Weight
87.5g
Thickness
5.75mm
Plies
7-ply
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Balanced
Biside
Butterfly Biside is a specialized table tennis blade produced from 1997 to 2001. It features a unique 7-ply hybrid construction with Arylate (Vectran) fiber layers integrated into a wood core, designed to blend flexibility with speed. This innovative approach aimed to provide a distinctive feel, enhancing control and spin generation for players. While discontinued, the Biside is remembered as a forward-thinking blade that foreshadowed modern composite technology, making it a rare and collectible piece for enthusiasts seeking a unique playing experience.
Biside features a 5-ply wood core with two layers of Arylate (Vectran) fiber integrated. These fiber layers are placed within the construction to provide flexibility and a softer feel while maintaining speed, enhancing dwell time for spin generation.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Butterfly Biside is a fairly fast blade suitable for offensive play. While its speed progression isn't perfectly linear, it delivers enough power for effective attacking shots, especially when players leverage its excellent spin-generating capabilities to add penetration to their game.
Players report this blade is highly regarded for its control. The combination of wood and Arylate fibers creates a blade with excellent touch and precision, making it very manageable for allround play and consistent looping, even during fast exchanges.
The Arylate (Vectran) fiber layers provide a softer, more elastic feel compared to traditional carbon composites. This results in a comfortable touch with good dwell time, allowing players to feel the ball well on impact.
The combination of wood and Arylate fibers typically produces a medium to medium-high throw angle. This is beneficial for executing powerful topspin loops with a good arc and solid penetration.
The flexible nature imparted by the Arylate fibers enhances dwell time, allowing the ball to sink into the blade face. This extended contact is crucial for generating heavy spin on serves, loops, and pushes.
The inclusion of Arylate (Vectran) fibers provides significant flexibility, allowing the blade to bend well on impact. This elasticity is key to its excellent spin generation and contributes to its comfortable, responsive feel.
Blades with Arylate tend to have lower vibration compared to pure carbon blades, offering a more dampened and comfortable feel. This contributes to better control and a less jarring playing experience.
Butterfly is renowned for its high manufacturing standards. As a composite blade featuring advanced Arylate materials for its era, the Biside was built with the precision and durability expected from the brand, resulting in a well-regarded and reliable construction.
Technology
Butterfly Biside utilized an early form of composite technology by integrating Arylate (Vectran) fibers into a 5-ply wood construction. This innovative approach for its time aimed to combine the inherent control and feel of wood with the speed and elasticity of synthetic materials. Vectran fiber, known for its flexibility and vibration-dampening properties, was intended to enhance dwell time for superior spin generation and provide a more comfortable hitting sensation, setting it apart from blades that relied solely on carbon.
Similar Blades
Butterfly Keyshot
Butterfly Biside is often mentioned as a successor or close relative to the Butterfly Keyshot. Both blades feature Arylate (Vectran) fiber and were produced around the same era, suggesting similar playing characteristics with a strong focus on control and spin generation.
Butterfly Timo Spark
Butterfly Timo Spark is another blade noted for its similarity to the Biside and Keyshot. These blades represent a lineage of Butterfly models incorporating Arylate technology, offering players a comparable feel and performance profile centered on spin and allround offensive play.