Butterfly is one of the most well-known table tennis brands in the world, and the company has been around for over 70 years. To celebrate this milestone, Butterfly released a limited edition blade called the Effort and we also call it Butterfly 70th anniversary blade.
Butterfly 70th anniversary is significant not only because it is a souvenir of the company’s history, but because it also represents the company’s commitment to continue developing better products.
The Effort is made of high-quality materials and is limited to 2600 pieces, each of which is numbered. This makes it a collectible item for table tennis fans and a great addition to any Butterfly collection.
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A quick glance at Butterfly 70th anniversary blade
According to Butterfly’s official description, Butterfly 70th anniversary blade is made from rare millennium cedar wood, while the surface is made from Kiso cypress, a type of wood that is prized for its strength and durability.
In addition, the paddle is matched with ALC, a special material that is favored by top players who are striving to reach the pinnacle of their sport.
These features come together to create a racket that perfectly reflects the company’s commitment to craftsmanship and technology. With this new blade, Butterfly Company is sure to continue its tradition of excellence in the world of table tennis.
By the way, it is said the distribution of the 6800 blades globally is like this:
- 2600 — Japan
- 500 — Taiwan
- 500 — Europe
- 2000 — CN (China
- 1080 — Other States
About the founder of Butterfly — Hikosuke Tamasu
As we all know this Butterfly 70th anniversary blade is not only to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the company but also to do Hikosuke Tamasu honor, the founder of Butterfly Company. Hikosuke Tamasu was born in Osaka, Japan in 1930. When he was young, he was very interested in table tennis and often played with his friends.
His skills improved quickly and soon he was one of the best players in his city. In 1950, he founded Tamasu Co. Ltd., which quickly became one of the leading table tennis companies in the world. Thanks to Tamasu’s commitment to quality, Butterfly has produced some of the finest table tennis tables and equipment for over 70 years.
He passed away in 2004 but today, the company is still run by Tamasu’s family, and his son Takeshi is the current president. Hikosuke Tamasu is a true pioneer in the world of table tennis, and his legacy continues to inspire athletes and enthusiasts all over the globe.
Playtest of Butterfly 70th Anniversary Blade
Appearance and Data
The weight of Butterfly 70th anniversary is 85 grams and the thickness is 5.78mm, both of which are relatively moderate. The appearance of Butterfly 70th anniversary blade looks quite noble and elegant. The integrated cypress wood workmanship makes the handle very comfortable to hold and has a great feeling.
But when hitting the ball, there is a feeling of stuffiness, and also a feeling of “stuffing”. The interruption of gear under small and medium forces is very obvious, and the feel of force transmission is not very good. The blade has a classic 5+2 structure. The composition of is hinoki-alc-limba-Kiri-limba-alc-hinoki, which gives it a great balance of power and control.
Speed 4.0/5.0
In the playtest, we used DHS Hurricane 3 and T05 respectively to obtain different experiences. With a small force, you can feel that the initial speed is quite faster. But under the medium force, it is easy to fall off the net. I made lots of mistakes irrational and I felt that the blade failed to wrap the ball well.
But under great force, it can be obviously felt the dominance of its speed and the arc is relatively saturated. Only with sufficient force, the advantage of speed can really be shown. When the force is 5 points, the ball may only go out with 3 points of force, and when it reaches 8 points of force, the ball will go out with 9 points.
The speed and energy of Butterfly 70th anniversary can only be experienced if you exert enough force, so it is not suitable for beginners and intermediate amateur players.
It is recommended to pair the blade with soft and non-tacky rubbers like T05 if you prefer to hit the ball with great speed as I didn´t have a quite good feeling with DHS Hurricane 3.
Spin 3.8/5.0
Cypress wood is known for its lightweight and excellent ball-holding performance, making it an ideal material for table tennis blades. But Butterfly 70th anniversary blade is not so good nor very bad. Due to its poor performance in speed under medium and small force, players usually fail to wrap the ball well with the blade, and much easier to fall off the net.
While the Butterfly 70th anniversary blade is touted as being great for ball-catching, many players find that it falls short in terms of speed and control. This can be especially difficult for female players, who may find it hard to generate the necessary force to get the blade moving.
Even experienced players can have difficulty adjusting to the blade, as it requires a significant amount of power to generate decent speed. As a result, players often find themselves making mistakes and struggling to keep the ball on the net.
In addition, under the action of high-speed forehand drive, the deformation of the frame is relatively large, which makes it difficult to recover quickly after hitting the ball, and it is easy to produce a “late issued” error.
So it’s not quite friendly for beginners.
Control 3.5/5.0
The Butterfly 70th anniversary blade has quite poor performance in controlling the ball and many times we find that the ball tends not to go where they want it to go. Even if you try to place the ball under small force, sometimes it would be longer or higher, leaving your opponents opportunities.
The blade is not so bouncy but in short games, I still find it not easy to do great drop-shots or short pushes. Only when flicking the ball under great force will the ball be under control. Another problem is that the feeling is quite hard, unlike other all wood blades which offer more feedback.
You might feel like you are playing with a dead bat sometimes. All in all, I think this blade is overhyped and overpriced for what it offers.
Defense 3.6/5.0
Only when the opponent’s ball hits with a strong impact can this racket show its excellent defensive ability. Just like what we said in the speed section, medium power is off-gear, so it is also off-gear in defense, which means that this racket can only show its excellent offensive performance and defensive performance under high power.
Another I feel disappointed with this blade is that when chopping or blocking with light force, sometimes the blade will vibrate a lot and makes noise, which can be pretty annoying during matches.
Who is it for?
Butterfly 70th anniversary blade is a great racket for players who love to collect. It has a beautiful appearance and is commemorative Butterfly’s 70th anniversary. n terms of performance, it is still worth 150 dollars. But as I said the paddle is quite overpriced now and it’s sold even 300 dollars, which is really not worth it.
In terms of its overall performance, beginners and intermediate players will find it extremely difficult to control. The racket is only suitable for high-level players with a high level of power. But even those pros may find it difficult to control the short balls with this racket.
To sum up, Butterfly 70th anniversary is still a collection with a great commemorative value but not suitable for serious playing.
Match Suggestion of Butterfly 70th anniversary
1) Advanced Version
Forehand: Joola Rhyzer 48, Butterfly D80, Gewo proton Neo 475, Tibhar Evolution MX-P
Backhand: Joola Rhyzer 43, Butterfly T80, Tibhar EL-P, Gewo proton Neo 425
2) Ordinary Version
Forehand: Gewo Proton Neo 475, Butterfly T05, Victas 15E, Xiom Omega V euro red Max
Backhand: Gewo proton Neo 450, Butterfly T64, Joola Rhyzen CMD, Donic F1
Conclusion
The Butterfly 70th anniversary blade is a beautiful and well-crafted table tennis paddle, but its performance is very average. The blade is made of high-quality materials and looks great. It is impeccable in terms of workmanship and appearance.
However, this paddle is not easy to use, and it takes some time to get used to it. Once you do, you’ll find that it’s not very powerful, and the ball can easily fall off the net. Butterfly 70th anniversary blade is also one of the few blades that feel different under different powers.
From attack to control, it is extremely difficult for beginners to control. If you’re looking for a top-performing table tennis paddle, this isn’t the one for you. However, if you’re simply looking for a good-looking paddle that performs adequately, or if you are into the collection, then Butterfly 70th anniversary blade may be a good option.
