Butterfly Diode

A very fast defensive blade, the Diode offers consistent performance in long range cut games. However, its speed makes it unsuitable for close to the table blocking. The blade’s mid-soft face hardness results in low spin reversal, especially with low friction rubbers. This further limits its effectiveness in close blocking games.

The Diode pairs well with thin sponge rubbers on the forehand, such as TSP Cutman. On the backhand, modern tensor long pimpled rubbers like Andro Chaos complement it effectively. TSP Curl series or Butterfly Feint Long series rubbers may not perform as well on this blade.

Despite being rumored as a predecessor to the legendary JSH blade, the Diode bears little resemblance. Additionally, there have been concerns about warping with the Diode. However, after testing three blades over several years, all with ST handles, none have warped despite intensive use and multiple rubber changes.

The Diode is no longer in production and has been phased out. Custom orders may be available at a premium price. The original price of $245 per piece was considered high by some users.