On Brands' Blade Naming, So Unimaginative! Part 1
1
Butterfly, named after stars, because I know you will buy. This time, Butterfly’s die-hards all hope for a Lin A (Lin Shidong ALC) or Song A (Sora Matsushima ALC). They even made the Song A image. Some mutter when the Lin Yun-Ju SALC will come. Even though they know the so-called Lin A or Song A or new Super Lin just slightly tweaks the recipe — a bit softer or a touch harder — even the same recipe as a nesting doll, change the handle and it is done. They will all buy. Because your base level is guaranteed — not saying very easy to play, but ultimately not hard to play. This shows Butterfly fully realizes fans most easily pay for stars. Of course, WTT knows, DHS knows, the CP-shippers know. Another anticipated one is the Lim Jonghoon Advance. Rumor says it should come this year. But considering the Maze Advance’s price, you can hardly expect the Lim Jonghoon Advance to have high performance. After all, Butterfly tells you in the name — advance, just a step up. How come Lim Jonghoon did not make a fuss with Butterfly? Others have Hurricane Long; do you take me for an aramid carbon?
2
Butterfly now names methodically; DHS is easy too, with clear tiers: Power G is low-end, Tianji is mid, Hurricane is the high-end game, and numbered ones are top. I am dizzy not knowing how many Power G versions there are — 15 at least, who knows when it ends. Tianji is decent, steady but lacking a bit of spirit. Hurricane is world-champion level. Strictly, only a singles world champion has hope of getting a Hurricane X. If you are just a Worlds singles runner-up (Fang Bo: do not cue me, I am busy in a livestream battle with Yu He-yi), you get at most an X aramid carbon. And someone like Shin Yu-bin — never mind she signed with Nike early; even if DHS wanted a Shin Yu-bin 968, it would not make sense. Even national players with results like Chen Xingtong and Wang Yidi have no self-named blade — Shin Yu-bin wanting a 968 is out. At most, add it in the retail version’s parentheses: Hurricane Sa (Shin Yu-bin). For the top flagships, they are marked by codes. The most familiar: 968, 301, 656, 656-1, plus the earlier 655, 977, 906 — a basketful. Actually they are research-institute products; codes ease marking. Becoming aces, the market helps fan the flames too.
3
Stiga? Leave me alone, I am on the Luma. This afternoon I quietly tried it. Why quietly? Because over a hundred players DM’d me how this blade is. I feared being mugged at the hall. What does Luma mean? Reportedly, they may not give it a Chinese name, because current naming is foreign-flavored. Sure — luma is a foreign word. In Latin, luma means “light” or “brightness.” My understanding: this blade is a hybrid-carbon structure, with an eye-brightening feel. Not for looks — oh, not only for looks. Rather, the performance is decent and interesting. Do not ask me — a few more plays, and I will write it next week. Overall, Stiga’s naming now is fairly steady. Relying on tradition, like Rose Carbon, Walnut Carbon — see the name and we know what it is. Destiny Carbon — mainly this “destiny” is nice. Besides the unpredictable launch date, the name and performance are both grounded. Then the recent years’: Inspiration Carbon, Inspiration Carbon King, Inspiration hybrid carbon, Surging hybrid carbon, Aula hybrid carbon, to now the Luma hybrid carbon. Honestly, the naming is still too safe — neither merit nor fault.