Butterfly Photino

An overlooked blade, I must say. Having used various kinds of blades, I stopped at this Butterfly Photino. This blade really surprised me. I don’t really like the “ordinary” feel of hinoki/cypress, but when it’s combined with Zylon fiber, it gives a different feel. If it were food, I would say it tastes “crisp” but soft at the same time. I used it with T05 Hard for the forehand side and T05 for the backhand. Wonderful for hard hitting and excellent for slow, spinny loops.

Butterfly Timo Boll ALC The Butterfly Timo Boll ALC is a professional-level table tennis blade designed for world-class performance. Constructed with seven plies of high-quality wood, this blade combines speed, control, and feel to create an exceptional playing experience.

The Timo Boll ALC features a perfect balance of stiffness and flexibility, allowing for both aggressive power and precision placement. Players can generate tremendous spin and generate a variety of shots from close to the table or from a distance.

At around $100, the Butterfly Timo Boll ALC offers excellent value for money. Its durability and all-around performance make it an excellent choice for serious players seeking a high-level blade.

Pros: * Exceptional speed, control, and feel * Balance of stiffness and flexibility * Generates tremendous spin * Suits various playing styles * Durable construction

Cons: * Expensive compared to beginner-level blades * Requires skill to use effectively

The most distinctive feature of the Photino is the thick hinoki top ply (~1.4mm). This allows the blade to have a soft touch, even with the addition of composite material. As a result, the Photino exhibits a range of gears, including slow, medium-slow, medium, and fast.

Hinoki is renowned for its exceptional softness, making it an ideal wood for looping. The Photino lives up to this reputation, providing excellent looping feel, akin to playing with an all-wood blade. However, the Zylon layer dampens vibrations, resulting in a more muted playing experience.

To complement the Photino’s gears, consider pairing it with Japanese or European rubbers, known for their springiness. This combination enhances the blade’s looping capabilities.

I have been playing with the Photino blade for six to seven years now, and it remains my favorite blade. When paired with Joola Maxxx 400 rubbers on both sides, it becomes the perfect combination. For me, the combination of Hinoki, Kiri, and Zylon is unbeatable. I have tried a few other new blades, including the Nittaku Barwell Fleet, but none have come close to matching the feeling of my Photino.

The Photino blade provides exceptional control, allowing for fantastic topspin rallies. Once you experience the Hinoki layer, you will never want to play with another blade without it. It is a truly remarkable blade that has stood the test of time for me.

I really enjoy fast rallies with this blade. Every power exchange feels like you are catching the ball in a mitt and then you’re tossing it out with your hand like a major league pitcher. The extra dwell and softness gives more feel than any blade I’ve tried so far, but it also feels slower for an off+ blade.

I say feels slower, but I know this is not a slow blade. The blade gives a nice medium high arc trajectory during looping, and touch play is very easy. It’s a very fun blade to play with.

I play CP with this shakehand blade, but it plays just fine close to the table doing full swings, like for loop drives. Hitting RPB at mid-distance really stands out, especially with MX-S on the backhand.

First, let me clarify that I’m not an experienced player (EJ). After playing with the ALC for over a year, I switched to the Photino blade for increased speed and power. I’ve used this blade for over a year now and have decided to switch.

The Photino blade is notably thick. This thickness provides a reinforced feel with each hit, but it limits full strokes unless you’re playing at a considerable distance from the table (6-10 back). I’ve experimented with various rubbers on the blade but haven’t found a particularly ideal match. While they all perform well for mid-distance looping and blocking, the Photino blade tends to diminish power at close range.

My primary issue with this blade is its lack of effectiveness close to the table unless you’re blocking or using very short strokes. It lacks aggression and, while the short game is manageable with most rubbers, the blade significantly reduces power at close and over the table.

In summary, if you’re an older player prioritizing control, you may find the Photino blade suitable. Similarly, if you prefer mid-distance play, this blade could be a good option. However, if you’re seeking power and control at the table, you may be disappointed unless you opt for slower rubbers.

Love it!!! Ultimate Speed, High throw, and highest catapult effect of all blades I think. Not too hard, nice Feeling and a good Touch because of vibrations. Suitable for a fast and spinny game in all distances with the best balance in catapult, ball feeling, and control. -> Ultimate Blade

It’s not suitable for players who want a hard and stiff blade and power shots near the table because it’s just medium-hard. But for the all-round Off+ attacking style, it’s one of the best blades ever…(of course, the best ZLF blade available and much better than a Boll ZLF!).

I just played with a Photino blade, and I was pleasantly surprised with its consistency on blocks and drives. Initially, I anticipated having difficulty looping with the blade, but I was able to adjust comfortably within a few hours.

Currently, I am using Xiom Vega Pro on the forehand (FH) and Tenergy 64 on the backhand (BH). I am thoroughly satisfied with this setup.

