OOAK Table Tennis Forum

On a whim, I decided to search for "table tennis" on one of the local e-shopping sites. This is something like a miniature Amazon without the books, I've bought small electronic appliances from them. So what comes up? The usual rec stuff - cheap tables, rec bats and balls, but there's also a Zhang Jike ZLC (50% discount, about USD450.. ) and Evolution MX-P (USD35) and Tibhar Aurus (about USD$23). No idea if these are genuine - like Amazon, there's a bunch of disparate "sellers" and "fulfillers" on the platform. The iPong 300 is there (for almost TWICE what I paid for it at the WTTC.. ) and there's this familiar thing - yes, 4mm thick rubber!

http://www.lazada.com.my/4mm-thick-tabl ... 95962.html



And then this comes up:

http://www.lazada.com.my/tibhar-beluga- ... 91857.html



What the heck??? Not found on tabletennis11. Nor on AliExpress, even. It's got a ITTF number (74-027) and is indeed listed in the LARC.



There are, in fact, lots of Tibhars in the LARC I've never heard of (or at least, I can't recall coming across them):

Crazy Bull:



Individual



Bungee:



Cheap enough - about $8, might give it a try. Wonder what it's like.. a baby GRIP-S, perhaps??

Iskandar

Beluga is a sea fish species in Russian.

In English it's a species of whale, though there does seem to be some sort of connection with caviar. (I leave it for those in the know.. ahem... baby Grip-S.. )

Iskandar

"The mid-soft sponge combined with an extremely tacky rubber surface provides an outstanding spin. In a passive game, Beluga has a very good control, enabling the perfect placement of the ball."

Sounds like a chopping or blocking rubber. Anyhow:



Iskandar

Individual and Bungee are old rubbers. I believe Individual pre-dates Bungee by a while, however.

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SPW/Solo

I'll bet Beluga's pretty old as well. Which is why you find it on Lazada and no where else..

Don't know about you but those shots of the whale with the soccer ball in its mouth were disturbing.. Was it going to choke?? Don't think it'd be easy to Heimlich a whale..

Iskandar

Didn't Tibhar (or was it some other German brand) re-badge Haifu Blue Whale and sell it as their own at one time? Maybe this Beluga is another Haifu rubber?

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The Dark Side: "Quicker, easier, more seductive" - Yoda

Yeah, Grip-S is supposedly Haifu Whale. Hence my earlier comments.

http://ttnpp.com/store/tibhar/513-tibha ... ned-6.html





"Optra technology" my foot...

Iskandar

Bought 2 blades from Presports and EJing added a piece of Tibhar Beluga and a piece Tibhar Tacky Power.

Wow.. Presports has it and it's cheaper than at Lazada!! Might get a sheet myself. About USD10 at Presports. At that price, it's GOT to be Chinese.

Iskandar

I played with Tibhar Individual a very long time ago, when I started out playing. Don't quite remember how it plays, but it's probably similar to something like Butterfly Flextra.