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There are pictures of the Kanaph.

Beautiful looking blade Nexy, and I greatly enjoyed the story behind the name!

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(Below article is the modified version of Kanaph blade's official introduction.)

Launching Kanaph

My new blade is called Kanaph, which means “wing” in Hebrew. My journey to reaching this name also explains my vision for my company, Nexy.

In an old Chinese book, Zhuang Zhou, there is a story about a man, who always tried to remove his shadow from his body. He feared his shadow and tried to run from it, but his efforts left nothing but sweat. Zhuang Zhou saw him running everywhere in vain and advised, “Why don’t you walk in to the shade of a big tree, where you can give a rest for yourself and your shadow?”

I am not sure if others are living a similar life as I am, but my life relies on two wings. One wing is my effort. I try to be smart, creative, and always work hard to grow, but that wing cannot guarantee a long, safe journey. So, I need another wing, which is beyond my control and my will. I call that wing “grace.” Whether you are religious or not, you surely realize that life often relies on many things beyond your control. Some call this “luck.” If I had not been lucky, I would have had a much different life. I could not have made my life what it is today. I am not speaking about God. I am speaking about the wings of “grace,” a concept that can apply to everyone, regardless of religion.

People who are aware of “grace” enjoy their grace-filled moments, but there are many who are not. Those people usually live a less lucky life, or at the very least, a less happy life. As for me, I want to be the former. My life is valuable, and I am grateful for each and every moment. So, one night, I thought of that word “grace,” and I slept on it. When I awoke, I thought of rephrasing it into a new word that I could use for my business.

I discovered a touching phrase in the Bible, “In the shadow of your wings.” Little birds can stay safe and calm under their mother’s wings, and they don’t fear anything. This reminded me of the story I read in Zhuang Zhou, about a man who feared his shadow. The word “wing” in the old Hebrew Bible is “Kanaph,” which is our other wing that brings us luck through grace. Kanaph is the name of my new blade.

Before I begin to explain the blade’s features, I need to explain what led up to its development. In the Summer of 2000, the ITTF increased the ball size to 40mm. Short pips players who used to outwit their opponent by playing close-to-the table, moving quickly, and attacking the ball just-off-the-bounce were no longer able to do so effectively. The bigger ball hindered there style of play because they could not return the ball as fast as before. In Korea, we used to have many Junior and Senior short pips players, but that generation nearly became extinct after the introduction of the 40mm ball.

Nexy is based in Korea, which is close to China. I visit there quite often — at least ten times per year. This helps me acquire useful information about the Chinese table tennis market and players. Three years ago, I heard that the Chinese junior team was trying to make a big change in their playing style. They recruited many short pips players for training. I wondered if it had something to do with a new seamless poly ball they were allegedly testing and practicing. I tried to get samples for testing and could only get one ball. Immediately, I understood the difference in performance.

The movement was similar to the large 44mm ball that we use in Korea for many of the elderly players. That ball is large, so we call it “Large Ball.” The ball does not produce much spin, and players need to win points by using patient strokes. Therefore, rallies are usually longer. I made a “Large Ball” with my Nexy brand and also with Tibhar brand. I closely studied that ball for the past two years. I can see why the Chinese junior team coaches began training with short pips players. They must have concluded that the new poly ball will change the dominant style of play from the usual topspin attack to a smash or small top drives. Actually, the final ball that is now available is not much different than the original prototype. The character of the ball is somewhat similar to the Large Ball. Note: Nexy will soon launch the “Nexy Poly Ball.” I believe this will be the very best ball for the new generation. I will write more about the ball later.

I studied how the market would change, and what table tennis gear would be needed to meet those changes. I worked on three new blades: Kanaph, Chedech, and Zealot. Kanaph and Chedech will be part of Nexy’s “third wave” of blades, but Zealot will represent a different trend that I will discuss later. I am launching these new blades to help players maximize their topspin and flat-hit performance with inverted rubbers, thereby overcoming the spin-resistant properties of the poly ball.

The first of this new series of blades is Kanaph!

