OOAK Table Tennis Forum :: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com

Some really nice looking blades! I'm tempted by the Triflex carbon my self, seeing how it could resemble of the Wavestone that I love so much. Unfortunately, the cash flow is currently way to low for me to be spending more on TT-equipment.

I do wonder, is it possible to order custom made blades as well, or are the blades listed the only ones available?

I've also noticed quite a bit of difference in the listed weight, is it possible to make special weight request?

Anvil similar to Wavestone you say? Hmm, the site says that the Anvil has hard outer layers, which I don't like at all. The thing I love about the Wavestone is that it is very stiff (I hate vibrations in a blade!) yet it has soft outer layers and it provides me with very good speed.

I was very impressed to see a small list about matching rubbers for each blades. I assume these rubbers were tested by you and/or others, and you determined how suitable the rubbers are for each blades? Obvioulsy it's a little subjective but it's really good to see something like that!

The Fiddler is the one that got my attention, look nice and sounds like it would suit my game

How hard is to get a source of consistant (weight, density, etc) materials Charlie? It seems that 20+ years ago the blades were more consistant, especially in weight and these days of mass production there is much more variation in the mass market. If the variation in woods the main contributor in blade variations?

Nice site.

I am interested in the 9-10-9. It seems to be a good short pip, long pip blade.

I agree with speedplay I would like a soft but fast side for my SP rubber and a slow hard side for the LP.
At present I am quite happy with the Defence II, but I think it can be improved.
It is made of 3 plies of willow wood, but the handle and neck of the blade is made of 5 plies of something else which makes it stiffer.
The feedback and touch is excellent, and the reversal I get with my LP is actually very good, but if there was a thin very hard veneer on the LP side i think the reversal would be even better.
The willow on the SP side is a little too soft. I think a cypress veneer would be better.

Charlie, I would be interested to know if you could make such a blade?

Hi Charlie,
I was wondering if your blades are made on demand or selected from stock? For example, if one wanted a specific weight.

The other thing I was wondering was can you build to specific dimensions (IE, custom dimensions)?

nathanso - i don't think those clickable pictures that open up themselves on the front page is really a good idea...

nathanso - i don't think those clickable pictures that open up themselves on the front page is really a good idea...

Silver wrote:

nathanso - i don't think those clickable pictures that open up themselves on the front page is really a good idea...

You are so right! I just fixed that on the Models page (it requires digging into Google Sites' html), but have yet to address the issue on the Home page.. which is due for a redesign anyway, fwiw. In any event, thanks for pointing that out. As with all week old web sites, its content subject to frequent updates and improvements.

Author:	haggisv [ 11 Feb 2010, 19:31 ]
Post subject:	Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
Charlie has requested a thread here to introduce and talk about the custom blades he makes. I think it will be great for our members to able to chat and ask questions directly to the maker of blades, so I'm happy to accomodate a section for him here, and welcome Charlie to our forum! Some background of Charlie from his website http://www.BladesByCharlie.com BBC (Blades By Charlie) Table Tennis is a California-based company owned and operated by Charlie "CW" Smith, a life-long table tennis lover who has been playing the game and making blades for nearly 40 years. CW's quest for the perfect blade began at a tournament in the early 1970s when, while closing on the B class title he accidentally dinged his prized Yasaka single-ply Cypress blade on the table, instantly splitting it in two. With no backup blade on hand CW tried in vain to locate and borrow a similar blade to continue the match, but couldn't and ended up forfeiting. Could a blade be made that had the unique touch and awesome power of single ply cypress that wasn't prone to splitting? Thus started CW's search for the holy grail of blades: The unsplittable single ply. In the 1980's CW and his son ran Diablo Blades, and from there he went on to ASTI where he designed the now legendary CarboFlex blade, a center-carbon design with balsa and hardwood that broke new design ground. Cut to 2007 and an end to a fifteen year hiatus from table tennis. CW is back and creating more new blades than ever before. His painstakingly sourced and greedily hoarded supply of instrument grade wood, combined with the very latest in adhesives and fiber technologies, are now being unleashed in his best blade designs ever.

