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 Post subject: Darker 5p-2a versus?
PostPosted: 24 Mar 2013, 14:11 
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Hi there,

Anyone out there playing with this blade?
I'm a solid 1800 player and have been playing with this blade for 2 years now. I also have been playing with Stiga rubbers for a long time - now with Calibra Spin on both sides.

i recently tried out a different setup - Tenergy 05 and Timo boll ALC...
It seemed comfortable and I might try out Tenergy for a while. (2 years ago I couldn't hit with it at all) but I'm not so quick to change my entire setup that I'm used to so much..

I'm curious to hear from people that have used the Darker 5P-2a and switched..and why..

Thanks!
Eitan


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 Post subject: Re: Darker 5p-2a versus?
PostPosted: 24 Mar 2013, 19:28 
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I played it for a month and was impressed by the power and spin with inverted rubbers. I gave up the 5p-2a because I found it difficult to handle LP-out on this blade. I also played the Point Carbon Legato, a superb all-blade, and the 7p-2a.df, a real spin machine. At the moment I am testing the 7p-2a. From my feeling it is not faster than the 5p-2a but shows more dwell and has a softer touch. The 5p-2a seems to be better for smashes. However the most "spinny" is the 7p-2a.df.


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 Post subject: Re: Darker 5p-2a versus?
PostPosted: 22 Feb 2021, 20:32 
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Blade: Darker 5p-2a
FH: DHS Hurricane 3 prov OS
BH: Nittaku Fastarc G-1
I know that this thread is very, very old, but still is there someone who currently plays with the 5P-2A? It is my main blade (I own two) and I would like to share some experience with it with other people. For some reason it seems to be the least loved blade in the Darker 2A-series. At least this is how I interpret the lack of reviews and threads compared to the 7t and Speed90. Why is this so? On the other hand some tt-onlineshops list it as a bestseller. So this is a call to all 5P-2A users. Why do you like this blade? Which rubbers do you play with it? What is your experience with it?


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 Post subject: Re: Darker 5p-2a versus?
PostPosted: 22 Feb 2021, 20:50 
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I have a 7p-2a and I don't still play with it, does that count? :lol:

Anyhow, Darker blades are really nice, if expensive. I've gone the other direction and play with a Sanwei M8. The 7p-2a struck me as being very light and relatively slow for a 7 ply blade - I've been saying I should give it another shot for a while now, just never got around to doing it.

Iskandar


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 Post subject: Re: Darker 5p-2a versus?
PostPosted: 22 Feb 2021, 21:56 
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Blade: Darker 5p-2a
FH: DHS Hurricane 3 prov OS
BH: Nittaku Fastarc G-1
iskandar taib wrote:
I have a 7p-2a and I don't still play with it, does that count? :lol:

Anyhow, Darker blades are really nice, if expensive. I've gone the other direction and play with a Sanwei M8. The 7p-2a struck me as being very light and relatively slow for a 7 ply blade - I've been saying I should give it another shot for a while now, just never got around to doing it.

Iskandar


Haha! :rofl: Alright, I'll make an exception here. :) Yes, you are right, most Darker blades are actually quite expensive, but the 5P-2A is not. I bought both for 75Euros each, so that's ok, I think. I haven't played with any of the other of the 2A-series, but from what I have read the 7P-2A is quite different, slower and softer than the 5P. It's also an all-Hinoki blade whereas the 5P is not. My two 5Ps have a normal weight (84 and 85gramms).

Darker is still a somehow mysterious company, no webside, catalogues only in Japanese, other merchandise only accessible in Japan. The latest catalogue I have found online is one from 2017. Is there a new one? I don't even know if they have discontinued the 2A-series (or some of the blades in this series) already.


