Touch play game: Excellent Spin game: Medium Close to the table: Excellent Smashes: Excellent Pushes: Excellent Looping game: Medium Far from the table: Medium Control: 7/10 Overall: 8.6/10 because it is a very light and sensitive blade.

The blade works very well with soft Butterfly rubbers and can become a weapon. However, use caution with hard and fast rubbers on this blade because it can be challenging to find the balance, and you may end up hitting the net or out of the table.

I am more of a close to the table blocker/hitter. I can generate a good opening loop with my BCX5, but after that, I am usually hitting, blocking, and pushing. For my style of play, it is perfect.

I have better looping paddles. I wouldn’t buy this paddle if you only loop or loop a lot back from the table. It works, but there are better blades out there for this kind of play.

My BCX5 is as light as advertised. I can get away with putting heavy, cheap Chinese rubbers on the FH and BH and still have a paddle that weighs less than 180 gm because the blade is light. My BCX5 has held up well over 3 years with only a few edge nicks. I have replaced the rubber many times, but the blade surface has held up well due to a light sealing.

Another thing I like is that the blade side is about the same as my TBS, so I can swap rubbers between the blades, and they fit well.

Excellent, versatile blade!

Outstanding drive and control.

Simply try it and you will love it forever. The balsa core with two layers of carbon gives you full security in all variations of play in the range of passive to active/aggressive strokes. Try it with Xiom Sigma Euro on FH and Friendship 563-1 (2.0 mm) on BH.

The blade with those rubbers weighs an ideal 170 g for a controlled game. This combination is ideal for all-rounders as well as attackers.

The blade is perfectly manufactured, and I suggest the anatomic handle.

Let me tell you guys, I love this racket.

I’ve tried lots of the more expensive blades from Butterfly, and the Carbo X5 with Donic F2 rubbers on both sides is a very nice weapon. It has a great feel, lots of power, and is very light. I love it! It’s the best-feeling racket around, or maybe I just found a nice combination of blade and the right rubber.

So many reviews about this blade, 99% said good, and I am the 99%, I say, great! I don’t need to repeat so much about how good this blade is, I agree with you guys, Carbo X5 really does a good job on close to table play and also mid-range.

But I want to tell you something you don’t know: I tried a few Carbo X5 from the people in my club, they are all good with different combinations of rubbers. Later on, I bought a used one from eBay, the feeling is similar, but not as good. Why? I find out the reason is, the guy put some crazy glue to fill the side of the blade in order to protect the blade. That should be a good idea if it doesn’t destroy the feeling of the blade. Why I need to tell you guys (Carbo X5 lover) about this, 'cause I think the original Carbo X5 without treatment feels the best! I am gonna order a new one.

Perfect blade, I can’t stop playing with it since I bought it. I have been winning so many games that my opponents make a lot of comments after the games.

BK Anti-spin special FH CERMET

Great combination, but let me advise you that some of your contenders are going to be disappointed playing against you due to the anti-spin rubber counter attack and being able to smash the ball when it is in the right position with CERMET.

This racket allows you to do everything.

Hello!

Pros: - Good value for money - Suitable for close-to-the-table play

Cons: - Performance significantly decreases away from the table

I used it with Butterfly FX Max rubbers. It is an average blade.

The blade offers a pleasant feel and touch, being remarkably lightweight and swift. It’s an ideal choice for offensive players who prefer attacking from close range. When paired with suitable rubber, this blade can become exceptionally potent. Additionally, it provides solid vibration feedback during blocking.

I highly recommend this blade to players with an offensive playstyle.

Balsa Carbo X5 is the most controllable off carbon blade I’ve played with so far. Its softness likely contributes to this.

If you’re an offensive player who primarily attacks from close to the table, this blade is an excellent choice.

The anatomic handle provides a comfortable grip. As with all Butterfly products, the build quality is outstanding.

Highly recommended!

Note that the listed weight of 70g is incorrect. According to Butterfly, the blade weighs 83g.

This is an excellent blade for mid 1900s players who loop, block, hit, and push. It excels in offensive, forehand looping.

While the Michael Maze blade is great, it becomes unwieldy and difficult to control against players rated over 2100. It also lacks the “touch” for slow loops and “control” shots.

The X5 offers better control, a superior short game, and easier looping and slow looping. It provides ample power for hitting and looping from mid distance.

Unlike some negative reviewers, I found no issues with the X5.

Balsa wood is highly recommended. It is forgiving and combines well with the outer wood layers and carbon layers for improved performance.

The blade is not intended for aggressive attackers but rather for control-oriented players with a moderate hitting style. It offers excellent control despite its speed.

After using the Ma Lin Soft Carbon for some time, I switched to this blade and noticed a significant difference. The extended dwell time allowed for precise ball manipulation and enhanced feel. Blocking shots became effortless, resulting in exceptional accuracy. This blade is highly adaptable and can accommodate most types of rubbers.

Currently, I use a significantly faster and stiffer blade, but I maintain a fondness for this blade and confidently recommend it to developing players and those seeking optimal control. Perhaps in the future, as I approach Mikael Appelgren’s age in eleven years, I may revert to using this blade and adopt a more defensive playstyle rather than my current offensive approach.

Pros:

- Lightweight, approximately 80g (despite Butterfly’s claim of 70g) - Exceptional control-to-speed ratio - Versatile, catering to various play styles - Ample flexibility and ball feel

Cons:

- None identified, making it an optimal blade for its intended purpose.

I love this blade. I have found that it gives me as much speed as I want, but with very high levels of control.

I have paired it with Tenergy 05. Blocks very crisply. Loops very consistently.

Pros:

- Offers excellent feel and control, enabling aggressive play close to the table despite its power. — Boasts a comfortable handle for enhanced grip and playing experience. — Features a generously sized sweet spot, thanks to its carbon composition, while maintaining a non-carbon-like playing style.

Cons:

- Exhibits fragility due to its thin outer plies, which are prone to chipping and splintering. It’s recommended to seal them before attaching rubbers to ensure durability. — May feel lightweight for some players, potentially limiting power when playing off the table. Additional weight may be necessary to optimize powerlooping.

I’ve used balsa blades for years, and this was just one of many I tried. When I took it out of the box, I was really impressed, not only with the quality but also with how good the balance and grip felt. I was sure I’d found the perfect blade!

I was wrong! It played like a chair leg! Far too much vibration for me, and not nearly enough pace off the table. I then sold it to Andy Smith, who doesn’t use it anymore! Hope you got more out of it than I did, Andy!

Cons: — The handle breaks very easily.

Used it for more than a year for close to table and mid-range play. Great blade for an all-round attacking style. Good for smashes when paired with fast rubber. Great for touch play with good feedback. The outer ply (balsa) does splinter with minimal misuse (e.g. table contact) and I have had to glue back the splinters a couple of times.

Interesting combination of soft, springy balsa and yet still carbon. Plenty of direct power available for hitting, and awesome for blocks. I agree with mwyatt — it’s very light so distance play needs a bit of grunt.

I’ve seen a few of these around my club over the years, and they’ve all held up pretty well, but I have seen some ply separation so take care when removing rubbers.

Great OFF blade with plenty of vibration. The touch is excellent with a lot of consistency on service return.

I would recommend a medium/soft rubber to get the most from this balsa blade. I’m able to get plenty of power from this but I feel it lacks long range power, perhaps because it is so light.