Friendship/729 Yellow KLC Advance

I was holding off on getting this blade as I thought it would be the same as the 729 Yellow ALC blade with a bigger, prettier handle.

But it turns out the KLC feels like ZLC - crispy and light, like my XVT carbon ZLC, a Chinese-made Butterfly Mizutani. I use the penhold handle, which is nice and wider than the old model.

I think it’s made for the springy 46D hard Hurricane-type rubber. Big Dipper 1 didn’t have much spring, so I put a layer of CHP yellow BLK KLC on the face (20 AUD per square meter on AliExpress). It feels springy enough for AK47 rubber on the forehand side—much better.

It’s on par with the dearer Butterfly and DHS blades then. The PG05X DHS is a lot firmer but almost twice the price. Both have the same limba face.

This blade will suit most amateurs who don’t need that much firmness. Pros with faster swings should find it whippy enough to counter loop from mid-court. Overall, I think I’d use it more than the earlier models it has superseded.

It’s lighter and has more zip for the modern low-throw fast counters that are used now. For 40 Australian dollars, it’s great.

This inexpensive innerlayer blade has a fairly strong FL grip and a medium-hard ball strike. The feeling conveyed is a bit indirect, lacking feedback, though I generally play harder blades. The blade’s dimensions are 157 x 150 mm, and it weighs 87 g. Its speed is in the Off- range.

Unfortunately, the workmanship isn’t particularly good. The woods used initially smell unpleasant and are quite soft. I strongly recommend deburring and sealing the club face. In various tests with different rubbers, this blade lacked speed and feedback compared to my other blades.

My favorite rubber, the Dignics 09C (FH, max.), is too slow on this blade. After having the Xiom Vega X (FH, 2.0) on this blade for a while, but it had too much cut for me, I finally decided on the Butterfly Glayzer 09C (max., 45 g.), which harmonizes perfectly with this blade. On the backhand side, the Dignics 64 (1.9 mm, 42 g.) now provides me with sufficient speed, rotation, and control.

For me, this is the most beautiful blade ever, with a small lens on the back of the handle, otherwise only known from Butterfly. This blade will be particularly popular with players with larger hands, and its price will please any penny pincher. Even if this blade may lack a little speed, it is absolutely recommendable if you play with more catapult-like rubbers, also for “advanced beginners,” as it is very controlled and pleasant to play. A Tibhar Aurus Select also fits perfectly on this blade.

Ultimately, I think the (much faster, harder, and more direct) inner layer blades Stuor Professional Long 5 and the Sanwei 75 ALC are clearly the better choice.