Weight
85g
Thickness
5.9mm
Plies
7-ply
Head Size
157x150
Handles
FL / ST
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Balanced
Flame Carbon
Nittaku Flame Carbon is an aggressive offensive blade engineered for players who prioritize speed and power. Its unique 5+2 hybrid construction combines multiple wood layers with strategically placed Kevlar and Carbon fibers, creating a blade that delivers exceptional pace and a broad sweet spot. This design facilitates explosive counter-attacks and powerful looping, making it a formidable weapon for players looking to dominate the game with sheer offensive force. While its speed is undeniable, the hard feel and direct ball feedback require a skilled player to harness its full potential.
Flame Carbon utilizes a 5+2 construction, integrating two layers of Kevlar/Carbon fibers between five wood plies. This hybrid approach is designed to enhance stiffness, enlarge the sweet spot, and increase the overall speed and power of the blade, while the wood layers aim to retain some level of feel and control.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Nittaku Flame Carbon is renowned for its exceptional speed, consistently receiving top ratings. Our testing shows it is ideal for aggressive players who rely on fast attacks, powerful drives, and quick counter-hits to dominate the game.
While its speed is a primary feature, Flame Carbon's control rating is moderate. Players often find it challenging to execute delicate shots or maintain precision during close-to-table exchanges due to its inherent speed and stiffness, suggesting it requires significant player skill and technique.
The inclusion of Kevlar/Carbon layers imparts a hard feel to the blade. This directness provides clear feedback on ball impact and contributes to its speed, though it may feel less cushioned or forgiving than softer, all-wood blades.
The combination of speed-focused materials and a stiff construction typically results in a medium-high throw angle. This characteristic is advantageous for offensive players aiming to clear the net with powerful topspin shots and drives.
Despite its hard feel and fast nature, Flame Carbon offers a medium dwell time. This allows for sufficient ball contact to generate spin on serves and loops, balancing the blade's speed with the ability to impart rotation.
Flame Carbon is considered a stiff blade, attributed to its hybrid composition with Kevlar/Carbon layers. This stiffness is crucial for its high speed and power output, meaning it has limited flexibility, which is typical for blades designed for aggressive, offensive play.
The hybrid construction results in a medium vibration level. Players can feel the ball impact, which aids in understanding the shot, but it does not suffer from excessive or uncomfortable vibration that could hinder control.
Nittaku is a highly respected brand known for its premium table tennis equipment, and the Flame Carbon reflects this quality. Reviewers and users frequently praise the blade's construction, durability, and consistent performance, indicating excellent build quality.
Technology
Nittaku Flame Carbon employs Nittaku's 'burning wood' technology, a process designed to create an enhanced sweet spot and reduce the blade's overall weight. This is complemented by the strategic integration of Kevlar/Carbon fiber layers within the wood construction. This hybrid composition aims to deliver the explosive speed and power associated with carbon blades while retaining a degree of feel and control often found in traditional wood blades.
Similar Blades
Nittaku Acoustic Carbon
Nittaku Acoustic Carbon is a comparable offensive blade featuring a similar 5-ply wood and 2-ply FE-carbon construction. While both blades leverage carbon technology for power, the Acoustic Carbon focuses on a blend of solid feel and enhanced power through its FE-carbon layers and specialized wood lamination, offering a slightly different feel and potentially more control compared to the Flame Carbon's emphasis on raw speed.
Nittaku Flyatt Carbon
Nittaku Flyatt Carbon also utilizes a 5-ply wood and 2-ply carbon structure. It is often seen as a versatile offensive blade that offers direct ball contact. Compared to the Flame Carbon's focus on extreme speed with Kevlar/Carbon, the Flyatt Carbon aims for a balance between speed and control, making it a potentially more accessible hybrid option for players transitioning to carbon-enhanced blades.