OOAK Table Tennis Forum

Butterfly is probably the most popular table tennis brand, at least outside China. No doubt their quality is good, but their prices are among the highest, and since the latest huge price hike (about 30% for many products) many Butterfly users are looking for cheaper alternatives. I don't believe the high price tag is justified in many cases, and there would be much cheaper alternatives from other brands of similar quality.
So I though it would be useful to start and maintain a list of Butterfly rubbers, with equivalent (or closest) rubber from other brands.

The list below are all the current ITTF approved Butterfly rubber. Underneath each one I will add alternatives, with a brief (one-liner) of the small difference between the Butterfly rubber and the alternative. If this topic proves popular I'll sticky it. We might be able to do a similar list for their blades, and for other brands as well if there is enough interest.
So if you know of alternatives for any of the rubber below, please post them here and I'll update the list.

001 Tenergy 05
- LKT Red Diamond
- Galaxy Yin-He Moon
- Andro Hexer
- Donic Acuda S1
- DONIC Baracuda
- Palio Blitz 47deg
- Xiom Omega IV Pro
- Gewo Reflexx Speed
- Sanwei T88-I
002 Tenergy 25
- Galaxy Yin-He Sun
- Tibhar 1Q,
- Tibhar Grip-S,
- Donic Traction MS PRO
003 Tenergy 64
- Galaxy Yin-He Mars V2
- Palio Blitz 47deg
- Andro Hexer+
- Ando Roxon 450
- Stiga Calibra LT Sound
- Tibhar Aurus Soft
- Xiom Omega IV Europe
004 Pan Asia - X
005 Spinart
- Palio Hadou 2046, Hadou Biotech
- Palio Thor’s
006 Sriver G3
007 Sriver G3 FX
008 Roundell
009 Tenergy 05 FX
- Donic Baracuda
010 Tenergy 25 FX
- Galaxy Sun 33deg
011 Tenergy 64 FX
- Palio Blitz 42deg
012 Flarestorm II
013 Addoy
014 Wakaba
015 Pan Asia
016 Yuki
017 Dignics
Addoy
Biriba
Black I
Bryce
- Dawei Saviga 44deg, but slower
Bryce FX
Bryce Speed
- JOOLA express one
Bryce Speed FX
Catapult
Cermet
Challenger Attack
- TSP Super Spin Pips 21
- Tibhar Speedy Soft
Challenger Large
D’Or
Driver
Ekrips
Feint AG
Feint Long II
- Galaxy / Yin-He Neptune
- TSP Curl P1r
Feint Long III
- TSP Curl P1r
Feint-Ox
Feint-Soft
Flarestorm II
- Andro Hexer
- Andro Blowfish
Flextra
- Donic Varispin
Fräulein
Large 44 DX
Lemuria
Magnitude
Morim
NS 44
Orthodox-DX,103
Pan Asia
Pecular
Raystorm
- Friendship 802-40
- Globe 889-2
Rein
Relop Attack
Relop Large
Sapphira
Selvid
Soft
Solcion
Speedy-P.O.
Sprier
Sriver EL
- Donic Coppa Tagora
Sriver FX
- Donic Coppa Tenero
- Palio CJ8000 Biotech w/36-38deg Japanese sponge (slightly tacky when new, but gets better as the tack wears off)
- Gewo Target Air Tec FX
- Tibhar Speedy Spin FX Premium
Sriver G2
- Dawei Saviga, spinnier
Sriver G2 FX
Sriver L
- Yasaka Mark V - Mark V slightly more lively but similar speed, spin and control.
- Donic Coppa
- JUIC Driva Smash
- Tibhar Speedy Spin
- DHS G666 (it's slightly tacky at first but after it's broken in it loses its tack and plays very similar)
- Gewo Target Air Tec L
Sriver S
Stayer
Super Anti
- Toni Hold New 40 (They're pretty similar on speed and grip)
Super-Sriver
Tackifire-C
- Globe 999 National
Tackifire-D
- Gewo Nano S/Speed Control,
- Stiga Neos Tacky
Tackifire SP
Tackiness-C
- Tibhar Dang?
- Joola Topspin C
- Stiga Chop & Drive
- Gewo Mega Flex Control
Tackiness-C II
Tackiness-D
- Gambler Six Shooter
- Joola Air
Tempest
Wakaba
West Will
Yuki

_________________
OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Table Tennis Reviews / Articles | Table Guide | Robot Guide
Re-Impact Blades | Avalox Blade Overview | Table Tennis Robots
My setup: Blade: Re-Impact OOAK Dark Knight | BH: Dtecs OX red | FH: JUIC 999 Turbo 2.0mm blk
Check out my huge 'for sale' thread here | My OOAK Interview | OOAK Forum on Facebook

Sriver = Yasaka Mark V ?

_________________



The MNNB Blog has had some pretty amazing stuff lately. Just click this text to check it out. | My OOAK Interview
Table Tennis Video Links: itTV | laola1.tv | ttbl | fftt | Challenger Series | mnnb-tv

Coach Li: Kill the game against long pimps! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAHNaiIhnWM

Thanks for helping to get this started... I've added it in.

BTW is "Sriver S" still made?

_________________
OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Table Tennis Reviews / Articles | Table Guide | Robot Guide
Re-Impact Blades | Avalox Blade Overview | Table Tennis Robots
My setup: Blade: Re-Impact OOAK Dark Knight | BH: Dtecs OX red | FH: JUIC 999 Turbo 2.0mm blk
Check out my huge 'for sale' thread here | My OOAK Interview | OOAK Forum on Facebook

Butterfly Super Anti = Toni Hold New 40 (They're pretty similar on speed and grip)

The only problem is the Butterfly product costs less!

