Ishlion

[Peter C]

I notice Rob is now stocking the Ishlion. It strikes me as an interesting blade and one that I wonder how it differs from say the Wavestone; as both are 5 ply blades i.e. 3 wood and 2 composite layers.

For those who've tried the blade, what kind of rubbers would you consider as suitable for a carbon blade with hinoki outer plies; like the Ishlion?

[speedplay]

Sounds a lot like the Galaxy T-8, also 5 ply, with the outer layer being Hinoki as well.

My guess is that it wouldn't be well suited with soft rubbers, but medium to hard, depending on personal preferences.

[Wiz]

Anything chinese :p

I've tried on the Ishlion: -

Good: -
T05/25/64, Sriver G3, Bryce Speed, Xiom Zeta, Haifu BW2, Hurricane 2/3/TG3, Andro roXXon 500 Pro, Nittaku Hammond Alpha/Hammond X.

Bad: -
Bryce Speed FX, Andro roXXon 450, Stiga Boost TC.

Ishlion is a pretty versatile blade however I find it to be just too fast.

[RebornTTEvnglist]

Wiz, interesting you say Roxon 450 no good, but 500 is good on Ishlion. From what I understand the Ishlion is not terribly different to the Gergely and I find R450 great on it. I would have thought the Ishlion would be just as stiff as Gergely and similar speed-wise too.

[Silver]

The Ishlion is very different to a wavestone.
It's got a harder, crisper feel, much much more like the classic tamca blade (3 ply, carbon laminate, thick hinoki top).

It's lighter and doesn't feel quite as solid as the tamca blades though. I prefer it over the PC and SC, but yes, it is slower.

Compared to an Iolite it's slower and harder, but still has a nice feel. Compared to the TBS it's faster and feels more solid. Less control.

[Peter C]

Silver

What rubbers do you find suitable for the Ishlion?

[Silver]

It's been a long time since i've actually used an Ishlion, but I was using softer rubbers on it at the time. Cermet, some tensors, etc.