Author:	nathanso [ 12 Feb 2010, 03:17 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
speedplay wrote: Some really nice looking blades! I'm tempted by the Triflex carbon my self, seeing how it could resemble of the Wavestone that I love so much. Unfortunately, the cash flow is currently way to low for me to be spending more on TT-equipment. I do wonder, is it possible to order custom made blades as well, or are the blades listed the only ones available? I've also noticed quite a bit of difference in the listed weight, is it possible to make special weight request? speedplay, I'm the webmaster for BBC and I've also been one of Charlie's local blade testers over the past year or so, testing every blade on his web site and then some (tough job, I know!) I also own a Wavestone so I can tell you that the best match from BBC's line isn't the TriFlex Carbon, it's the Anvil. In fact, I quickly put down my Wavestone once I got my hands on an Anvil. Anvil's sweet spot is larger (especially at the tip), hitting consistency is better, and it just feels more stable.. all at the same weight. This was a 7mm Anvil, btw, which may or may not be the right thickness for your style. I'd probably recommend a 5-6mm Anvil to best approximate the speed and feel of the Wavestone, and 7mm only if you want all-out speed and stability (i.e. for OX LP and close to the table blocking). I know nothing about Best Anti so I'm not sure what to recommend for it.. perhaps Charlie will once he checks in (He played with anti extensively in the 1970s from what i recall). Charlie was testing my Wavestone some months ago (CW, it's the Dawei arylate-carbon blade with the purple handle) and I think it's still with him so he'll be able to advise you better than I. (btw, I've moved on from OX LP to sponged MP and LP in an attempt to better support an attacking style off the BH so you won't see a BBC Anvil 7mm in my sig block any more, but I played with one for longer than any other BBC blade.) I'll let Charlie address your other questions directly.

Author:	BladesByCharlie [ 12 Feb 2010, 05:30 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
Hi, I want to thank haggisv for inviting me to participate. I am looking forward to the questions and the answers. I do have my way of looking at things and realize the value that can be found in the viewpoint of others. So let the questions and the discussions fly and here's to the building of better and better equipment!

Author:	BladesByCharlie [ 12 Feb 2010, 05:58 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
speedplay wrote: Some really nice looking blades! I'm tempted by the Triflex carbon my self, seeing how it could resemble of the Wavestone that I love so much. Unfortunately, the cash flow is currently way to low for me to be spending more on TT-equipment. I do wonder, is it possible to order custom made blades as well, or are the blades listed the only ones available? I've also noticed quite a bit of difference in the listed weight, is it possible to make special weight request? speedplay, yes I enjoy making custom blades. Sometimes quite the challenge and quite gratifying when successful. Handles and shapes to order! (when possible, needs to be evaluated). The Triflex is especially suited for different weights. Remember the website is new and is still be constructed to show all that is alvailable. The Triflex also comes in different thicknesses. The thin one has two 1/16" balsa cores, the medium has one 1/16" and one 3/32" (faster and with a subtle two-speed suited for different rubbers on forehand and backhand), the thicker one has two 3/32" . I think of them as "skinny" - "medium" - "fatty". Maybe we can come up with better names for these Triflex? The "fatty" is quite fast, so I have not made one thicker. I just didn't see the need, but who can say, someone may need and want one. There are already two more blades, recently requested , that we need to get onto the website. Soon!

Author:	haggisv [ 12 Feb 2010, 06:23 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
I was very impressed to see a small list about matching rubbers for each blades. I assume these rubbers were tested by you and/or others, and you determined how suitable the rubbers are for each blades? Obvioulsy it's a little subjective but it's really good to see something like that! The Fiddler is the one that got my attention, look nice and sounds like it would suit my game How hard is to get a source of consistant (weight, density, etc) materials Charlie? It seems that 20+ years ago the blades were more consistant, especially in weight and these days of mass production there is much more variation in the mass market. If the variation in woods the main contributor in blade variations?

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Author:	nathanso [ 12 Feb 2010, 07:24 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
speedplay wrote: Anvil similar to Wavestone you say? Hmm, the site says that the Anvil has hard outer layers, which I don't like at all. The thing I love about the Wavestone is that it is very stiff (I hate vibrations in a blade!) yet it has soft outer layers and it provides me with very good speed. speedplay, I think you are correct. It's been over a year since I touched my Wavestone and it occurs to me that the pre-release Anvils of the time had soft Mahogany skins, not hard Birch as they do now. The Mahogany skinned version morphed into the current Fiddler, which with its hide glue and all-wood construction is a very different feeling blade than the current Anvil.

Author:	bvautier [ 12 Feb 2010, 07:45 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
Nice site. I am interested in the 9-10-9. It seems to be a good short pip, long pip blade. I agree with speedplay I would like a soft but fast side for my SP rubber and a slow hard side for the LP. At present I am quite happy with the Defence II, but I think it can be improved. It is made of 3 plies of willow wood, but the handle and neck of the blade is made of 5 plies of something else which makes it stiffer. The feedback and touch is excellent, and the reversal I get with my LP is actually very good, but if there was a thin very hard veneer on the LP side i think the reversal would be even better. The willow on the SP side is a little too soft. I think a cypress veneer would be better. Charlie, I would be interested to know if you could make such a blade?

