Silverstring 1.20 durability?

[!Tym]

Hi, what kind of durability are you getting out of Silverstring 1.20 at high tensions (60-65) on a constant pull machine?

I just blew threw two hybrid setups (synthetic crosses) of them in 5-40 minutes each hitting on a ball machine. I hit with to be honest the most spin that most players even open, all state, etc. players have said they've ever played against. People used to also say about me that they've NEVER seen anyone break strings as fast as me.

This said, I have to say that the durability has me dissapointed a bit.

Dissapointed me, because this is BAR NONE, hands down the best poly string I have EVER used. It gives a sharp, biting response, incredible spin AND power, but most of all the most predictable string bed response I've ever gotten from any string ever (a paradox that defies all logic, I know). I feel like whatever I try, I know the string will offer NO surprises and simply follow orders with no back talk to it's master like some of those other diva strings out there.

This said, it may just not be compatible with my hitting style. I know I'm kind of an unusual case.

However, one thing I've noticed about this string is that it's incredibly reslient, zingy, and responsive...like a dynamic LIVE wire...in other words, yet as compared to other polys I've tried, it also feels somewhat brittle at higher tensions. It's a "charged" dyanmic feeling string, and yet also on the stiffer side. Somehow, my thinking is that these two things don't go well together at higher tensions and that's gonna lead to very easily snapped strings on you're more balistic shot contacts.

Anyone else feel this way? A string which gave me a similar crisp, sharp, dynamic, and zingy response was Rab Monoflex. That was the one other poly that I would snap regularly as fast or faster than synthetic guts (i.e. in about 5 to 45 minutes or so). I really wanted to love that string too, but at higher tensions it gave me the same uncertain feeling that it was prone to *brittle* snapping if I really let loose at maximum velocity. It just seems that a feeling of "lively", dynamic performance in a naturally stiff string plus higher tensions results in brittle results.

Put it this way, gut frays...but it's still there. Strings like Monoflex and Silverstring for me don't fray, they just decide to randomly explode and snap if you REALLY decide to whack it with force.

This said, it was a very cold night, so that may have had something to do with it (makes strings play tighter). Under warmer conditions, they *didn't* snap after a full ball machine session.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone's had similar issues with Silverstring at lower tensions. I tried it at 55lbs. as well, but cut it out after about twenty minutes or so of on and off hitting. At this tension, while the peformance was still there and it was definitely no longer jarring my elbow, it didn't give me that exciting, HYPER crisp response I enjoyed, at least "feel" wise, at the higher tensions.

Oh well, regardless, I think I'm going to have just save the Silverstring for special occasions and for others now. Blue Gear isn't the best feeling string, but it also doesn't become brittle at high tension under significant pace.

Maybe it's just me?

 

[scotus]

I liked Silverstring for a few days and then it lost its responsiveness. The spin and playability were good but not quite as good as that of Big Ace Micro.

One thing that turned me off was that one set snapped while I was stringing it. I have, however, had no such problem with the Big Ace Micro, which is slightly thinner.

So you could tell which one I am sticking to.

I just got some Pacific Poly Power 18 (thinner and softer than BAM according to the RSi tests). Most likely this will be my last poly to try, and I will stick to either the Pacific or BAM for quite some time.

 

[reflexace]

hi !Tym, were you breaking the mains or crosses? have you tried the silverstring in a full stringjob? that may or may not help at the tension your are stringing at; but if it's because of a friction thing, the full silverstring might actually last longer; if it's a shearing thing than you'll get around the same time maybe?

and how many hours do you get out of your regular strings?

sorry, i can't help with the question, but i haven't been playing as much this year and don't have yet to order strings; i would try a silverstring hybrid in low tensions for my next one!

by the way, what would you say are your favourite strings to use beside this one? interested to know considering you rate silverstring very highly!

 

[!Tym]

Actually, until just now, I haven't really looked to hit for the past two years so in other words I haven't been keeping up to date with the latest offerings for quite some time now.

