RKEP Grip

llpjlau said:
i think kwun's comments are founded in feel (i.e. tackiness) and performance (NOT player performance but grip performance). if it's true how different coloured strings can give different performance and feel, i don't see why not for grips. they use different dyes etc to colour the grips after all.
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comparing colored strings with colored grips do not answer the question of how the process of color dye affect the texture and material of the grip itself. even in the case of string color, the subject is still very ambiguous; some think black strings are more slippery, some think they are more grippy, some think they are absolutely identical.

thus, our objective here should be:

1) figure out what type of coloring process is involved (sublimation dye, ink press, etc)
2) how does that process alter the material used in grip (polyurethane, and/or any additional coating on top)
 
Coming from the rubber/plastics industry, I can say that dyes definitely alter performance. As the color is uniform through out the products they will have been introduced fairly early in the process. The type of dye used will determine how much it affects performance, no idea on what is used in rkep products.
 
after I use it, I like it a lot :D
love it, will try power master and order some ultimate when I finished with 4 ultimates and 1 karakal PU super
I wonder if Eric would sold the victor clothes to me (I want the XXXL one) since I'm in UK right now..
 
I bought a bunch of G11's of various colours recently and I finally put one on my racket to try last week, and after 4 sessions I am pleased to say that the grips did not dissapoint and lived up to its hype =P The grip I put on my racket is purple. By now if I was using a Yonex supergrap it would have already lost its tacky-ness, but the RKEP stays strong.

I have read that for the G09 model there are a few "better" colours - pink, red, green and now yellow too? lol, I wonder if this is true for the G11 model too haha I will let everyone know if they are actually better next time I change the grip =P
 
blindfury said:
Seems like you're claiming different color gives different characteristic and performance. Could it be a psychological/visual illusion?
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it is about performance of the grip, as llpjlau says.

a grip is very much personal preference, so the feedback i gave is partly subjective, i personally like grips with a tacky surface and i want the tacky surface to last long.

Yonex Super Grap don't have a good tacky surface, some of them have better ones than others, but mostly, their surface is slightly foamly and they fall apart quite easily.

for RKEP, it has a surface that is very tacky, and the tackines last pretty long, particularly the green, pink and yellow one. the red one come close second. the white one is ok and the black one is worth. the tacky surface of the black one goes from tacky to a suede like texture.

this has of course, nothing to do with my badminton performance.

and it not only come from me. i have given/sold the grips to various friends and they also give me similar feedback.
 
i slapped 1 black and 1 yellow on my tennis rackets, and the yellow is definetly more taky than the black and the black seems slightly softer.

could jsut be my brain messing with me but does appear to be a slight difference


cory
 
the G10's and G11's are not suitable for me at all. i have very VERY sweaty palms. there was some discussion about sweaty palms earlier on in this thread and people were giving it a figure out of 10. if i had to give my palms a figure, it'll be 11/10!

until my G09's arrive, i'm sticking (pun intended) with Yonex Supergrap. i saw an immediate improvement in performance after switching back from the G10/G11 to the supergrap. though the supergrap isn't the most tacky around, the G10 and G11 are just too slippery for me. now i just need to find uses for my leftover G10/G11. i'll probably just use them as the first layer on my racket handles and top them off with a G09. can't wait for my package!
 
I've just placed an order for 6x G06 Grips in Red/White and Green. I'll post back my findings in a few weeks once they have arrived and I've had time to test them ^^
 
llpjlau said:
the G10's and G11's are not suitable for me at all. i have very VERY sweaty palms. there was some discussion about sweaty palms earlier on in this thread and people were giving it a figure out of 10. if i had to give my palms a figure, it'll be 11/10!

until my G09's arrive, i'm sticking (pun intended) with Yonex Supergrap. i saw an immediate improvement in performance after switching back from the G10/G11 to the supergrap. though the supergrap isn't the most tacky around, the G10 and G11 are just too slippery for me. now i just need to find uses for my leftover G10/G11. i'll probably just use them as the first layer on my racket handles and top them off with a G09. can't wait for my package!
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yes. same experience for me. the initial feel of g10/g11 was not bad when dry. but when my palm started to sweat, it became very slippery... i had switched back to supergrap then, till i find the next better replacement... :)
 
Carbotec503 said:
Hi,
can anyone tell me whether the RKEP Elite (G09) model has the same kind of texture as the Karakal Point 75?
rgds
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G09 is tackier than Karakal Point 75. G09 doesn't have those air holes either. G09 is as, if not more, tacky than Karakal Nano 60.

I used both Point 75 and Nano 60 and realized I like Nano 60 better (thinner,tackier, more durable). Right now I find G09 to be a good replacement for Nano 60. If nothing else, it's cheaper. I've only used the G09 for a couple of hours so far, I can't comment on it's durability. My hands don't sweat much.
 
Those g9s are not PU like texture? I like the kind of soft grip of karakal point 75. Was hoping g9 feels like point 75 but with more durability and tackier.

Is that the case?
 
Carbotec503 said:
Those g9s are not PU like texture? I like the kind of soft grip of karakal point 75. Was hoping g9 feels like point 75 but with more durability and tackier.

Is that the case?
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I don't find G09 as spongy as Point 75. It's a thinner grip so it won't be as soft. G09 does feel like "Karakal Super PU" without the bulk. The G09 I find doesn't stretch as much as the Karakal Nano or Point 75, so that gives it a "stiffer" feel as well. I don't know if that makes any sense or not. Regardless, G09 does not feel like Point 75. It's thinner, tackier, more durable and less spongy.

On another previously mentioned note. The backing of the G09 is not tacky at all. When wrapping like I normally do with about 1/8" overlap and medium pull, I found that after 1 session the grip has slipped and exposed a bit of the under grip. I have regripped and this time I "He-Man" pulled to tightened the wrapping and also gave a bit more overlap. It would be nice to put a BIT of tack on the backing. Someone also mentioned the length is a little short. Yes it is, but I still have more than enough to wrap a long handle and past the cone. I can see how people who wrap with say 1/4" overlap would run out of grip. Good enough for me though.
 
One users just sent me following message:
Hello,I just want to inform you that the G06 are perfect.
Yesterday i played for more than 2 hours and it was perfect. First 15 minutes I was loosing the control as the racket was turning and slipping in my hand but later on the racket was like a flower in my hand.
 
I recently placed an order for roughly 550 grips. Eric was extremely quick with regards to communication and shipping out the items, per the usual. My order came in exactly as requested, no problems whatsoever.

I have tried out the Power Master grip, and I find its medium tack, but instead of absorbing sweat, it sort of makes it evaporate rather quickly. I find this type of grip great for racquetball as in that sport you wear a very tacky glove, and this power master grip will bind extremely well to the type of glove we wear for that sport. It is also good for tennis as well. However, I feel for badminton, I sweat too much to fully enjoy it. It is still an excellent grip, but for heavy sweaters like me, I still recommend the Ultimate, Nano, or King more.

I am trying out the Contact grip as well, it is thinner than what I expected but still very cushiony. The ridge lends itself perfectly to tennis, as the ridges sit right in between my fingers and prevent spinng of the racket handle. Highly recommended for tennis. I will need to go play on a hot day to test its ability to deal with sweat.
 
Using the RKEP Elite at the moment. Love it. It's a bit more leathery feeling than Yonex Super Grap. Stickiness is roughly the same, maybe the Yonex takes it by about 10%. The RKEP however is a LOT more durable (Super Grap is fading and roughing up after just a few days use, the RKEP is still un-ruffled) and perhaps holds it's thickness a bit better too. Think I'll probably switch to RKEP now if availability and prices are ok for the UK.
 
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