• Size: Kanaph is slightly larger than previous Nexy blades because I have discovered a link between the size of the blade and performance with the poly ball. A slightly larger head size results in a higher degree of accuracy. In Asia, the short pip players traditionally used Japanese Penholder blades. They preferred the roundish models, not the standard rectangle models, because they knew the rounder shape had a bigger sweet spot, which is definitely needed for flat-hit smashes. The poly ball will require better flat hits because it doesn’t allow for much spin. Players will probably rely more on smashes and small top drives, so a bigger sweet spot will be more effective in the new poly ball era.

For several months, I had the opportunity to conduct continuous blade testing with Joo Se Huyk, when he considered moving to Tibhar from Butterfly. We had many discussions about blade sizes. I also had similar discussions with several other Korean professional defensive players. They all agreed about one thing — they wanted a larger size blade to help increase accuracy during their rallies. That is also one of the key features needed when playing with the poly ball. Therefore, my three new blades will have a larger head size than before.

• Thickness: Calix is only 4.8 ~ 4.9mm thick, but is still an attractive attacking blade. I designed Calix that way because I wanted players to have a flexible feeling when using it to attack. A thin blade gives better accuracy because you can feel the ball more, but at the same time the blade has to feel solid. When the ball goes deep into the sponge and contacts the surface wood it’s important that the blade can solidly withstand the impact — not feel shallow and weak. Therefore, I tried to design a thin blade with a deep feeling. That study gave me the inspiration for my next three blades. Kanaph is thin, but feels deep, which allows a player to feel the ball as it sinks deep. He or she will have the ability to control the ball with a great deal of accuracy and power.

• Third Wave: Nexy’s third wave focuses on the contrast between the surface wood and the center core. The surface wood is a raw material, but the center wood is a burnt one. The burnt center allows a thinner composition to maintain the power and speed of a thicker blade and gives lighter feeling during strokes. The surface wood is natural because I want to make use of the unique properties of 100% Kiso Hinoki. Kanaph is pure Hinoki on the outside, burnt wood on the inside, and a thin layer of a special high quality carbon in between.

• Kiso Hinoki Surface: This wood ply is widely used by experienced players in Japan and Korea, but not so much in other parts of the world. I cannot state that Hinoki is better that other woods as a top ply, but I can confidently tell you that Hinoki has it’s own character. Some among you will surely be enchanted. This wood is soft and delicate and has a sticky feeling when used for spinning the ball with top or chop. Hinoki requires a different angle for blocking, but once you get accustomed to it, you can accurately control the ball and return it wherever you want — even short drop shots that land just over the net.

I am very excited about our new blade, Kanaph, and I sincerely hope you will feel the same after using it. Thank you for reading about my journey, which led to creating and naming my new blade.

Launching Actium - a new weapon for the modern defender.


Nexy poured many years into the development of this new defensive blade.

Seven years ago I met Joo Sae Huyk, the number one defensive player in the world. He was seriously considering moving from Butterfly to Tibhar and wanted to test their rubbers and blades. After trying Grass DtecS long pips rubber on his backhand side, Joo was satisfied, but finding him the right blade was not as easy.

I carefully studied all the available defensive blades and concluded that we needed to design a new one for Joo. For more than a year I helped Tibhar produce special samples for Joo. In the end, he decided he was unable to make the switch to Tibhar, but not because he was dissatisfied with the Tibhar rubbers and blades. At that time, Butterfly sponsored his club, and he was under a lot of pressure from his head coach to remain a Butterfly sponsored player.

During that testing period, I designed many blades with Joo. I also contacted other defensive players and gathered data to help me determine exactly what properties were needed to create the ultimate defensive weapon.


Here is a summary of my findings:

(1) Long Trajectory: Most European blade designers presume that defensive blades should focus more on the control than the power. They do not take into account that defensive players usually play away from the table and need to make long-distance chops and drives. Therefore, I chose to focus on the power of the blade.


(2) Powerful Attacking Ability: Overall, designers of defensive blades tend to focus more on the defending ability than attacking ability. Modern defenders need control for accurate placement when defending, but they also need to loop-drive and smash winners when attacking. It is easy to find a slow blade that has good control, but what a defender really needs is control for defending and power for attacking from a distance.


