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Please note this is meant for use as a chopper's blade.

I was struck by how beautiful the finish is. Darker's rackets really are built with care.

The feel is excellent - you get that pleasant hinoki sound and feel resonating through the blade. I'd guess that with an even softer rubber, the feel would be even better.

Even though it's a 7-ply blade, it doesn't feel especially hard, and spin is easy to generate. At the same time, smashes come out with plenty of speed, so it's easy to use no matter what style you play.

When chopping, though, it's a different story - the chops come out relatively low and slow. The spin amount falls short of thinner blades, but the stability is quite high for a standard-thickness blade.

There aren't many similar blades to compare it to, but it's like a Masamune with less spin, more stability on chops, and easier smashing. It also cuts more cleanly with long pips than the Masamune does.

Overall, I think this is a blade for choppers who play with a compact swing on both chops and attacks. The distinctive feel is sure to grow on you. Definitely worth considering.

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