Butterfly Petr Korbel Japan Version
Blade description
Construction and Design
This is an all-wood, 5-ply blade manufactured in Japan. It features premium wood-layering and construction quality that differentiates it from other regional versions of the same model. The handle design is relatively thin, with a flatter and wider profile compared to the European variant, and the blade is known for having a slightly higher overall weight.
Playing Characteristics
- Feel and Feedback: This blade is celebrated for its sublime, distinctively hard “all-wood” feel that provides excellent ball feedback. It offers significant dwell time, which facilitates high-spin top-spin play and controlled touch shots.
- Performance: It is faster and more flexible than many standard 5-ply wooden blades, resulting in a lower and longer ball trajectory. While it is highly effective for looping, it maintains enough stability for reliable blocks and punches.
- Sweet Spot: The sweet spot is smaller compared to many composite (carbon) blades. Users report that off-center hits toward the edges significantly reduce power and effectiveness, requiring a higher level of precision from the player.
- Suitability: Designed primarily for offensive and all-round play, the blade is versatile enough to be paired with everything from tacky Chinese rubbers to modern high-tension sponges and long pips. It is well-regarded as a tool for skill development, though its responsiveness allows it to perform at a professional level when paired with high-performance rubbers.
Also Known As
- Chinese: 科贝尔日版 (slang: 科贝尔, 日科)
- Japanese: コルベル (slang: 日版コルベル)
- German: Petr Korbel Japan
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Recent Reviews
#1 — August 2026
I can’t understand the ratings of this blade, except for the price in Japan (less than 40 USD).
I had a 94g blade which felt heavy. It’s very easy to generate spin thanks to the flex, but the blade really feels quite big in the hand, which makes it not very user-friendly for serving. The flex makes many balls go long, and the trajectory is unpredictable. The blade is heavy with heavy rubbers.
I just don’t understand the hype around the blade except if it’s for playing outside at a cheap rate.
The wood smells quality, but the behavior is just surprising. To me, this had much less control than any other blade I tried except Andro Novacell.
I’ve tried many blades and can put much more on the table even with SZLC blades or any ALC like Viscaria, FZD, Viscaria Gold, Boll ALC, Boll Spirit, etc.
#2 — November 2025
Remek ütőfa a Butterfly Petr Korbel Japan, én TIBHAR EVOLUTION MX-S-t használok tenyeres oldalon, és TIBHAR EVOLUTION EL-P-t fonák oldalon, mindkét esetben a szivacsvastagság 1.9, ezzel próbáltak az ütőn picit könnyíteni, mivel ez az ütőfa nehéz, 90 gramm, és a TIBHAR EVOLUTION szoftok is nehezek, viszont nagyon tartósak. Összességében egy nagyon jó labdaérzékeléssel rendelkező ütő, ami ezekkel a szoftokkal párosítva elég gyors is, ale szépen irányíthatóak maradnak a labdák. Az MX-S egy keményebb szivaccsal rendelkező szoft, ámde a felső gumilap az puhább, ez megnöveli a labda tartózkodási idejét, a lapos nyesett labda könnyedén felemelhető vele, és óriási oldalfalsos pörvetést lehet vele kivitelezni könnyedén. Az EL-P meg puhább szivaccsal rendelkezik, de keményebb felső gumilappal, aminek köszönhetően fonák oldalon a labdaérzékelés szintén nagyon jó lesz, ale a felső keményebb gumilap miatt kisebb mozdulattal is nagy pörgetés generálható fonák oldalon is, elég gyors is, nagyon szépen lehet vele kontrollálni a labdát. Összességében egy kiváló összeállítás támadó játékra, remek labdaérzékeléssel, a kész ütő így is a nehezebb ütők közé fog tartozni, de nekem tetszenek az ilyen fejnehéz ütők, ez az ütőfa egy közepesen kemény ütőfa, a markolata felül lapos és vékonyabb, nekem nagyon kényelmes a fogása.
#3 — June 2025
I had played the Butterfly Petr Korbel Europe version for years, but at the persuasion of a fellow table tennis player, I changed the Europe version to the Japan version. The Japan version is heavier and faster due to the different wood layering solution and thickness from the Europe version (mine is the Japan version 95 grams, mine is the Europe version 88 grams). The Japan version is faster with similar ball detection, for the reasons mentioned. The Japan version comes with a serial number, but what matters more is that the machining of the Japan version is premium. The handle of the Japan version is wider and flatter compared to the Europe version, but still belongs to the blades with thinner handles, which is much more comfortable for me as a medium-handed player; the handle of the Europe version is thinner and more convex. I use Yasaka Rakza X (max version) on FH side, Yasaka Rakza 7 Soft (max version) on BH side, I used 5 layers of Revolution Nr.3 glue. The Japan version is faster; on the Europa version, the same rubber FH and BH side is glued with max version, 5 coats of Revolution Nr.3 glue.
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