by Ben Nisbet on March 30, 2013
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Have you ever heard of Goldilox and the Three Bears? Bring back childhood memories? Forgotten the storyline? Anyway, Sigma II Euro is the quintessential “Baby Bear” rubber. It plays “just right” for everyone who wants to play modern table tennis. The folks at Xiom have found a winner and it is Sigma Euro II.
When I put on my first sheet of Sigma Euro II on my forehand side, I did it with hesitation. It is never easy to take the plunge and change up rubber, particularly, when that rubber already plays well for you. Nonetheless, I delicately opened up the beautifully wrapped box of Sigma Euro II to expose a fresh sheet of red rubber exquisitely layered over Xiom’s patented black “carbo” sponge.
Sigma II Euro is medium hard rubber with an imbedded pip structure that is springy, firm and yet posses a high degree of control. This is a highly versatile tensor rubber that can perform at an exceptionally high level at a wide range of skill levels. Some observations:
Loop off Push/Chop: Effortless - Outstanding spin reversal, little or no slippage, terrific catapult.
Loop off Block: Explosive - Moderate throw angle, limited slippage, explosive catapult.
Counter Loop: Explosive and Fast - Even when making high ball contact, this rubber responds extremely well.
Serve Return and Finesse Play: Reliable - Superior control for an offensive rubber.
Block/Defense: Moderate - As with all tensor rubbers and the explosive nature of the rubber, blocking is more difficult. However, the medium hardness gives one more control than a harder tensor rubber.
Preliminary Rubber Ratings:
Speed 95/100
Spin 95/100
Control 72/100
Throw Angle 44/100
Sponge Hardness 50/100
Durability 95/100
Sigma Euro II is for those players who play a close to the table to midrange game, and who seek winners with topspin drives.
Recommendation: Read Goldilox and the Three Bears and take a moment to glue a sheet of Sigma Euro II on your forehand.
Enjoy.
Ben Nisbet -
Ben Nisbet and Remy Nisbet are owners of TableTennisStore.US. As a life-time player Ben has played in many tournaments and is highly knowledgeable of the sport. Mr. Nisbet also founded American Youth Table Tennis a youth not for profit that serves over three thousand students each year.
Sponsor Ad: TableTennisStore.US - 1000 XIOM, TSP, JOOLA, CHAMPION table tennis products!
by Ben Nisbet on February 18, 2013
Sponsor Ad: TableTennisStore.US - 1000 XIOM, TSP, JOOLA, CHAMPION table tennis products!
Product Review: Xiom I-Bond VOC Water-Based Glue:
By Ben Nisbet
We at TableTennisStore.US custom make several racquets a week. We have good insight on what glue works well. First, we use TSP Racket Coat varnish sealant to protect our customer’s investment in a blade. You should too! We love TSP Racket Coat. Anyway, with a slicker and harder blade surface produced by the TSP varnish, it is imperative that we use glue that will stick firmly to the racquet.
While we have dabbled with Butterfly Chack, Joola Green Power and Donic Vario Clean, we like Xiom-I Bond. I-Bond is viscous and spreads easily and evenly and sticks firmly. A perfect fit for those varnished blades:
Here are some tips for gluing:
- Shake the Glue Bottle lightly and turn it upside down and right side up to mix it. There is no need to violently shake the bottle.
- Apply the glue coat as thinly as possible: Applying a thicker coat of glue or even two coats may slow down the speed of your rubber. Butterfly, a leading table tennis manufacturer, has actually researched this and claims that a thicker VOC glue application slows down the speed of your rubber-top sheet by up to 7%. I-Bond is viscous and spreads very nicely.
- Apply the glue coat to both rubber and blade and allow 40 minutes to dry: I-Bond sticks best on completely dry contact. The glue is dry when it turns transparent.
- Inspect your glue and rubber surface for any missed spots. If you have missed a spot you can touch up and add some additional I-Bond glue now. Note if you have done a good job applying, this is not needed.
- Do not allow to Freeze. I-Bond and most other VOC glues are ruined if they freeze.
- Wash your Glue Applicator. If you are using a glue sponge applicator. You can wash it with water and let it dry for re-use.
I-Bond comes in a 500ml bottle with a soap type squirt – dispenser and a smaller 37ml bottle. The 500ml bottle is perfect for those individuals, like ourselves, who make a few racquets a week. The dispenser is very convenient and works very well after multiple uses. The smaller 37ml bottle is ergonomically designed with a built in sponge head. This makes it very easy for one to carry, distribute and re-use. You may wash the sponge head on smaller bottle after use to preserve it for multiple uses.
Enjoy.
Ben Nisbet and Remy Nisbet are owners of TableTennisStore.US. As a life-time player Ben has played in many tournaments and is highly knowledgeable of the sport. Mr. Nisbet also founded American Youth Table Tennis a youth not for profit that serves over three thousand students each year.
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- 500ml and 37ml bottles - Only $53.99 and $9.99
Sponsor Ad: TableTennisStore.US - 1000 XIOM, TSP, JOOLA, CHAMPION table tennis products!
