Butterfly Garaydia ALC vs Nittaku Violin: Which Should You Buy?
| Butterfly Garaydia ALC | Nittaku Violin | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 8.5/10 | 8.4/10 |
| control | — | — |
| feel | Crisp, hard and stiff with a direct, low-vibration touch and a notably low throw arc | Soft, warm and flexible with long dwell, premium hand-crafted Japanese all-wood feedback |
| handle | FL | FL |
| plies | 5-ply total: 3 wood + 2 Arylate-Carbon (ALC) layers, with an outer carbon construction under a Japanese hinoki surface ply | 5-ply all wood (Kiri core with White Ash outer plies) |
| speed | OFF | ALL+ |
| spin | — | — |
| thickness_mm | 6.9 | 5.3 |
| type | OFF | ALL+ |
| weight_g | 83 | 86 |
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Garaydia ALC is an OFF outer arylate-carbon blade with a soft hinoki surface ply, crisp and stiff with a very low throw arc that excels at blocking, flicking and counter-topspins. It offers outstanding near-table stability at around 83 grams, but its low arc demands precise technique, it can feel weak away from the table, and it is discontinued.
Nittaku Violin is a flexible 5-ply all-wood blade rated ALL-plus, with exceptional control and pinpoint placement, premium Made-in-Japan craftsmanship, and a warm, soft feel with long dwell for spin and short-game touch. It is excellent for looping and close-to-mid all-round play and comes alive with tensor rubbers, though it is slower than its billing suggests, weak at long-distance pace, and needs harder or tackier rubbers to reach full potential.
Pick Garaydia ALC if you are an upper-intermediate-to-advanced attacker who blocks, flicks and counters near the table and wants stiff, low-throw carbon speed. Pick Nittaku Violin if you are an all-round or developing offensive player who prizes control, feel and spin over raw speed and wants a premium all-wood blade for looping and precise close-to-mid play. With ratings around 8.5 against 8.4, Garaydia leans toward attacking carbon while Violin leans toward control and feel.
FAQ
Which blade is better for developing technique?
Nittaku Violin. Its control, soft feel and long dwell make it a strong technique-building and first custom blade, while Garaydia ALC’s low arc demands precise technique.
Which is faster?
Garaydia ALC, rated OFF with carbon. Violin is rated ALL-plus and is slower than its billing suggests, weak at long-distance pace.
Which has the softer, warmer feel?
Nittaku Violin, with a soft, warm, flexible feel and long dwell. Garaydia ALC is crisp, hard and stiff with a low-vibration touch.
What rubbers suit each blade?
Violin comes alive with tensor rubbers and needs harder or tackier rubbers for full potential. Garaydia ALC pairs well with Tenergy 05 and medium-hard tensors.