When I first started playing I used the Palio Master 2, which to my knowledge has the same rubbers as the Expert but is on a little faster blade. Honestly I'd look into a custom racket if possible! If you're U.S. based, then I'd contact Cole at colestt.

Don't know about the Stiga Evolution but have heard and seen some good reviews about the Palio Expert 2. Here is a video of the Palio Expert 2 being recommended as a very good starter bat by Qualified Coach.

Hope this helps

We get one or two of these every week...

Here's what I have to say about it in an earlier thread..

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=36627

Iskandar

Hi thank you for your response. I clicked on the link you sent me but I could not find any information regarding the Palio Expert or Stiga Evolution.

Hi thank you for your response. I clicked on the link you sent me but I could not find any information regarding the Palio Expert or Stiga Evolution.

That's because I didn't have anything to say about those two bats. I recommend this instead:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1854620589.html

Iskandar

That's because I didn't have anything to say about those two bats. I recommend this instead:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1854620589.html

Iskandar

Sorry, didn't see this.

Yes, there are fakes on AliExpress (or there used to be a LOT of fake table tennis stuff, more than there is currently) but it's much more likely to be fake Butterfly Viscaria blades, or fake Nittaku Violin blades or fake Butterfly Lezoline shoes or fake Hurricane 3 "National" rubbers, since these are expensive things. You can spot most of them easily (if that Butterfly Viscaria blade costs $25 it's assuredly fake). But who in the heck would counterfeit an $8 blade like the Sanwei M8? There's no point! Besides there are a few sellers with excellent reputation on AliExpress (it's like ebay, a platform for selling) and this is one of them. Do a search for "Eacheng" on this forum, you'll find lots of stuff.

The grey handle M8s were made and sold several years ago.. they went from red to grey to pink. The really old ones had different printing on the front of the blade. Current ones have blue handles, the very latest ones have a "40+" label under the lens. Don't believe the OFF+ by the way, even the Sanwei catalog says it's an ALL+ blade.

There's a M8 topic under "blades", incidentally.

Iskandar

A bought the Palio Expert 2 with CJ8000, it was very good for beginner. After a few months of 2x week i ordered an Stiga Allround Nostaglic with Mark V. I w
have also enjoyed that for about 12months now.
Last night i played with the Palio for the 1st time since switching. I wanted to see how it played now that i wasn't a beginner.
I really enjoyed it, playing doubles. I had great control and was crushing backhands. Much lighter than my Stiga, so I could be in position that slight bit faster. My mate said i was more accurate and played awesome shots, but I was slightly slower. I was getting a wood tap more than i usually do, so i think i backed off power because i thought i was too hyped or something.
Anyway, other clever people here have said something like "when you change blade/rubber you will probably still beat the guys/girls you used to and lose to the same as before also". That was true for me.

For the CJ8000, do you use black as FH ?