_________________



The MNNB Blog has had some pretty amazing stuff lately. Just click this text to check it out. | My OOAK Interview
Table Tennis Video Links: itTV | laola1.tv | ttbl | fftt | Challenger Series | mnnb-tv

Coach Li: Kill the game against long pimps! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAHNaiIhnWM

Thanks for that!

LOL, that's a new one!

_________________
OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Table Tennis Reviews / Articles | Table Guide | Robot Guide
Re-Impact Blades | Avalox Blade Overview | Table Tennis Robots
My setup: Blade: Re-Impact OOAK Dark Knight | BH: Dtecs OX red | FH: JUIC 999 Turbo 2.0mm blk
Check out my huge 'for sale' thread here | My OOAK Interview | OOAK Forum on Facebook

I tried a 44 degree Dawei Saviga yesterday against a Bryce sheet, and Saviga can be considered as a substitute

_________________
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same

Happy to add it in... when I tried the Saviga it felt quite a lot slower than bryce... perhaps when youi angage the sponge it picks up speed. Of course when it's glued it will speed up a lot, and most people used to glue bryce. Note that Saviga was discontinued quite some time ago. Dawei may release it again, but knowing Dawei it may be nothing like it next time around

_________________
OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Table Tennis Reviews / Articles | Table Guide | Robot Guide
Re-Impact Blades | Avalox Blade Overview | Table Tennis Robots
My setup: Blade: Re-Impact OOAK Dark Knight | BH: Dtecs OX red | FH: JUIC 999 Turbo 2.0mm blk
Check out my huge 'for sale' thread here | My OOAK Interview | OOAK Forum on Facebook

Way back when I tried Saviga (glued up), I felt it was significantly slower than glued up bryce as well...

_________________
Kyosho Inferno MP9e TKI3
Yonex Arcsaber Z-Slash
RUBBER MASS INDEX

Either I have a very good sheet of Saviga, or I have a slow sheet of Bryce or my technique is better than I think
Saviga is slower than Bryce for sure, more like a sriver G2 speed instead of Bryce. It's still a fast rubber, and even unglued it rocks. I use it on a TBS and that's not a slow blade.
But still, 3 meters behind the table I could hit some seriously fast shots with an unglued Saviga, and I didn't hit them that much harder with Bryce.
That I don't hit them harder with Bryce could also be because of my technique

_________________
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same

I think any tacky chinese rubber can be substitute of Spinart

_________________

Galaxy T4 Cpen - Friendship 802-40 soft - Galaxy Mercury II
Galaxy W6 Cpen - LKT Pro XT - LKT Pro XP
DHS Premade 6005 - Friendship 802-40 soft - Globe 999 Nat
DHS Premade 6006 - Globe 999 Nat - Palio CK531A

LOL that might be true!

I have not tried it, but I believe the sponge is quite firm but still springy... perhaps a little like 999 Nat?

_________________
OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Table Tennis Reviews / Articles | Table Guide | Robot Guide
Re-Impact Blades | Avalox Blade Overview | Table Tennis Robots
My setup: Blade: Re-Impact OOAK Dark Knight | BH: Dtecs OX red | FH: JUIC 999 Turbo 2.0mm blk
Check out my huge 'for sale' thread here | My OOAK Interview | OOAK Forum on Facebook

Speedy Spin is the Tibhar version of Sriver.

_________________



The MNNB Blog has had some pretty amazing stuff lately. Just click this text to check it out. | My OOAK Interview
Table Tennis Video Links: itTV | laola1.tv | ttbl | fftt | Challenger Series | mnnb-tv

Coach Li: Kill the game against long pimps! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAHNaiIhnWM

butterfly pecular = a plucked chicken

Rubber Identification Stamp
Ill do pix latter
BUTTERFLY - Pecular - Out

_________________
Blade Ulmo Duality| FH Xiom Sigma Euro11 Black, Globe Ma wong11 red OX
Blade |Stiga Allround| FH Tibhar Evolution EL Red | BH Tibhar Grass De-techs ox black
My Blog here
Table Tennis abbreviations, and acronyms

If we're looking at direct replacements I disagree here; RD is much harder and is tacky whereas T05 is not.

Reputedly Galaxy Moon is similar to T05, Moon pro to T05FX, Sun to T25

I think Gambler Six Shooter is similar enough to Tackiness D to be considered

_________________
Nittaku Acoustic 86g F/H PME MAX 47.5 deg + B/H Rakza7 2.0mm
Butterfly Timo Boll ALC F/H Rakza7 MAX + B/H Rakza7 SOFT 1.8mm
For nostalgia: 1977 Butterfly Kenny Style 99g : currently semi-naked
For fun: Butterfly Oh Sang Eun, F/H PME MAX 47.5deg & CK531A 1.0

My experience too, however many others have found differently... so I suspect the sheet are not very consistant, and some are much softer than others.

I guess we're just looking for options here, and whether it's a worthy replacement depends on many factors, particularly the players and their strokes.... but it's a good starting point


Added, cheers!

_________________
OOAK Table Tennis Shop | Table Tennis Reviews / Articles | Table Guide | Robot Guide
Re-Impact Blades | Avalox Blade Overview | Table Tennis Robots
My setup: Blade: Re-Impact OOAK Dark Knight | BH: Dtecs OX red | FH: JUIC 999 Turbo 2.0mm blk
Check out my huge 'for sale' thread here | My OOAK Interview | OOAK Forum on Facebook