Checked: 13 August 2026 · Author: Danil Glukhov, editor at Maketto
Short answer. A Butterfly blade is chosen on three things: how many wood plies it has, whether there is fibre inside — ALC or ZLC — and where that fibre sits. Viscaria carries it right under the top veneer: fast and stiff. Innerforce puts it next to the core: softer on touch. Handles come as FL, ST or AN. Rubbers are bought separately.
What a blade is, and why the racket comes in parts
A table tennis blade is the wooden paddle with the handle, no rubber on it. The sheets that generate spin are glued on separately and replaced far more often — rubber wears out in a season or two, wood lasts for years.
In Japanese shops blades and rubbers sit on different shelves. Pre-assembled bats are sold too, but anyone past the beginner stage builds their own: blade for the style, rubbers for the job.
The ITTF rules describe what the paddle may be made of, and the limits are generous:
- the racket may be any size, shape or weight, but the blade must be flat and rigid (2.4.1);
- at least 85% of the blade by thickness must be natural wood. An adhesive layer inside
may be reinforced with fibrous material — carbon fibre, glass fibre or compressed paper — but no thicker than 7.5% of total thickness or 0.35 mm, whichever is smaller (2.4.2);
- rubber including adhesive: under 2.05 mm for ordinary pimples-out, under 4.05 mm for
sandwich rubber (2.4.3);
- one side matt black, the other a bright colour clearly distinguishable from black and from
the ball (2.4.6);
- before a match you show the racket to your opponent and the umpire (2.4.8).
The ITTF publishes no list of approved blades — the 85% wood rule and the 0.35 mm fibre limit are the whole regulation. Authorisation lists exist for rubbers, and that is a separate article.
Source: ITTF Statutes 2025, section 2 "The Laws of Table Tennis", checked 2026-08-13.
Plies: how many, and what changes
A blade is glued up from veneer. Butterfly's own beginner guide names three constructions — 3, 5 and 7 plies — plus single-ply blades cut from one solid piece, which have a distinctly soft feel. The manufacturer states the rule plainly: more plies means more bounce, but also more weight.
Five plies is the baseline: moderate speed, the ball dwells on the wood, mistakes are forgiven. Seven plies is faster and stiffer, easier to flat-hit with, harder to control in the short game.
The plies are not interchangeable. The top veneer handles first contact, the middle ones set stiffness, the core sets weight and character. Two blades described as "5 plies, 6 mm" can play nothing alike, because it matters which five woods those are.
From the Japanese catalogue: Nittaku Acoustic is five plies, 5.7 mm, 88 g. VICTAS SWAT is seven plies, 6.0 mm, 85 g. Neither has fibre in it, yet the seven-ply SWAT is noticeably stiffer.
ALC, ZLC and the rest of Butterfly's alphabet
A woven fibre sheet goes between the wood plies. That is the "special material", and the letters in a model name tell you which one. Butterfly describes them like this:
| Code | What it is | What Butterfly says it does |
|---|---|---|
| ALC | Arylate-Carbon: arylate and carbon woven together | supple and manageable, adds speed to the shot |
| Super ALC | more densely woven arylate-carbon | keeps ALC's flex, higher bounce |
| ZLC | ZL-Carbon: ZL fibre with carbon | carbon's bounce plus the fibre's lightness and strength |
| Super ZLC | reinforced ZL-Carbon | higher bounce again |
| ZLF | ZL fibre on its own | high performance at low weight |
| CNF | cellulose nanofibre | high bounce with vibration kept low |
| CAF | Control Assist Fiber | holds the ball longer, built for control |
| T5000 | TAMCA5000 carbon | light, elastic, durable |
Source: butterfly.co.jp support pages, checked 2026-08-13.
A little history puts the letters in order. Butterfly's first carbon blade came out in 1978 on TAMCA5000 fibre. Arylate arrived in 1991, and arylate woven with carbon — ALC — launched in 1993 in a blade called Viscaria. Three decades later ALC is still the brand's workhorse material.
Super ALC has its own technical page: more fibre in the weave, with the arylate-to-carbon ratio tuned so flex survives. Butterfly says roughly ten years passed between prototype and release. The numbers it bought are in the table below.
Innerforce or Viscaria: where the fibre sits
The same ALC behaves differently depending on where it is placed. Butterfly splits this into two named constructions.