(3) Dual Speed System: I coined this phrase “Dual Speed System,” which players sometimes refer to as “gears.” I began developing this system with Nexy’s second wave. In general, it means that a blade has two speeds built into it — one for control in the short game and one for power when attacking away from the table. Nexy attained this dual speed feature by uniquely designing the blade’s composition. The surface works as a face, vibrating as a whole, and the second ply works as a powerful anchor to support the point of impact.


Nexy combined these factors to produce the Actium blade. It uses number (1) for the whole blade’s character, and uses a combination of number (2) and number (3) for each side. The forehand side has excellent power, and the backhand side has dual speed, so you can utilize these two distinct features as needed to win points. Actium has a different top ply for the forehand and backhand side, which makes it a “combination blade.” I use Akazie for the forehand, which is Joo Sae Huyk’s preferred blade surface wood, and White Ash for the backhand, which has a proven dual speed character found in Lissom, a Nexy second wave blade. After testing more than a dozen compositions, I concluded that a nine-ply combination delivers the most power and largest sweet spot for a defensive blade. Therefore, Actium has nine-plies; yet, it is thin and powerful.



The name Actium is symbolic.
In 31 BC, at the battle of Actium, Octavian defeated Antonius (Marc Anthony), who had abandoned the Roman Empire because of his obsessive, crazy love for Cleopatra. He sacrificed everything for her! In that same way, players are seduced to flirt with a defensive playing style. They find the beauty of the strokes irresistible. Many cannot help falling in love with the grace and elegance of chopping away from the table.

But as an experienced attacker begins to re-train as a defender, he/she quickly realize the negative effect is has on the offensive game. Little by little, the offensive skills that a player once worked so hard to achieve begin to fade away! Generating topspin requires forward motion, while chopping away-from-the-table often requires backward motion in order to keep the blade impact free of the body. Defenders need to have excellent footwork and quickly move side-to-side, forward, and backward. Attackers rarely move backward. So, the movement, as a defender, will often be the opposite of an attacker. A player who switches styles and becomes a defender often loses the ability to attack along the way. And, it is not so easy to switch back to being an attacker. I know this from personal experience after training as a defender for more than a year and a half.

Therefore, becoming a defender means that you risk losing or changing all that you had previously worked so hard to accomplish. Nevertheless, the defensive style is tempting, and many cannot resist the seductive beauty of their newfound passion, even at great cost!


Sometimes this happens to us when we fall in love with someone we can never have in the end. We risk being hurt, gaining nothing, and losing everything just as Antonius did. Still, the love we feel is so strong that we gladly throw it all away for the small chance of being with that special someone. Many people fantasize of such a love, and maybe it’s our nature to be tempted by the danger and beauty that is so difficult to obtain!


To be a defensive player you acknowledge that you are falling into the crazy kind of love that Antonius had for Cleopatra, but at least you will have a good companion to walk with you — that companion is ACTIUM.
Maybe we can be a little crazy in love and still win in life and in table tennis! ACTIUM is an attractive blade that invites players to taste this bitter, but sweet love. Do you dare to taste it?

Nice looking blade nexy! Great to see another defensive blade, especially being a combination blade!
So this will be sold under the Tibhar brand only, or also the Nexy brand?

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Setup1: Re-Impact Smart, Viper OX, Victas VS 401 Setup2: Re-Impact Barath, Dtecs OX, TSP Triple Spin Chop 1.0mm Setup3: Re-Impact Dark Knight, Hellfire OX, 999 Turbo
Recent Articles: Butterfly Tenergy Alternatives | Tenergy Rubbers Compared | Re-Impact User Guide

It's Tibhar brand, but you can buy it in nexy.com web site.

Is this faster than the JSH blade? (Just FYI it seems Joo finally migrated to his own Butterfly model after so many years with out of production diode).

Holy crap it's 9 differing layers:

Sorry, you were not correct about it.
It's 9 ply, but the structure of both sides are the same except for the surface wood.
You were right on the upper side from the center.
And the back hand side is also the same, except for different surface wood.

