Darker Hinoki 7P-2A.7t

Customer Reviews

All reviews listed are from verified customers who have purchased this product.

04/01/2024 Aother Excellent Blade from Darker Review by Grant Rodgers

Quality

I will start off this review by saying that I like the Darker range of blades and I own a few of them.
I bought this blade with the idea that it may be similar to the Darker Imperial Hinoki 2020 blade but at less than half the cost.
So I ordered it with almost the identical rubber that I have on my Imperial blade so that I could make a direct comparison.
It turns out that the two blades are not similar at all. They have a completely different feel.
The 7p-2a.7t is an excellent blade to be sure, but to me, it has a more conventional feel, similar to other offensive blades, whereas the Imperial blade has a more interactive feel,
especially in slower touch play. The two are not the same. I agree with another reviewer here who commented that the 7p-2a.7t has a slightly lower trajectory than what might be expected.
So if you are thinking that you can purchase the 7p-2a.7t and get the identical result as the Imperial 2020, don't do it. You won't.
I want to comment on the handle shape and size of Darker blades in general. I have read some criticism of the handle being too small. I couldn't disagree with this criticism more.
I use a straight handle and that is one thing I really like on Darker blades.
The handles are not too big in girth and that ensures that it is easy for me to make micro-adjustments to my grip during play which is one thing I look for in a handle.
Probably my most favourite handle shape was the earliest Butterfly Klampar blades that had an ovalized cross-sectional shape to the handle back in the early 70's but they were discontinued long ago and I have never seen them since.
The cross-sectional shape of Darker blades is not nearly as ovalized, nevertheless, I still find them comfortable and not too thick.
I can recommend this blade as a product that may work very well for you but just keep in mind that it does not play the same as the Imperial 2020. Well done Darker!

20/03/2023 25% quicker than 7p Review by John PAYNE

Quality

This pure hinoki wood 7 ply blade is thicker than the 7p so the handle is much more comfortable. It is more stiff than 7p and 25% faster but still with very good feel. Used in combination with Tibhar K3 and MX-P it has more than enough gears without loss of control.

07/12/2022 Best handle of the 2a range Review by John PAYNE

Quality

Darker blades are superior quality to all other manufacturers for same price. Hinoki wood is great for soft touch play and hard enough for power play away from the table. Having used all the whole range 5p, 7p and the 7p t. This blade is the fastest being 15 % faster than the 7p and 30% faster than 2a. I have used MX-P and K3 with this blade and both perform very well. This means harder or medium hard rubbers are best suited to this blade. For pimple rubber I use the the 2a. A big plus is 7t is a bigger handle which is much more comfortable, this is due to the thicker middle ply (7.0). Small handles is the only weakness in the Darker range. Replacing handles is an arduous task and Darker lose their branding. Looking forward to it coming back in stock.

16/11/2022 Very good wood Review by Francois Desmoulins

Quality

I never liked carbon wood, this wood is very good and very speedy. Maybe even a bit too much for me.

27/07/2022 Excellent blade Review by gary fagan

Quality

Well-finished and balanced blade with a large sweet spot.

01/06/2021 Good Blade Review by Harrison Sartori

Quality

Great feel and the handle is extremely comfortable (sh st)
The wood also smells great!
But, the wood is quite soft and dents easily (cosmetic only)

08/03/2021 Good value. Great performance. Review by Felix

Quality

Compared to my current two hinoki solid wood blades.
I paired it with Tibhar MX-P max on both sides. The blade shows good workmanship. It has a lower trajectory compared to my two solid Hinoki blades. Good control and feedback. It's good value and an all-rounder blade.

12/08/2020 Beautiful blade, very nicely finished, slightly rounded edges. Review by Frank Dreist

Quality

Beautiful blade, very nicely finished, slightly rounded edges.
Speed probably just little less than Stiga Clipper but has more gears, means low gears are slower and with loads of feel and when hitting full face strong acceleration. Spin is excellent as well. I play Short pips on FH, my favourite ones are Stiga Clippa which are hard to find. Backhand Stiga Genesis M, which fits perfect for this blade in my opinion. The short pips work also quite well, not as well as on the Clipper though. Nice straight handle.
Feel is definitely more than a Clipper, it has fine touch. Excellent service from tabletennis11.com

27/02/2020 Soft feeling Review by W830

Quality

Lightweight & good control.

13/02/2019 Beautiful blade with amazing control Review by rich c

Quality

The build quality is excellent with good speed and amazing control.

24/12/2018 Simply amazing Review by Alexander Krivoruk

Quality

This wood is amazing. It is surprisingly light, the bounce is quite fast with a lot of control still. Very good for attacking players who still want their control. The only downside so far is a very distinct sweet spot as I have seen mentioned before.

09/11/2018 Perfect workmanship Review by Hon Kau Ip

Quality

This blade is the best in workmanship and selected quality wood. Speed and control are perfect.

11/08/2017 Fantastic! Review by Luca Valentino

Quality

I have used many hinoki blades. This one is awesome! Fantastic control and many gears. Good for short game as well as mid distance from the table!