OuterFiber puts the fibre directly under the top veneer. The blade flexes less, the response is firm, speed is higher. Viscaria, Timo Boll ALC and the whole Outerforce series are built this way. The trade-off: the ball leaves sooner, spin is harder to impart, and beginners struggle with it.
InnerFiber moves the fibre in towards the core, leaving wood on the outside. Butterfly introduced the construction in 2009. Soft strokes feel wooden and the ball is held; hard strokes wake the fibre in the middle. It is the easiest step up from a plain five-ply blade, which is why the Innerforce line is where most upgraders land.
This is a difference of character, not of quality. Both constructions produce speed and spin; the question is what you want to feel at contact.
Blade speed, read off Butterfly's own numbers
Every model on Butterfly's Japanese site carries two figures — reaction and vibration. The manufacturer explains them directly: reaction is measured springiness, higher means more bounce; vibration is a frequency figure where a higher number means less shock reaching your hand.
Those two numbers tell you more about blade speed than labels like "OFF+" and "ALL". The official specs of the popular models:
| Model | Construction | Fibre | Thickness | Reaction | Vibration | Avg. weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viscaria | 5 wood + 2 ALC | outer | 5.8 mm | 11.8 | 10.3 | 87 g |
| Viscaria Super ALC | 5 wood + 2 Super ALC | outer | 5.7 mm | 12.1 | 10.1 | 87 g |
| Timo Boll ALC | 5 wood + 2 ALC | outer | 5.8 mm | 11.8 | 10.3 | 87 g |
| Innerforce Layer ALC | 5 wood + 2 ALC | inner | 6.0 mm | 10.7 | 9.4 | 91 g |
| Innerforce Layer ZLC | 5 wood + 2 ZLC | inner | 5.7 mm | 10.5 | 9.5 | 92 g |
Blade size on all five is 157×150 mm. Source: official product pages on butterfly.co.jp, checked 2026-08-13.
Three things jump out. Outer fibre gives a markedly higher reaction — 11.8 against 10.5–10.7. Super ALC lifted Viscaria's reaction from 11.8 to 12.1 while dropping vibration from 10.3 to 10.1, with the blade 0.1 mm thinner. And the inner-fibre models are 4–5 grams heavier.
One more comparison worth having. By Butterfly's own published specs, Viscaria and Timo Boll ALC are identical: 5+2 ALC, 5.8 mm, reaction 11.8, vibration 10.3, average weight 87 g, 157×150 mm. What differs is the handle shape and dimensions, the availability of an anatomic version on the Timo Boll, and the price — ¥19,800 against ¥22,000. Claims that "Viscaria plays differently" are not supported by the official figures.
FL, ST, AN — and the Japanese penholds
The handle does not change blade speed, but it decides how the racket feels after four hours. Butterfly offers three shakehand shapes:
| Code | Shape | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| FL (flared) | widens towards the butt, seats itself in the palm | the default worldwide and in Japan |
| ST (straight) | even width along its length | players who shift grip between strokes or twiddle |
| AN (anatomic) | waisted, follows the palm | players who find FL not snug enough |
The differences are real but measured in millimetres. Viscaria's FL is 100×25×34 mm and its ST is 100×23×28 mm. Timo Boll ALC's FL is 100×24×34 mm and its ST is 100×22×27.5 mm — slimmer. With a smaller hand, the Timo Boll straight handle will suit you better than the Viscaria straight, even though the blades themselves are the same.
Beyond shakehand there is penhold. Japanese listings add two more codes: CS for Chinese penhold — Viscaria-CS is item 24010, handle 82×22×31.5 mm, average weight 80 g — and JP for Japanese penhold, a different construction with a square head. Penhold is a living category in Japan, and the domestic choice is wider than anywhere else.
Weight and balance
Wood is not a uniform material, and two blades of the same model from the same batch rarely weigh the same. Butterfly publishes an average weight and warns that the real figure depends on humidity and temperature. A spread of 3–5 grams is ordinary, and Japanese shops are used to customers asking for a specific piece to be weighed before it ships.
What weight does in play: a heavier blade is steadier through the stroke and holds pace on topspin, a lighter one blocks quicker and tires the wrist less. As a rough guide, 85–87 g is nimble, 90–92 g is solid. The table above shows the Innerforce line at 91–92 g against Viscaria's 87 g, and you feel it immediately.
