Friendship/729 Black Carbon

I got mine from AliExpress, a bundle deal with two Aurora rubbers. Now I have Fastarc G-1 forehand and Baracuda backhand. I like it very much.

Blocking is superb and easy to execute. It has a very good feel. It’s fast but not too fast. It’s stiff and direct. I will get a second one soon to try different rubbers.

So far, it’s my favorite blade. I have tried several others, but this is still the one. I recommend you try it yourself. For $30, it’s worth every cent.

Compared to the Primorac Carbon, the Tamca 5000 has identical wood plies but different carbon plies. The carbon plies in the Tamca 5000 are slimmer than the 3K soft carbon in the Primorac Carbon. When using the same rubber, both blades have almost the same bounce height.

In terms of feel, the Primorac Carbon is softer due to its hinoki outer ply, while the Tamca 5000 feels harder and has more vibration because of its spruce outer ply. However, the spruce outer ply of the Tamca 5000 is perceived to be more durable than the soft hinoki outer ply of the Primorac Carbon.

The Black Carbon blade is very close to the Primorac Carbon blade in terms of playing characteristics. However, the build quality of the Black Carbon is not as good as that of the Primorac Carbon, which is made by BTY. The Black Carbon has a spruce top ply that is slightly harder than the hinoki top ply of the Primorac Carbon. As a result, the ball leaves the Black Carbon blade slightly faster than the Primorac Carbon blade. Other than the difference in speed, the two blades are quite similar.

I believe that the Black Carbon is an even better looping blade than the Primorac Carbon. I recommend using medium or hard European rubbers on the Black Carbon blade. People who use the wrong rubbers on the Primorac Carbon (or similar blades) often complain about poor control, but this is not true. The Primorac Carbon has excellent control when used with the correct rubbers.

My only complaint about the Black Carbon blade is that it is a thick and heavy blade. This may not be a problem for all players, but it is something to keep in mind if you are considering purchasing this blade.