Nittaku Factive 7

I am a big fan of 7-ply wood blades. I have tried various models, including the Stiga Clipper, Nittaku Septear, Butterfly Korbel SK7, Falck W-7, VIctas Swat, and DHS PG7.

Among these, the Factive 7 is my favorite and also the second cheapest. It offers an exceptional value for its price.

Pros:

1. Huge sweet spot
2. Crisp feeling
3. Lightweight (all less than 83g)
4. Fast but controllable
5. Stiff but with enough flex for looping
6. Reasonable dwell time
7. Great build quality

Con:

The only downside is the thin handle, which requires the use of grip tape. I recommend the Nittaku grip tape, which I consider the best in the market.

The blade performs well with various inverted rubbers, ranging from hard and tacky Chinese rubbers to soft Japanese rubbers like the Yasaka Rakza 7 soft.

Buen peso, la combiné con gomas Victas y la sensación en top y bloqueo es genial.

The first thing to note is the handle really feels small for my medium palm, so be careful when considering this blade. For me, it was impossible to have a loose grip and the FH-BH switch was uncomfortable, especially out of position when the blade angle can decide. The feeling is medium soft ( but not much ) and fairly stiff. Blocking near the table and flat hits are OK - but nothing special. The feeling while top spinning can be another point of concern for those who are used to using flexible blades and medium-hard/hard rubbers - dwell time on this blade is pretty small from my impression. So generally Nittaku provided a precise description - it can be suitable for kids/ladies (handle size) who are learning basics. It is a well-rounded setup with Factive rubbers. All-round or aggressive material players can consider this blade as well - but of course, not for pure defense - it may be too fast near the table and not flexible enough for far from the table. Flat hitters may find it usable also. Craftsmanship is good, but not perfect - the wooden edge protection can splinter off while changing the rubbers. Overall Nittaku gave a pretty fair description for whom this blade is - but there are a lot of nice alternatives for a lower price.