Weight
82g
Plies
5-ply
Handles
FL / ST
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Balanced
Black Diamond Light (Texilium)
Gambler Black Diamond Light (Texilium) is an offensive table tennis blade built for players who want a lightweight yet powerful weapon. Its unique construction centers on a large balsa core, reinforced with Texilium/Glass weave and outer Limba plies. This hybrid design creates a lively playing surface with excellent feel and vibration dampening, ideal for active attackers and loopers. Many players find its speed exceeds typical ratings, offering a superb balance between offensive power and control, especially for those who appreciate a sensitive and responsive touch.
The blade features a symmetrical 5-ply construction. It starts with an outer Limba ply, followed by a Texilium/Glass fiber layer, a central balsa wood core, another Texilium/Glass layer, and finishes with an outer Limba ply. This design leverages the lightness and dampening of balsa, enhanced by the stiffness and speed from the composite layers, all while the Limba outer plies provide a pleasant feel and spin potential.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Gambler Black Diamond Light (Texilium) earns a high speed rating of 9.2. Players often report it feels faster than typical OFF- blades, making it ideal for aggressive, attacking play. The combination of a lightweight balsa core and stiff Texilium/Glass layers creates a fast and responsive feel that supports powerful drives and smashes.
Despite its high speed, this blade maintains very respectable control. The balsa core's natural feel and vibration dampening allow for excellent touch and precise placement, even during powerful strokes. Many players find it offers outstanding control for smashes and provides confidence for mid-distance looping.
The blade provides an excellent, sensitive feel with a very live surface, largely due to the prominent balsa core. This construction offers good vibration dampening without being overly stiff, delivering clear and responsive feedback during all phases of play, from touch shots to full-power loops.
With its offensive orientation and hybrid construction, the blade produces a medium-high throw angle. This facilitates powerful, arcing loops and drives, making it effective for players who like to generate heavy topspin from both mid-distance and close to the table.
The balsa core typically provides a medium-to-long dwell time, which is great for spin generation on serves and loops. While the Texilium/Glass layers add some stiffness, the blade still offers sufficient dwell for effective spin-oriented play, allowing players to brush the ball effectively.
This blade has low flexibility, offering a stiff and direct feel. The inclusion of Texilium/Glass composite materials contributes to this rigidity, which supports powerful, linear shots and provides a solid platform for aggressive hitting and smashing.
Vibration is well-dampened, resulting in a comfortable feel. The balsa core is naturally excellent at absorbing shock, and while the composite plies add structure, the overall construction is noted for reducing vibrations nicely, which can help minimize arm fatigue.
The quality is generally perceived as very good for its category. The combination of high-grade Limba outer plies and the Texilium/Glass weave around a balsa core suggests a well-constructed blade designed for performance. Players report a solid feeling of power and a very live surface, contributing to a satisfying and high-quality playing experience.
Technology
Gambler Black Diamond Light (Texilium) utilizes a modern hybrid construction. The core is made from balsa wood, prized for its extreme lightness and excellent vibration-dampening qualities. This core is reinforced with two layers of a Texilium/Glass fiber weave. Texilium, a synthetic fiber combined with glass, provides increased stiffness, speed, and a larger sweet spot without adding significant weight. The outer plies are crafted from high-grade Limba, a wood known for its balanced feel and excellent spin potential. This specific material synergy creates a blade that is both exceptionally lightweight and powerfully responsive, offering a distinct playing character for aggressive attackers.
Similar Blades
Donic Waldner Black Devil Carbon
The Donic Waldner Black Devil Carbon is often discussed as a comparable alternative. Both blades target offensive players seeking a lightweight yet powerful performance, and both utilize a balsa wood core. The key difference lies in the composite material: the Donic uses carbon fiber layers, while the Gambler uses Texilium/Glass. This results in a slightly different construction and feel, but they appeal to a similar audience looking for speed and control in a lighter package.