But just to clarify a little bit further, I used to use a reel of the very rare Rab Monoflex 17L (1.20mm) which was only available in reel form. At the time, the 16g Rab Monoflex was HANDS DOWN the best poly on the market. It truly did put all other "standard" polys to shame. It was kind of seen like Silverstring is now. A more "advanced" version of today's typical co-polys.

The Rab Monoflex literature says it has a special coating or something that gives it's lively, dynamic, crispy yet not harsh, response.

The 16g does have a bit of an unusally slick feel...the 17L available in reel form didn't. It felt AND looked to be frank like an untreated base form of Monoflex. In other words, it felt just like any other normal "poly" of the day. There was nothing wonderful about it, it was somewhat harsh, dead, and frankly offered ZERO performance benefits over the 16g packaged version. This said, it wasn't bad, it was just well...normal...like any other ordinary poly.

I frankly felt cheated by the whole thing as in no way shape or form was it the same string as the 16g Monoflex as I was told.

This said, despite regularly stringing the Monoflex 17L up at 65lbs. constant-pull in hybrid form in my RD-8's; I never had any premature breakage problems (i.e. from easily "snapped", popped strings in the mains) like I got with the 16g Monoflex. It was actually as durable a 17L-18g string as I've tried.

If you're savy on strings, you would know this makes NO sense whatseover, however. Thicker guage strings = more durable in most universes, especially at high tension.

This said, the only thing I could ever come up with to explain this was that the Monoflex was truly a very dynamic, reslient, and most of all CRISPY (*by far* the crispiest feeling and sounding string I've ever tried) feeling string compared to the 17L version.

I just "felt", just got the impression, that this unusually snappy response was also what was making it brittle at higher tensions. I guess you could say rather like playing with peanut brittle vs. peanut butter; that's the analogy I think most accurately describes what I think I'm feeling.

This said, compared to most players, I'm a bit unusual, in that my natural tendency is to take VERY high wattage cuts at the ball (was always one of those guys who was either notoriously ON...or NOT because of this, and with never ANY in between).

I think most players who swing in a more metered, sensible fashion would probably be ok and never encounter what I've encountered. After all, I've never heard anyone say they felt Monoflex was an undurable string, but for me it was just about the most undurable string I'd ever tried. Again, nothing to do with fraying or natural wear and tear or the strings not necessarily being designed for durability, but rather that the performance/responsiveness benefits came at the expense of say a higher breaking point/stress point. Basically, I feel like if you swing at MAX velocity with a crispy, zippy, very responsive string at high tension; you get penalized with a string that when strung tight doesn't have enough give to absorb that impact, and instead will just pop/snap/explode at impact, however, you want to describe it.

Silverstring 1.20 in the end might be best at around 58-60lbs. for those who want it to play, crisper, tighter (your elbow does begin to feel a bit of a jar when you venture beyond that) AND take just dumb-****ed Tarzan meet Fernando Gonzales and Andrew Ilie swings at the ball. The same's probably true for Monoflex 16.

On the flip side, I think that Big Ace and Pro Poly Plasma probably are better optimized for a higher tension range.

This is probably true of most strings though. They have an optimum tensioning range just like rackets like the old ceramic Fischers did...obviously some more specific and narrow than others, and some broader.

Another example of this being the case is Gosen OG Micro synthetic gut. I once had it pop in a near brand new Volkl C-9 Pro overnight after being strung at 65lbs. Never hit with, just snapped by itself. And this was the packaged 17g version too.

Gosen synthetic gut even now recommends stringing at not above 60lbs. on their reels don't they?

Gosen synthetic gut, by the way another one of those strings that fit the Monoflex/Silverstring profile in that they're not necessarily soft feeling, but very, very crispy, dynamic, and responsive (as compared to the genre/category string they're competing against).

By comparison, a just...blah...middle of the road synthetic gut in every way like Prince Original Synthetic Gut, that doesn't become brittle at high tension the way Gosen synthetic gut can. That has a broader "ideal" tension range.

The thing we have to factor in however is that while a string like Prince Original Synthetic Gut might string up tighter more reliably, Gosen Micro synthetic gut at 60lbs. will tend to feel as crisp if not crisper still than Prince Original at 65.

 

[Deleted member 25923]

Hey Tym, what SW machine do you use?