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 Post subject: Re: Darker 5p-2a versus?
PostPosted: 23 Feb 2021, 07:02 
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75 Euro is actually quite expensive for a blade, though Butterfly blades (especially arylate or carbon ones) do cost more. You could get something like a Stiga Allround Classic for about EUR25-30 I believe. And my M8s cost USD8 each (including shipping). I noticed when I was buying my blade that the 5p-2a was actually heavier than the 7p-2a - I think mine was 74 or 75 grams. It was quite slow compared to the Yinhe N-11 I was using at the time. I'm thinking I should try it again because the M8 I use now is also slower than the N-11.

Iskandar


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 Post subject: Re: Darker 5p-2a versus?
PostPosted: 23 Feb 2021, 07:46 
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Blade: Darker 5p-2a
FH: DHS Hurricane 3 prov OS
BH: Nittaku Fastarc G-1
iskandar taib wrote:
75 Euro is actually quite expensive for a blade, though Butterfly blades (especially arylate or carbon ones) do cost more. You could get something like a Stiga Allround Classic for about EUR25-30 I believe. And my M8s cost USD8 each (including shipping). I noticed when I was buying my blade that the 5p-2a was actually heavier than the 7p-2a - I think mine was 74 or 75 grams. It was quite slow compared to the Yinhe N-11 I was using at the time. I'm thinking I should try it again because the M8 I use now is also slower than the N-11.

Iskandar


Sure, it's not the cheapest blade. But I was comparing it to the other blades in the 2A-series which are way above 100 Euros, at least when you buy from European sellers. Highend Butterfly and Stiga blades also cost much more. I know that Yinhe and Sanwei offer cheaper options in good quality, but I have never tried one of those.

74/75gr ist very light for a 5P-2A, mine are 10gr heavier and not slow at all. I couldn't play with such light blades, I think. I need some oomph. :) My Korbel is 90gr and my Clipper Wood 97gr. The Clipper is definitely a tad too heavy, but still works for me.

Why did you stop playing with the Darker blade?


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 Post subject: Re: Darker 5p-2a versus?
PostPosted: 04 May 2021, 00:34 
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Actually, my 74 or 75 gram blade was a 7p-2a, so it seems it is lighter than at your 5p-2a. Why did I quit playing with it? To be honest - it was during a time when I was trying out different blades. I tried a Yinhe Kiso 7, it felt really good but was about 5 grams heavier than my N-11 blades, though about the same speed and more or less the same feeling. It had just a little bit more vibration. So I thought I'd see what some moderately expensive blades were like - I bought my own Kiso 7 (had to special order it and had to wait a few months, they're actually in stock now, or at least they were last time I checked AliExpress), and also tried a Septear and the 7p-2a. Both the Septear and 7p-2a turned out to be slower than the N-11, and the Kiso 7 was heavier, so I eventually gravitated back to the N-11. I have a ton of other blades (cheaper ones) from that time period, too, they all sit in a tote bag doing nothing. I've now switched to the M8, that's all I've been using (several of them, actually) the last couple years or so.

Iskandar


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 Post subject: Re: Darker 5p-2a versus?
PostPosted: 16 Aug 2021, 14:41 
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Blade: Darker 5P-2A
FH: Rakza 7
BH: Joola Rhyzm - P
Wow! Nice to see a 2021 post for this blade.
I currently have 2 Darker 5P-2A blades.
I noticed the material of the handle is very different between the two. One came with dark wooden handle. The 2nd came with blonde/natural wood color. Maybe due to different stock. They have same playing characteristics.

I came from Stiga Offensive Classic WRB to Donic Power Allround blade to 5P-2A. I then switched from 5P-2A to Stiga Allround Nostalgic.

You may find some posts by Nexy in his diary post around similar properties of Wenge and Hinoki. Look for reviews on CHEDECH (In order to welcome the “poly ball age,” NEXY is now proudly introducing a unique surface wood, which has a similar feeling as Hinoki, but slightly different...)