Balance is where the mass sits — towards the head or towards the handle. Manufacturers do not publish balance figures, so this comes down to feel. One thing is certain: rubbers go on the head, not the handle. The rules specifically allow the part gripped by the fingers to be left uncovered (2.4.5). Any pair of sheets therefore shifts balance forward, and a light blade with heavy rubbers ends up more head-weighted than it seemed in the shop.
What blades cost in Japan
Two prices are worth telling apart. The manufacturer's catalogue price, and what Japanese shops actually charge — it varies from shop to shop, and the lower end usually sits well below catalogue.
| Model | Catalogue price | Japanese shops |
|---|---|---|
| Butterfly Viscaria (FL) | ¥22,000 | ¥16,900 – 22,000 |
| Butterfly Viscaria Super ALC | ¥27,500 | ¥22,000 – 23,300 |
| Butterfly Viscaria-CS (Chinese penhold) | ¥22,000 | ¥17,500 – 22,000 |
| Butterfly Timo Boll ALC | ¥19,800 | ¥15,800 – 17,800 |
| Butterfly Innerforce Layer ALC | ¥16,500 | ¥13,200 – 15,800 |
| Butterfly Innerforce Layer ZLC | ¥23,650 | ¥18,500 – 21,800 |
| Butterfly Korbel (5 plies, no fibre) | ¥6,050 | ¥4,900 – 5,900 |
| VICTAS SWAT (7 plies, no fibre) | ¥7,150 | ¥5,000 – 9,700 |
| Nittaku Acoustic (5 plies, no fibre) | ¥22,000 | ¥16,800 – 18,400 |
| Nittaku Acoustic Carbon Inner | ¥24,200 | ¥16,900 – 19,400 |
Catalogue prices are from the official Butterfly, VICTAS and Nittaku sites, tax included. Shop prices are a snapshot of our own catalogue across Rakuten and Yahoo Shopping on 13 August 2026, with the single outliers trimmed off both ends — a snapshot on a date, not a quote. The spread within one model can reach a quarter of its price.
The top of the Butterfly range is the signature models: Fan Zhendong Super ZLC and CNF, Lin Yun-Ju Super ZLC, Jun Mizutani Super ZLC, all at ¥41,800 catalogue. The bottom is training blades such as the Exster5 at ¥3,850.
Beyond Butterfly
Nittaku builds around wood. The Acoustic series is made by what the company calls its stringed-instrument method. The base Acoustic is five plies, 5.7 mm, 88 g. Acoustic Carbon Inner adds two FE-carbon plies next to the core: 5.5 mm, 90 g, made in Japan.
VICTAS has the strongest workhorse line. SWAT: seven plies, 6.0 mm, 85 g, handles in FL, ST and SLIM, ¥7,150 catalogue. One of the most sensible first blades for anyone stepping up from a pre-assembled bat.
Choosing between brands follows the same order as choosing within Butterfly: decide whether you want fibre and where it should sit, then look at price.
How to choose a blade, in order
- Settle the plies. A first blade should be five wood plies with no fibre (Korbel,
Acoustic) or seven (SWAT). Cheaper, more forgiving, and it teaches touch.
- Decide whether you need fibre. You need it if you run out of speed on topspin from
distance — not because the professionals use it.
- Then decide where it sits. Inner (Innerforce) when stepping up from a five-ply blade.
Outer (Viscaria, Timo Boll ALC) when the stroke is built and you want speed.
- Compare numbers, not adjectives. Reaction and vibration from the official page beat
any seller's description.
- Pick the handle by hand. FL if unsure. ST if you twiddle. AN if FL feels loose.
- Look at weight. 85–87 g nimble, 90–92 g solid.
Ordering a Japanese blade through Maketto
Japanese retail sells these blades below their own catalogue price and stocks models that never leave the country — penhold versions and domestic brands with no export network. We buy them on Rakuten, Yahoo Shopping and Japanese auctions and ship them to you.
Our commission is 10% (minimum ¥1,000), and it covers the whole service: buying the item, receiving it at the warehouse, checking it, dealing with the seller, packing and arranging the shipment. Item price plus commission is visible before you pay. Shipping is calculated once the parcel is packed and weighed — nobody knows its weight before that. A blade is light, so it comes to little, and if you are buying rubbers too, one parcel is cheaper than two.
