Yonex AS50 shuttles

Discussion in 'Shuttlecock' started by coachgary, Apr 24, 2009.

  1. coachgary

    coachgary Regular Member

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    I ordered a Yonex Nanospeed racket for my son and as part of the deal was able to get a 50% discount on other yonex items. So I chose a tube of AS-50 shuttles.

    I was rather surprised to find that the tube of shuttles is not foil lined inside.
    Is this normal for AS50's? Are they fake?
     
  2. Mwesty

    Mwesty Regular Member

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    Where did you order them from?
     
  3. coachgary

    coachgary Regular Member

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    A reputable online company in Coventry
     
  4. Mwesty

    Mwesty Regular Member

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    If there a reputable company then they won't be fake?

    Is it Central Sports? If so, they definately ain't fake, there an authorised Yonex dealer.
     
  5. coachgary

    coachgary Regular Member

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    maybe fake was too strong. In my opinion I dont think the tube would keep the shuttle in tip top condition which is rather surprising. Maybe these are a batch of seconds which is why they're able to give 50% off.
     
  6. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    Yes, this is standard Yonex practice, which is rather surprising. Yonex shuttles like AS-50 use the lightest, cheapest, thinnest, shortest tubes, and all without an inner aluminum foil. They also use very light, rather thin-walled carton boxes too. No other shuttle manufacturers penny-pinch on these areas. The only exceptions are those cheap training shuttlecocks that sell for US$3 to $4 per dozen.
     
  7. silentheart

    silentheart Regular Member

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    Yes, Yonex AS shuttles all do not have foil lined inside. I asked the engineer a year back when I first had chance visit the Tokyo office. I had the same impression that why not use foil to keep the moisture in or out. The answer was surprising to me but makes sense in many way. The answer was "Why bother?" The reasons behind it (and what make sense for me) are
    1) Yonex do not produce a lot of shuttles compare to other shuttles manufactures. So most of the dealer do not stock too many AS shuttle and therefore the shuttle will be fresh once it get to the user's hand
    2) There is a plastic heat wrap over a new tube of shuttle. It is acting as a barrier for the enviroment already. So the shuttle will stay fresh with or with out foil inside.
    3) When a tube is opened, does it make a difference? The moisture will escape the tube or interact with enviroment anyway.
    4) The paper actually act as regulator suck up moisture when it is too humid and keep the krisp feeling. When it is dry, the paper will release some (not a lot of help) moisture when it is 1st produced.
    5) AS50? they are usually used within 2 month of production because they are for tournment use.
    So, there are thoughts put into the design and use of shuttle tubes.

    In respond to another post. As long as the tube contain 1 dz of shuttle, does it matter how long the tube is? FYI, the paper used for inside AS tube are actually high grade paper, not as cheap as you claim.
     
  8. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    Another important point about the aluminum foil is insulation from radiant heat. Feather shuttles will keep fresher longer with aluminum foils. Without the foils the shuttles will get cold, then hot, and then cold, etc. etc. subject to the actual transit conditions they are subject to. Cargo holds in ships and long distance delivery trucks are not air-conditioned. The foil also acts as a vapor barrier.
    You will be surprised to learn the extreme conditions, both physical and thermal, shuttles are put through when shipped from the manufacturer to the end-user.
     
  9. coachgary

    coachgary Regular Member

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    Thank you all for your informative posts. I live in damp Wales, the only extreme weather we get is damp or flooding!
     
  10. silentheart

    silentheart Regular Member

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    In short time, yes. During the transportation, NO. To reflect (or deflect) radian heat, the foil has to be outside, not inside of the tube to be even effective. I am not sure if you ever cook mean with foil, even with foil covered, the chicken or fish still gets cooked. And that is usually in 20min to 30 min. During transportation, the container is under temperature (high or low) for more than 6 to 7 hr at a time. In addition, the foil is inside, doesn't that keep the heat in? So, back to the same point. Why bother
     
  11. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    The tube used to hold shuttles is made from cardboard. It is not made from one continuous piece but is rolled over a tube just like the way we apply a new grip onto the handle, except that the edges of the cardboard do not overlap but are flush-fitted.
    If you have your own OEM shuttles, you actually can save money by requesting the manufacturers to dispense with the foil and even the labels and outer clingwrap-it saves about HK$1 each tube for the foil and another HK$1 for the labels. But some customers other than your regular customers are very suspicious if you sell them shuttles without any labels or foils even at a reduced cost.
     
  12. winstonchan

    winstonchan Regular Member

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    ok, yonex seems to have their reason behind no inner foil, even AS-50, and i wonder if their F-90 (or other F grades) has any inner foil? can anyone verify?
     
  13. taneepak

    taneepak Regular Member

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    Yonex AS-50 is made in China. The tubes in AS-50 are very thin, exactly 2mm thick. This compares with Aeroplane's 2.3mm and my own at 2.5mm.
    I am given a limited qty of old AS-50 FOC but almost all of them are out of date because they break often.
    BTW, the inner foil is very important, primarily to complete the insulation. The tube with inner foil plus an outer clingwrap are air-tight. In between is the cardboard made from paper. The thicker the sandwich cardboard the more air pockets. Thus the foil, the in between cardboard, and the outer clingwrap, act like a double-glazing window for super insulation.
     

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