Babolat Tungsten Tape

SELFMADESOUL

New User
I've used the tungsten putty in the handle to great results- glad to see they finally made it into a tape format for use elsewhere! Great find-
 

cork_screw

Hall of Fame
Thank god. I hate lead. I could be holding my racquet then take a bite of some fries and don't want to worry about cancer related issues. That's one of the reasons why I never used lead tape, it's a health risk. Cancer is something not to take lightly.
 
Last edited:

maxpotapov

Hall of Fame
Thank god. I hate lead. I could be holding my racquet then take a bite of some fries and don't want to worry about cancer related issues. That's one of the reasons why I never used lead tape, it's a health risk. Cancer is something not to take lightly.

Yeah, it was ridiculous how in the age of environmental awareness and eco-friendly materials this particular sector of sports and recreation industry was pushing reels and reels of PURE LEAD onto consumers, for fitness sake...:shock:
 

[d]ragon

Hall of Fame
i waited all my life for this.

Quoted for truth. It's pretty hard finding racquets that play well in stock form. Hopefully they start selling this stuff in the States soon (a silver colored one would be nice.)

EDIT: It seems tungsten can be somewhat toxic. Still looking into it
 
Last edited:

maxpotapov

Hall of Fame
[d]ragon;7160297 said:
Quoted for truth. It's pretty hard finding racquets that play well in stock form. Hopefully they start selling this stuff in the States soon (a silver colored one would be nice.)

EDIT: It seems tungsten can be somewhat toxic. Still looking into it

The research is underway, whereas lead is a proven cancerogen. In any case it can not be as bad as lead, and it is much less expensive than platinum :)
 

maxpotapov

Hall of Fame
Hopefully they will sell them in rolls instead of pre-cut

I think they purposely sell it in odd number, 3x3g stripes, so that we buy two packs at a time. I hope competition catches up. Where is green technologies "inspired by nature" when you need them?
 

georgeyew

Semi-Pro
If it was 2x the density of lead, the tungsten tape should be 1/2 as thick compared to the lead tape (assuming the same weight).
 

The Meat

Hall of Fame
Just did some math on the cost of Tungsten vs Lead.

3*3g would mean you get 9g for a pack for 5 euros
72" * .125g would mean you also get 9g for a pack for 6.15 euros

So in U.S dollars that's 6.74 for tungsten vs 8.29 for lead for a pack for 9g of weight. There could be some serious savings if they offer Tungsten around the same price for the U.S stores.

Edit:
Getting a percentage for the price, it's 81.3% of the price of lead if you buy Tungsten.
However for some reason the Tourna in the U.S 72" of lead is 1 gram for 4", so that's 18g per package. Is our lead tape heavier?
 
Last edited:

SFrazeur

Legend
People, especially the loony Californians on here, way over exaggerate the potential risk of lead tape. No. Do not eat it. Sure. wash your hands after applying it. If there was a major risk in being in contact with lead tape then professional tennis player would not have it bare on their racuqets where they could graze it with their hands and touch their mouths. They would never take the risk in harming their health. Ever see Sampras' racquet? If lead was that dangerous then he would be dead or stricken with health problems.
-SF
 

maxpotapov

Hall of Fame
People, especially the loony Californians on here, way over exaggerate the potential risk of lead tape. No. Do not eat it. Sure. wash your hands after applying it. If there was a major risk in being in contact with lead tape then professional tennis player would not have it bare on their racuqets where they could graze it with their hands and touch their mouths. They would never take the risk in harming their health. Ever see Sampras' racquet? If lead was that dangerous then he would be dead or stricken with health problems.
-SF

Pete Sampras is from another era, environmentally speaking. Nowadays lead tape is stuffed under the bumper more often than not.
And who cares about risks related to lead tape now, that we have better alternative?
 

The Meat

Hall of Fame
Pete Sampras is from another era, environmentally speaking. Nowadays lead tape is stuffed under the bumper more often than not.
And who cares about risks related to lead tape now, that we have better alternative?

