Weight
92g
Thickness
7mm
Plies
5-ply
Head Size
158x152
Handles
FL
Material
Hybrid
Head Shape
Standard
Balance
Balanced
Sadius
Butterfly Sardius stands as an elite offensive blade engineered for devastating speed and power. Its 3-ply wood construction reinforced with Tamca 5000 carbon creates a remarkably stiff and fast playing surface, ideal for aggressive players who thrive on flat-hitting, smashing, and powerful counter-attacks. This blade delivers a direct, uncompromising experience where minimal dwell time demands precise technique but rewards with explosive pace for quick point-ending opportunities.
Sardius features a 5-ply construction with Japanese Cypress (Hinoki) outer layers, Tamca 5000 carbon fiber layers, and a Balsa core. This combination creates a very stiff and fast blade with a thick profile, contributing to its high speed and direct feel.
TT Sensei Ratings
✦Our expert analysis of this blade's performance characteristics
Sardius is widely regarded as one of the fastest blades ever produced, often described as having blistering pace. This high speed is a direct result of its stiff construction, featuring Tamca 5000 carbon layers and a thick profile. It's designed for players who want to end points quickly with powerful, flat shots and smashes.
While exceptionally fast, Sardius's control is a point of contention. Its extreme stiffness and low dwell time make it challenging for players who rely on touch and spin, especially in the short game and for precise looping. Advanced players with excellent technique can manage its control, but it demands significant effort to tame.
Sardius has a very hard and stiff feel due to its carbon construction and thick profile. This direct feel offers minimal vibration and feedback, providing a solid platform for hard hits but reducing sensitivity for touch shots.
Due to its stiffness and low dwell time, Sardius tends to produce a lower to medium-low throw angle. This characteristic is more suited for flat drives and smashes rather than high-arcing loops, allowing for faster, flatter trajectories.
The stiff and fast nature of Sardius results in very short dwell time. This means the ball spends minimal time on the blade, which is beneficial for explosive, flat shots but detrimental for generating heavy spin through deep ball contact.
Sardius is an extremely stiff blade. This lack of flexibility is central to its high-speed characteristics and is preferred by players who aim for powerful, direct attacks rather than flexible, spin-oriented play.
The extreme stiffness of Sardius leads to very low vibration feedback. While this contributes to its speed and direct feel, it also means players receive less information about the ball's impact, requiring a high degree of technique to control.
Sardius is consistently praised for its high build quality and durability. Manufactured in Japan with premium materials like Tamca 5000 carbon and Hinoki, it's considered a long-lasting blade that maintains its performance characteristics over time.
Technology
Butterfly Sardius utilizes Tamca 5000 carbon fiber, a high-performance material known for its exceptional stiffness and speed. This is integrated with a 3-ply wood construction, including layers of Japanese Cypress (Hinoki) and Balsa wood. This specific construction is engineered to maximize power and speed, creating a blade that offers a direct feel with minimal vibration. The thicker profile and the specific placement of the carbon layers are key to its role as one of the fastest offensive blades available.
Pro Players Using This Blade
Ernesto Ebuen
Ernesto Ebuen, a highly-rated USATT player, was known to use Sardius. As a smaller player with exceptional touch, he likely utilized the blade for its added power to complement his technique, particularly in aggressive shots.
Ludovic Lee Freithofnig
Ludovic Lee Freithofnig, another strong USATT player, switched to Sardius from a Clipper, seeking a faster blade. This indicates that players with solid technique and a desire for increased speed, even with a harder feel, would opt for Sardius. He reportedly had a custom-made version after standard sales ceased, highlighting its desirability.
Professional players in Vietnam
Sardius is noted as being extremely popular in Vietnam, with estimates suggesting a majority of professional players in the country have used it. This popularity stems from its speed and hard feel, suiting a forehand-dominant playing style prevalent in the region.
Similar Blades
Butterfly Primorac Carbon
Primorac Carbon shares a similar 3+2 ply composition with Sardius and is also known for its speed. However, it is generally considered slightly thinner and slower, offering a bit more dwell time and potentially more control while retaining significant offensive power.
Butterfly Viscaria
Viscaria is another highly popular carbon blade that offers excellent speed and power. However, Viscaria is generally perceived as having better all-around performance, including more dwell time and a more balanced feel compared to the extremely stiff Sardius, making it more suitable for a wider range of modern offensive techniques, including looping.