This blade is AWESOME! Looping is easy.

I am using Butterfly Photino with Hurricane 3 Neo on both sides, and it’s really good. Control, loop, counter loop, push, and chop are very stable and controllable. Highly recommended.

Try using Tenergy 25 fx. I think it would go great with this blade.

This is a fast blade from Butterfly that utilizes ZL fiber layers, which provide exceptional flexibility. This flexibility enables both quick and spinny shots. The blade is compatible with a wide range of rubbers, making it versatile in playstyles.

Ergonomically, the blade features comfortable ST or FL handles. While it may be slightly expensive, its excellent craftsmanship makes it a worthwhile investment. For those seeking a high-performing blade, this product comes highly recommended.

I never use this blade. My friend does, and he said that this blade needs very careful treatment as its fiber will somehow crack once fell even from a low height.

Excellent quintessential blade. Along with the HK, this is the light at the end of the EJ tunnel.

Pros:

This blade excels in every aspect of table tennis. Looping is effortless, especially inside the table. It makes third ball attacks a breeze. Paired with Tenergy rubbers, it becomes an unstoppable weapon.

Cons:

The price of this blade is no longer a concern for those who desire its exceptional performance.

Update:

Initially, transitioning from wood or carbon blades to the Photino can take some time. The Photino’s ZL fiber construction introduces significant vibration, which can be amplified when using Tenergy rubbers. However, using Bryce Speed FX rubbers greatly reduces vibration. Despite the initial adjustment, this blade is truly exceptional once you become accustomed to its unique characteristics.

This is a remarkable blade.

As others have mentioned, it possesses a somewhat bipolar nature. It tends to exhibit a flatter trajectory when struck hard but exhibits a surprising amount of elasticity when used for looping. This characteristic aligns exceptionally well with my playing style, enabling me to seamlessly transition between slow loops and forceful punches, particularly on the backhand side. Furthermore, this duality makes blocking considerably more effortless compared to the majority of other fast blades I have experimented with.

I have successfully paired it with various rubbers, including T05FX, Macro Era, and Spinart, in varying combinations, and each setup has yielded satisfactory results.

It carries a premium price tag, but its exceptional performance justifies the investment.

Dream blade, with Tenergy it really is like playing with speed glue catapult like. High High throw combo allows me to dominate under-spin.

My play partner was amazed at the amount of speed and spin of my loops, it combines both well. Has excellent control for being so fast. Better at looping than smashing. Best flared handle ever.

Good short game after some adjustment. Worth every penny. Get this over the innerforce if you loop more than smash the feel is amazing…

A dream blade from Butterfly. Very expensive, but oh so worth it. This blade has gears and can loop very well due to dwell time. Its speed ranges from fast to very fast, depending on the rubber used. Despite being a thick blade, it has good ball feedback. With 1.9 fast rubbers, it becomes a hitter’s best friend. With 2.1-2.5mm rubbers, it’s a looping monster. Not as fast as other pure carbon blades from Butterfly, but it offers more control with great power due to the Z fiber construction.

I absolutely love this blade! However, I play with a Mizutani because it facilitates the initial states of a point (serve and return), which is crucial for my style. Once a point gets started, this blade is a dream! It softens up when you loop hard, but this does not mean that it gets slow.

Different from other soft/medium soft blades, you have a very springy feel. The blade does its part in replacing speed glue! It gets softer, but faster! A paradox? Not for this one! Perfect in middle distance, it’s a bit bouncy after initial attack close to the table. If you like to play somewhat far from the table, with a lot of pace and spin, give it a try! 

This blade may very well be the best blade for a significant amount of well-advanced players out there. Of all the blades on the market that I have tested, it has the strongest catapult effect (e.g., Amultart, Waldner Black Devil, Persson Dotec, Yasaka Carbon, and many more).

The touch for the short game is acceptable if you have a good feel in your hand and an advanced technique. However, despite actually being hard and stiff, it feels very soft, which may confuse some players. The consequences are a very high throw and a very springy feel. But simply enjoy!

A fast blade with good touch and dwell time for looping.

With Tenergy 25 or Sriver G2 2.1, you have a very advanced blade with world-class speed and spin.

Expensive by any standard. A dream blade.

Very comfortable flared handle.

Has “gears” for all aspects of the game.

The blade is notably thick compared to most other blades. Despite its hardness, it offers a decent dwell time. In comparison to the TBS, it excels in all aspects except possibly control. It pairs well with most Euro/Japanese rubbers. Additionally, it performs effectively when combined with soft to medium-hard Chinese rubbers.

The Photino is about 7mm thick. It has a soft feeling, but when you punch it, it feels solid. It goes well with almost all rubbers.

It is faster than the TBS and the KLHS but slower than the PC and SC. The feeling is closest to the PC except much more flexible.