Or a better alternative would be to use lead tape with a piece of regular colored tape over it. You can weigh up your sticks while being cancer free. :)
 

maxpotapov

Hall of Fame
Or a better alternative would be to use lead tape with a piece of regular colored tape over it. You can weigh up your sticks while being cancer free. :)

Or use tungsten tape and hide it under bumper!
You can not be too careful with heavy metals
 

chrisl

New User
Toxicity of lead and tungsten

From the Merck Index:

Potential symptoms of overexposure to tungsten are irritation of eyes, skin, respiratory system; diffuse pulmonary fibrosis; loss of appetite, nausea, cough; blood changes. See NIOSH
Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (DHHS/NIOSH 97-140,
1997)

Lead Toxicity: children show weight loss, weakness, anemia. Lead
poisoning in adults is usually occupational due mainly to inhalation of lead dust or fumes. Wristdrop and colic rarely occur. More often there are vague G.I. and CNS complaints. Pb content of blood 0.05 mg% and of urine 0.08 mg per liter support a diagnosis of Pb poisoning. Provocative excretion test
using Edathamil may be helpful in confirming excess Pb absorption.
Review of toxicity: Clinical Toxicology of Commercial Products, R. E. Gosselin et al., Eds. (Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, 4th ed., 1976) Section III, pp 194-202; Lead Toxicity, R. L. Singhal, J. A. Thomas, Eds. (Urban & Schwarzenberg, Baltimore, 1980) 514 pp.


So while lead and tungsten are to be treated with care, as long as you don't erode it, vaporize it or ingest it in some other way you'll be fine. Avoiding powdering and the creation of fumes, and washing hands after working with the materials gets you a long way
 

maxpotapov

Hall of Fame
Umm, overblown fear once you study lead's actual toxicity.

This is another one of those over-hyped dangers.

Today it's over-hyped, tomorrow it's a law. Welcome to lead-free states!
Do I have to study actual toxicity if I can live happily without any lead around?
My grandma worked with lead for 50 years at the factory (soldering station) and she is still doing fine at 90 y.o. So what, should I give my kids lead toys to play?
 

TimothyO

Hall of Fame
Today it's over-hyped, tomorrow it's a law. Welcome to lead-free states!
Do I have to study actual toxicity if I can live happily without any lead around?
My grandma worked with lead for 50 years at the factory (soldering station) and she is still doing fine at 90 y.o. So what, should I give my kids lead toys to play?

Kids metabolize lead at a far different rate than adults. Form also matters. Dust from sanded lead paint is dangerous and easily ingested or inhaled while solid lead isn't as much of a threat. That which is relatively harmless to an adult can be very dangerous to a child.

Some time ago New York tried to ban the sale of lead figures for a hobby known as miniature wargaming. These are miniature figures of soldiers used in tabletop games. There was a lawsuit and trial and the state lost when the industry showed that people working with the figures on a daily basis show no elevated levels of lead in their blood (at least no higher than the general population since we all have lead in our bodies from various sources). In the end the victory didn't matter since the industry feared lawsuits and switched to pewter and resin casts over time.

In any case, the science in that trial showed that even handling solid and molten lead didn't elevate lead levels in the blood. I really don't think that lead tape poses a series health risk unless you're sanding it or licking it. Put it on your frame, wash your hands afterwards, and don't lick it!
 

J011yroger

Talk Tennis Guru
Kids metabolize lead at a far different rate than adults. Form also matters. Dust from sanded lead paint is dangerous and easily ingested or inhaled while solid lead isn't as much of a threat. That which is relatively harmless to an adult can be very dangerous to a child.

Some time ago New York tried to ban the sale of lead figures for a hobby known as miniature wargaming. These are miniature figures of soldiers used in tabletop games. There was a lawsuit and trial and the state lost when the industry showed that people working with the figures on a daily basis show no elevated levels of lead in their blood (at least no higher than the general population since we all have lead in our bodies from various sources). In the end the victory didn't matter since the industry feared lawsuits and switched to pewter and resin casts over time.

In any case, the science in that trial showed that even handling solid and molten lead didn't elevate lead levels in the blood. I really don't think that lead tape poses a series health risk unless you're sanding it or licking it. Put it on your frame, wash your hands afterwards, and don't lick it!

