Darker Blades
OOAK shop is the official Darker Distributor for Australia, and now offer almost the full range of the exotic Darker blades!
If you’ve not heard of Darker before, they are a Specialist Blade manufacturer based in Japan, and their craftmen produce premium quality Kiso Hinoki blades, including several single-ply blades.
About Darker
Darker is a Japanese table tennis blade manufacturer that was established in 1955 by Mr. Shutarou Okada. They have always specialised in premium quality Kiso Hinoki blades.
The craftsmanship of their blades is second to none, and they are well known to use only the highest quality of Kiso Hinoki for their blades. Their blades are not mass produced like most other manufacturers, but are made one by one so they they can be given the required attention to detail.
From their decades of experience, they know what players need out of a blade, and using the highest quality materials results in some of the best blades on the market!
The Kiso Hinoki trees that are suitable for making blades, are often many hundreds years old. The distinct lines on the blades face represent a years, due the different growth rates between summer and winter. There are other types of Hinoki, but these feel quite different, and do not offer the same unique feeling and performance. Darker is well known and highly regarded for having stock of the highest quality of Kiso Hinoki wood, and combined with the decades of blade making experience, makes their blades are so special.
Darker Speed Series:
This is their original series that made them famous, consisting of a range of single ply Kiso Hinoki blades, with mostly Japanese pengrip handles.
Darker Hinoki 2-A Series
A 5 or 7 ply series with mostly Kiso Hinoki inner and/or outer plies. The 7P stands for 7-ply and the 5P stands for 5ply.
Darker Point Carbon Series:
A new series for Darker, with the ‘Point Carbon’ system, which is a unique internal carbon fibre system within the handle, which it is it’s special feel. There are no carbon layers within the actual blade.
Darker Shakehand Racket Series:
As their Penhold series of blades became very popular, Darker decided to some shakehand blades as well. Most blades are available in both Flared and Straight.
Darker Aquablade Series:
The latest series from Darker, consisting of 7 ply Jpen and Cpen blades, the most unique one shown below as a special reversale Jpen blade.
Author: haggisv
Hi,
Where can i buy them in India?
Darker discontinued the Darker Speed 90 in shakehand several years ago, due to the severe shortage in Kiso Hinoki.
However OOAK Table Tennis Shop still has some of these in stock, probably the last batch they’ll ever get. You can see it here:
http://tabletennisshop.com.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=54&products_id=866
It’s gone up in price a lot since the Kiso Hinoki shortage.
hi,
Do you carry the darker 90 cpen blade?
I’m afraid Darker has discontinued the Speed 90 in both shakehand and cpen.