Author:	rodderz [ 12 Feb 2010, 08:09 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
Hi Charlie How hard is to make a true two speed blade withnot just a sloght difference but a real difference

Author:	BladesByCharlie [ 12 Feb 2010, 10:13 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
haggisv wrote: I was very impressed to see a small list about matching rubbers for each blades. I assume these rubbers were tested by you and/or others, and you determined how suitable the rubbers are for each blades? Obvioulsy it's a little subjective but it's really good to see something like that! The Fiddler is the one that got my attention, look nice and sounds like it would suit my game How hard is to get a source of consistant (weight, density, etc) materials Charlie? It seems that 20+ years ago the blades were more consistant, especially in weight and these days of mass production there is much more variation in the mass market. If the variation in woods the main contributor in blade variations? I am constantly on the lookout for my favorite woods. I like to be able to deliver as close to duplicate weights and densities as I can. The importance to the players I talk to rate it high and I personally think it is of major importance. The mass production I always felt lessened quality control in this area (possibly workers that don't play)? I order a broad range of weights in balsa. I weigh each peace before assembly. I've seen one piece weigh 5 grams and another as much as 25 grams. I really like the choices and variations. I weigh the amounts of glue used in my attempts to duplicate player's back-up blades. I am sure with more thought and suggestions better control can be! One of my personal upsets with tt equipment is shoe availability not being the same with each years new model deleting my favorite pair. So I usually buy several knowing I might not see them again.

Author:	BladesByCharlie [ 12 Feb 2010, 10:35 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
bvautier wrote: Nice site. I am interested in the 9-10-9. It seems to be a good short pip, long pip blade. I agree with speedplay I would like a soft but fast side for my SP rubber and a slow hard side for the LP. At present I am quite happy with the Defence II, but I think it can be improved. It is made of 3 plies of willow wood, but the handle and neck of the blade is made of 5 plies of something else which makes it stiffer. The feedback and touch is excellent, and the reversal I get with my LP is actually very good, but if there was a thin very hard veneer on the LP side i think the reversal would be even better. The willow on the SP side is a little too soft. I think a cypress veneer would be better. Charlie, I would be interested to know if you could make such a blade? bvautier, I use 563 medium pips on 1.5 sponge (30 years) for my backhand and this blade matches better than any of the hundreds of blades I've made or tried from others. At first I thought it was to slow, but liked my drop shots. The perfect "granny gear". Then I found that it hits very fast with alot of control. 2.1 Baracuda fits o.k. on the forhand. The "9" and the "10" refer to the thicknesses of the cypress plies. I started with a 10-10-10, but decided the 9-10-9 was best. I just made a 6-10-6 for a 2400 player to evauate. I oddly enough haven't tried it my self, but really liked the feel and sound of it (more on that later). I've been thinking of how to get greater disparity in a two-speed blade and am currently pressing one up. I agree the cypress will be workable. The difficulty is using two different woods for the outer surfaces, it usually warps. I think I have it whipped.

Author:	haggisv [ 12 Feb 2010, 10:36 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
Sounds like you have quality control well in hand I agree with your point about shoes, and ideally buying several of the blades you like works the same way. Trouble with blades is you really need to test them out well before you'll know if it suits you, and by that time the manufacturer may be onto another batch of materials, and can't duplicate your original blade. I would guess the best way you can make 'identical' blades would be to make them at the same time using the same materials, correct?

Author:	Silver [ 12 Feb 2010, 10:49 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
Hi Charlie, I was wondering if your blades are made on demand or selected from stock? For example, if one wanted a specific weight. The other thing I was wondering was can you build to specific dimensions (IE, custom dimensions)? nathanso - i don't think those clickable pictures that open up themselves on the front page is really a good idea...

Author:	BladesByCharlie [ 12 Feb 2010, 11:04 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
Silver wrote: Hi Charlie, I was wondering if your blades are made on demand or selected from stock? For example, if one wanted a specific weight. The other thing I was wondering was can you build to specific dimensions (IE, custom dimensions)? nathanso - i don't think those clickable pictures that open up themselves on the front page is really a good idea... Hi Silver, Yes!!! Custom handles, custom shapes, custom woods(on availability), even thicknesses. Some have given me a special wood for their Triflex handle. (pretty) I personally like handle-heavy blades, but the trend has been to even hollow-out handles to get a light blade. I too hollow but do it with heavy woods to make use of my favorite woods, like paduak or teak.

Author:	nathanso [ 12 Feb 2010, 11:43 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
Silver wrote: nathanso - i don't think those clickable pictures that open up themselves on the front page is really a good idea... You are so right! I just fixed that on the Models page (it requires digging into Google Sites' html), but have yet to address the issue on the Home page.. which is due for a redesign anyway, fwiw. In any event, thanks for pointing that out. As with all week-old web sites, its content is subject to frequent updates and improvements.

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Author:	bvautier [ 12 Feb 2010, 12:01 ]
Post subject:	Re: Introducing Charlie from www.BladesByCharlie.com
nathanso wrote: Silver wrote: nathanso - i don't think those clickable pictures that open up themselves on the front page is really a good idea... You are so right! I just fixed that on the Models page (it requires digging into Google Sites' html), but have yet to address the issue on the Home page.. which is due for a redesign anyway, fwiw. In any event, thanks for pointing that out. As with all week old web sites, its content subject to frequent updates and improvements. would be nice to have measurements in metric as well as imperial. Imperial doesn't mean much to me.