Weight
90.5g
Thickness
9mm
Plies
1-ply
Head Size
152.9x152
Handles
FL / ST
Material
AllWood
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Balanced
Tamaropa
Butterfly Tamaropa is a legendary single-ply Kiso Hinoki blade first released in 1979, celebrated for its exceptional quality and performance. Crafted from a single piece of high-grade Kiso Hinoki wood, it delivers a unique playing experience centered on raw power, impressive speed, and a distinct, direct feel. Its thick 9mm construction and premium wood contribute to a fast, powerful nature, making it a favorite for aggressive players who excel at smashing and offensive play. Despite its age, the Tamaropa remains a highly sought-after piece, especially among collectors of vintage table tennis equipment.
Tamaropa features a single-ply construction, utilizing high-quality Kiso Hinoki wood. This monolithic structure is responsible for its characteristic speed, power, and distinct flex.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
The single-ply Hinoki construction, particularly with its thick 9mm profile, provides exceptional speed. This makes it highly effective for offensive shots and powerful smashes, living up to its reputation as a fast blade.
While fast, Tamaropa's control for delicate shots like serves and pushes is considered more challenging. Its speed and power demand a high degree of player skill and precision to manage effectively in all aspects of the game.
The thick, single-ply Hinoki construction provides a relatively hard and direct feel, allowing players to feel the ball clearly on impact. This directness contributes to its powerful offensive capabilities.
The combination of speed and flexibility in the Tamaropa lends itself to a medium-high throw angle, particularly effective for driving and smashing shots.
The nature of single-ply Hinoki generally offers a good amount of dwell time due to its natural elasticity, allowing for spin generation on strokes, though its extreme speed might shorten the perceived dwell time for some players.
Kiso Hinoki wood is naturally flexible, and this is a key characteristic of the Tamaropa. This flexibility contributes to its power and ability to 'kick' the ball on powerful shots.
Single-ply Hinoki blades typically offer a medium level of vibration. This allows for a good transfer of energy to the ball while still providing a connected feel for the player.
Tamaropa is highly regarded for its construction quality, using premium Kiso Hinoki wood known for its density, grain, and resilience. However, being a single-ply Hinoki blade, it is also prone to cracking over time if not handled with care.
Technology
Butterfly Tamaropa's technology lies in its masterful use of a single piece of premium Kiso Hinoki wood. Kiso Hinoki is a highly prized Japanese wood known for its uniform grain, natural scent, high resilience, and resistance to decay, historically reserved for building shrines. This singular construction method allows for maximum energy transfer and a unique flex and feel that modern composite blades often struggle to replicate. The blade's thickness (9mm) further accentuates these properties, contributing to its significant power and speed.
Pro Players Using This Blade
Petermoo
Petermoo has been mentioned as a player who has used or been offered the Butterfly Tamaropa. As a player with an interest in vintage or specialized equipment, his potential use suggests an appreciation for the blade's unique characteristics, likely its power and distinct feel, which could complement an offensive playing style.
Similar Blades
Darker Speed 90
Darker Speed 90 is often compared to Butterfly Tamaropa as both are highly regarded single-ply Kiso Hinoki blades from a similar era. While both offer exceptional speed and power, some comparisons suggest the Tamaropa may be faster and harder, while the Darker Speed 90 might offer a slightly softer feel with excellent control. Both are considered premium, rare collector's items within the table tennis community.