Weight
91g
Thickness
7.1mm
Plies
5-ply
Head Size
158x152
Handles
FL
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Balanced
Sardius
Butterfly Sardius is a legendary offensive table tennis blade built for players who dominate through sheer speed and power. Its construction combines Japanese Cypress outer plies with Tamca 5000 carbon layers, creating a hard, stiff feel perfect for devastating smashes and rapid counter-attacks. This blade excels in close-to-the-table play, delivering a direct and powerful game. While its offensive capabilities are exceptional, its low dwell time and stiff nature can challenge players focused on spin and touch. A top-selling carbon blade for decades, the Sardius maintains a strong following among hard hitters and power attackers seeking an unreturnable shot.
Sardius features a 5-ply construction with a 3-ply wood core. The layers are arranged with Japanese Cypress (Hinoki) outer plies, Tamca 5000 carbon fiber, a Kiri wood core, another layer of Tamca 5000 carbon, and a final Hinoki outer ply. This specific sandwich contributes to its exceptional stiffness, speed, and direct feel.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Sardius is widely recognized as one of Butterfly's fastest blades, earning its OFF+ classification. The Tamca 5000 carbon layers are the primary driver of its immense speed, enabling explosive smashes and quick counter-attacks. This high speed makes it perfect for players who prefer to play close to the table and finish points with rapid, powerful shots.
While exceptionally fast, Sardius offers moderate control. Its stiffness and low dwell time can challenge players attempting precise shots, especially those who rely heavily on spin. Advanced players with solid technique can manage its control, often by pairing it with softer rubbers to add a touch of forgiveness and feel.
Sardius delivers a very hard and stiff feel due to its carbon layers and Hinoki outer plies. This results in minimal vibration and feedback, which power players appreciate for its direct response, though it may feel too solid or 'dead' for players who prefer more ball dwell and tactile sensation.
Due to its stiffness and speed, Sardius tends to produce a medium-high throw angle, especially on powerful shots. This means the ball travels with a significant upward trajectory after impact, which can be advantageous for powerful drives and smashes over the net.
The combination of hard carbon layers and stiff Hinoki outer plies significantly reduces dwell time. This characteristic favors players who hit through the ball with speed rather than brushing it for spin, making it less ideal for heavy, spin-oriented looping.
This is a very stiff blade, contributing directly to its high speed and direct feel. The lack of flexibility means it doesn't bend much on impact, making it less forgiving for off-center hits and less suited for players who rely on blade flex for spin generation.
Sardius is designed to be very stiff and direct, minimizing vibration feedback to the hand. This contributes to its fast playing characteristics and a solid, crisp feel on impact, which many aggressive players prefer for close-to-the-table play.
Butterfly is renowned for high-quality craftsmanship, and the Sardius upholds that reputation. It's consistently praised for its durable construction and premium materials, contributing to its status as a legendary, high-performance blade that has remained popular for decades.
Technology
Butterfly Sardius utilizes Tamca 5000 carbon fiber, a material renowned for high performance in speed and stiffness, integrated into a 3-ply wood construction. This technology creates a blade that is exceptionally fast and direct, maximizing power transfer for devastating smashes and counter-attacks. The combination of Japanese Cypress (Hinoki) outer plies with the Tamca 5000 carbon layers produces a unique playing experience focused purely on offensive dominance and reaction speed.
Similar Blades
Butterfly Primorac Carbon
Butterfly Primorac Carbon is a very similar alternative to the Sardius, sharing the same 3-ply wood and 2 Tamca 5000 carbon fiber construction. The key difference is the core wood, which is Kiri instead of Hinoki. This makes the Primorac Carbon slightly slower and offers a bit more feel and dwell time compared to the Sardius, while still maintaining high speed and stiffness for offensive play.
Butterfly Mizutani Jun ZLC
Butterfly Mizutani Jun ZLC is considered a superior alternative for players seeking high speed with better feeling and more modern appeal. While it offers comparable speed, its ZLC fiber construction provides a different, often more responsive feel and potentially more dwell time, making it more suitable for modern looping play. However, it comes at a significantly higher price point.