The price was and is still high for Chedech and Paddle Palace had a combo special on the Stiga Nostalgic, so I went that route. (Rubber: G1 and Bluestorm Z3)

The Stiga Allround Nostalgic is slower than the 5P-2A. I thought since Stiga mentioned it would be faster than the original Stiga Allround, the Nostalgic would play more like Off- or Off. (Stiga Excerpt: "Thanks to the hard, yet elastic dimensionally stability of Wenge wood, the blades gets the boost in speed which its predecessors lacked") Pretty much I thought Allround Nostalgic should now play at speeds similar to the original Stiga Offensive Classic. I was wrong. Good blade, good control. Just a bit slower than I liked. So I decided to try something faster with same characteristics. I wanted to try Stiga Offensive Classic Nostalgic, but Hinoki kept calling to me.

So I then went to Xiom Feel ZX2 (Rubber: G1 and Xiom VII Euro). Huge leap in terms of speed from the Stiga Allround Nostalgic and not too much faster then 5P-2A. I did well in tournaments and gained some points using ZX2. Although Xiom advertised it as having a natural feeling, it still felt 'carbon' like. It was more stiff than the 5P-2A, Nostalgic and Donic Power Allround. I missed the flex, longer dwell and feeling of the previous all wood blades. So my hunt continued...

I then read reviews of the Nitakku Septear, and there are lots of positive reviews so I tried that blade. (Fastarc G-1 and Rhyzm-P) Immediately I knew I could play with the blade. Just as all the reviews said it would play. Good control. Good block. Good serves. It felt I could do anything. After some time and comparison, I noticed I could not brush over the ball as easily as the 5P-2A. I discovered the Septear is a very thick blade after the fact. You will find discussion around thick vs thin blades. I now pay closer attention to blade dimensions and material vs relying on speed, spin, and control ratings.

I have come back to 5P-2A, but still interested in something new. My next choice will be something from Nexy. Nexy has done a very good and thorough job describing the process in his diary from one series to the next. Especially explaining Hinoki characteristics and alternate wood choices similar to Hinoki.

So my next blade may be the Nexy Oscar, Nexy Higgs or Nexy Zealot. I'm hesitant Oscar will be just like my Xiom. Advertised as natural feeling but end up feeling like a carbon blade. I'm still undecided. I should have decision by end of month on pay day. ;) :cash:

5P-2A # 1: (Rakza 7, Rhyzm P)
5P-2A #2: (G1, JP03)
Future Nexy Blade: (Rasanter 47, Rasanter 45) :rock:


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 Post subject: Re: Darker 5p-2a versus?
PostPosted: 15 Sep 2022, 02:16 
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Blade: GEWO Dynatec ZV
FH: Fastarc G-1
BH: Fastarc G-1
I'm a test nerd and did a 2 years break cause of covid. Started in beginning of 2022 with training again and have new motivation. Test Darker 5P for 2 months now. Think is a fast blade more like OFF. Play it with Fastarc G-1 on both sides and that fits. Very spinny and controllable. As it is faster than my favourite Gewo Dynatec ZV i'll try changing to thinner sponge thickness. Also test Xiom Solo as spinoriented blade and feel comfortable too. Will try all the blades in the next competition matches and give reviews.


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 Post subject: Re: Darker 5p-2a versus?
PostPosted: 10 Nov 2022, 14:37 
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Blade: Darker 5P-2A
FH: Rakza 7
BH: Joola Rhyzm - P
So Darker came out with some new blades in 2021.
I'm very confused.
1: Why is the "Aqua" Selas not listed in the Aqua series?
2: Aqua Selas and Classic 5 CNF are both 5 Hinoki + 2 Auroveil CNF. How exactly are they different? Is one a better quality Hinoki?
3: Why not list all the Auroveil blades under the Auroveil section?
4: What makes a 2A blade a 2A blade? Why not CNF-2A instead of Aqua Selas?
If someone knows someone at Darker, please relay my questions.

Anywho, I was curious enough to find out more about these blades and this CNF material. Stay tuned for reviews. 8)


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