Browse the table tennis selection, or search by model: Butterfly Viscaria across every Japanese shop →
Torn between two blades? Send us both links and we will compare the official specs with you.
FAQ
What exactly is a Butterfly blade? The wooden paddle and handle made by Butterfly, without rubber. Rubbers are bought and glued on separately.
How does ALC differ from ZLC? Different fibres. ALC is arylate woven with carbon — more flexible and forgiving. ZLC is ZL fibre with carbon — lighter and springier. By Butterfly's figures, Innerforce Layer ALC rates 10.7 for reaction and Innerforce Layer ZLC 10.5, with the ZLC blade 0.3 mm thinner.
Viscaria or Innerforce? Viscaria if your stroke is built and you want speed: outer fibre, reaction 11.8. Innerforce if you are moving up from a plain five-ply blade and want to feel the ball: inner fibre, reaction 10.5–10.7.
Is Timo Boll ALC really the same as Viscaria? By Butterfly's published specs, yes — construction, thickness, reaction, vibration and average weight all match. The handle, the AN option and the price differ.
Does the blade come with rubbers? No. Rubbers are a separate purchase, covered in their own article. Japanese listings sometimes offer shop assembly as an add-on, stated in the item description.
Can I choose the exact weight? Butterfly quotes an average — 87 g for Viscaria, 91 g for Innerforce Layer ALC — and notes the real weight moves with humidity and temperature. A few grams either way is normal; if weight matters to you, tell us before we buy.
Are there rules limiting the blade itself? One that matters: at least 85% of the thickness must be natural wood, and the reinforcing fibre inside must be no thicker than 0.35 mm or 7.5% of total thickness, whichever is smaller. Production blades from Butterfly, VICTAS and Nittaku stay inside that.
Key takeaways
- The blade is bought separately from the rubbers. Wood lasts years, rubber a season or two.
- Blade speed is readable from Butterfly's own numbers: reaction 11.8–12.1 for outer fibre
(Viscaria, Timo Boll ALC) against 10.5–10.7 for inner fibre (Innerforce).
- Where the fibre sits matters more than which fibre it is. Outer for speed and a firm
response, inner to keep the ball on the wood. Butterfly introduced InnerFiber in 2009.
- Viscaria and Timo Boll ALC are identical on paper — 5+2 ALC, 5.8 mm, 87 g, reaction 11.8.
The handle and ¥2,200 are the difference.
- The same model costs differently across Japanese shops — Viscaria starts around ¥16,900
against ¥22,000 catalogue (13 August 2026), so it pays to compare a few listings.
Sources
- ITTF Statutes 2025, section 2 "The Laws of Table Tennis", 2.4.1–2.4.8 (85% wood, 0.35 mm
fibre limit, rubber thickness, side colours): https://documents.ittf.sport/sites/default/files/public/2025-02/2025_ITTF_Statutes_clean_version.pdf — checked 2026-08-13.
- Butterfly Japan — blade catalogue with official prices:
https://www.butterfly.co.jp/products/blade/ — checked 2026-08-13.
- Butterfly Japan — product pages (construction, thickness, reaction, vibration, average
weight, handle dimensions): Viscaria https://www.butterfly.co.jp/products/detail/30041.html, Viscaria Super ALC .../37191.html, Timo Boll ALC .../35861.html, Innerforce Layer ALC .../36701.html, Innerforce Layer ZLC .../36681.html, Viscaria-CS .../24010.html — checked 2026-08-13.
- Butterfly Japan — OuterFiber and InnerFiber
https://www.butterfly.co.jp/products/blade/outer_inner_fiber.html; special materials and handle shapes https://www.butterfly.co.jp/support/detail/001363.html; Butterfly Global — Super ALC https://www.butterfly-global.com/en/product/superalc/ — checked 2026-08-13.
- Nittaku — Acoustic and Acoustic Carbon Inner:
https://www.nittaku.com/products/rackets/post-39, https://www.nittaku.com/products/rackets/post-28; VICTAS — SWAT: https://www.victas.com/products/detail.html?id=15 — checked 2026-08-13.
On prices: catalogue figures come from the manufacturers' official sites, tax included. Shop prices are a snapshot of our catalogue across Rakuten and Yahoo Shopping on 13 August 2026 — a snapshot on a date, not a promise.
Update history
- 2026-08-13 — published.