Actually, if two sides are too much different, then the blade can not hold up the plies in the long run.
Usually, it happens to split in the middle or easily cracked.
Therefore, it needs to be carefully tested with time.

Aktium will have no problem.

I, Tommy Zai, EJ Madman, hereby challenge the creative, innovative table tennis company Nexy to design and produce the fastest blade in the world. I make this challenge to Nexy for two reasons:

1. There are players like myself, who want to play with the FASTEST, not one of the fastest blades. And, many of the speedy blades we adored are long gone, replaced by flexy weaklings!
2. I truly believe Nexy can meet this challenge!

fast1
fast/

superlative adjective: fastest
1.
moving or capable of moving at high speed.
"a fast and powerful car"
synonyms: speedy, quick, swift, rapid; fast-moving, fast-paced, high-speed, turbo, sporty; accelerated, express, blistering, breakneck, pell-mell; hasty, hurried; informalnippy, zippy, blinding, supersonic; literaryfleet

Note: I would love to see Nexy develop a blade that would end my endless search for speed. I am tired of overpaying for discontinued blades, i.e., Sardius, Schlager Carbon, etc. And, I am not alone. Many players like myself feel the need for speed and believe control is for the faint of heart!

NO BALSA!!!
NO ONE-PLY!!!
NO ILLEGAL BLADES!!!

I really think Nexy can design and put into production something lightning fast that has five or seven plies, two being carbon or similar. I'd like to see something like the discontinued Schlager Carbon, but even faster!!

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I am Tommy Zai
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Hello, Tommy,

This topic is very interesting one for me, as a NEXY designer.
When I started NEXY brand, I focused on what other brands are missing.
And Speed was one of the factor.
I designed DEXTER, and I wanted to make it the fastest 5 ply blade, still generating good spin, and with good balance on the whole.
But from that moment, NEXY became little more oriented to the uniqueness of it's own character.

Speed is one factor every one knows important for a blade.
SO, STRANGELY ENOUGH, Nexy bacame less interested in physical speed of a blade.
Rather Nexy tried to find the maximum effective compromise among speed, spin and control.

However, Tommy's suggestion trigerred me an idea that NEXY can challenge to produce a very fast blade.
I assume that Tommy did not push me to make stupid fast blade, without good control and spin.
I think what people want here is to meet a fast, but still attractive one, with good spin and control, as well as feeling.

Challenge was accepted.
The basic concept of the blade will be simple.
But production period will take some time for samples.

I will write more about what I will do later on.

Fantastic. If any blade developer can meet this challenge, NEXY can!!
You are correct, I'm not talking about an unplayable blade, but one that has uncompromising speed. Speed would be primary, and control and spin, although good, would be secondary. I can't wait to see what Nexy designs, and what in the world will it be called?

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I am Tommy Zai
[email protected]

This is pretty easy. Up to 15% non-wood is permissible so 15% hard composite (it really don't matter which) is a given. Thickness is unlimited and by far most efficient way of increasing speed relative to weight, so thickest possible of lightest wood with total weight still within reason. Composite layer on the outside to limit surface softness of wood.

Balsa is the lightest, but kiri isn't too much heavier. Balsa or not would make little difference since with such a thick composite outer it won't have any effect.

What you'll end up with is something close to the Yinhe T series but with no outer wood layer, thicker composite layer (~0.75mm) and thick inner layer (~10mm).

To make it a legal blade, why not a thin, very hard wood outer layer with the composite as second layer?
Maybe ebony or madrona in 1/100" top layer over the composite.

I'm excited to see what Nexy comes up with. Hopefully, it's a blade that's between 6 to 7mm. I really like the way Nexy Hannibal feels in the hand, but wish it were an OFF++ blade. Go Nexy!

_________________
I am Tommy Zai
[email protected]

Tommy clearly feels Oscar blade isn't fast enough, balls leave that thing pretty darned fast.

Haha, Tommy successfully got Nexy to make a new blade, gotta watch this one brewing.

Pr Moon, if you ever decide to field a few Actiums to test, this forum has a strong Natl Div 1 level player who plays modern defense style: Bogeyhunter

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