A fellow nerd!

J
 

max

Legend
The lead danger is children eating it or breathing the dust.

It takes quite a long time for adults to get ill: visit the old lead mining towns in Wisconsin and you learn that miners---grown men working 10-12 hours a day down in the mine, breathing the stuff in, would take 6-8 months to start getting ill.

So you would need RADICAL OVEREXPOSURE to feel its toxicity.

Compare that to the health effects of eating a Big Mac each day for a month (much more deleterious).

A little personal note. As a kid I used to help my grandfather mold lead sinkers. He had a little gas stove in the basement, a small iron pot, and we'd melt the lead, then pour it into a mold. Fun. He died in his 80s---and surely he had more exposure to lead than you or I will in our life times.

Take things in stride. The "lead issue" was another Media Yap Day.
 

max

Legend
To me, this "issue" shows how far out of touch many people can be when it comes to practical matters. My two cents, to be sure.
 

maxpotapov

Hall of Fame
The lead danger is children eating it or breathing the dust.

It takes quite a long time for adults to get ill: visit the old lead mining towns in Wisconsin and you learn that miners---grown men working 10-12 hours a day down in the mine, breathing the stuff in, would take 6-8 months to start getting ill.

So you would need RADICAL OVEREXPOSURE to feel its toxicity.

Compare that to the health effects of eating a Big Mac each day for a month (much more deleterious).

OK I won't use Big Mac to add weight... And I won't use lead either, even though it's less dangerous :)
 

J011yroger

Talk Tennis Guru
Babolat Official - Any chance this will be available in quarter inch reels? Thanks!

Do you feel ok?

This is a to make money from people who want to say they weighted their racquet as a novelty, not to actually be useful to people who customize racquets.

J
 

corbind

Professional
The world has gone crazy with SO much fuss about small exposure to dangerous things. Use your head and common sense! :)
 

mcnota

Rookie
i get an 800g reel of lead tape (6mm) in my local window shop for €12

dont know why anyone would buy theirs online, overpriced is an understatement
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
Kids metabolize lead at a far different rate than adults. Form also matters. Dust from sanded lead paint is dangerous and easily ingested or inhaled while solid lead isn't as much of a threat. That which is relatively harmless to an adult can be very dangerous to a child.

Some time ago New York tried to ban the sale of lead figures for a hobby known as miniature wargaming. These are miniature figures of soldiers used in tabletop games. There was a lawsuit and trial and the state lost when the industry showed that people working with the figures on a daily basis show no elevated levels of lead in their blood (at least no higher than the general population since we all have lead in our bodies from various sources). In the end the victory didn't matter since the industry feared lawsuits and switched to pewter and resin casts over time.

In any case, the science in that trial showed that even handling solid and molten lead didn't elevate lead levels in the blood. I really don't think that lead tape poses a series health risk unless you're sanding it or licking it. Put it on your frame, wash your hands afterwards, and don't lick it!

Exactly. I'm not about to let my kids play with lead tape, but as long as I keep it off the kitchen table and wash my hands after applying, I don't think that the risk is in any way significant.

Now, if tungsten is heavier and thus you can use less of it, then that's great.
 
Given the already common use of tungsten for racquet customization among recreational Tennis players, I have been wondering for quite some time why no manufacturer has embraced that trend before. However, maybe it does not come as a surprise that it is Babolat that now comes up with the first tungsten tape, since they already use this material in their frames.

I just put that tungsten tape on my racquet, it was easy to apply and as far as I can see it produces similar results to lead tape customization. (That's what it's meant to do, of course.)
 

maxpotapov

Hall of Fame
Given the already common use of tungsten for racquet customization among recreational Tennis players, I have been wondering for quite some time why no manufacturer has embraced that trend before. However, maybe it does not come as a surprise that it is Babolat that now comes up with the first tungsten tape, since they already use this material in their frames.

I just put that tungsten tape on my racquet, it was easy to apply and as far as I can see it produces similar results to lead tape customization. (That's what it's meant to do, of course.)

OK, so is it 1/4 in (6.35 mm) stripes?
 
Top