How to cut the table tennis rubbers?

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The table tennis players avoid it. I mean cutting the rubbers. It takes time. When you can’t cut it to the size of the blade, it keeps bothering you. It is art - a neatly cut rubber is like winning a match.

The professional table tennis players buy table tennis blades and rubbers separately. Then they assemble them together and make a good racket. I don’t want to talk about why they do that - it takes at least few pages of blog.

What do you require?

1. A sturdy and sharp scissor. I use a very sharp Kitchen Aid scissor. The scissors with platinum coating is good.
2. Access to water.
3. Flat surface like table.

You can cut the rubbers to the shape of the blade in many ways. You have to know a little about the rubber you are going to cut. The table tennis rubbers have a top sheet (in red or black color) and the sponge to support the top sheet. The sponge as well as top sheet can be hard for certain kind of rubbers. For example, the DHS Hurricane III is a hard rubber. The TSP Real, Actor and BJorn are rubbers with hard sponges. It is hard to cut those rubbers and requires a lot of patience.

1. If you are a beginner in this “cutting business”, what I’m going to describe you is the easiest way to cut rubbers. It will take little time, but you can do it.

1. Take out the rubber from the rubber case. Put on a flat surface with sponge facing up.
2. Place your racket over the rubber.
3. Mark the sponge with the pen.
4. Pour little bit of water on the scissors blades.
5. Take the rubber in your hand.
6. Start cutting the rubber. When you cut the rubber, don’t try to use the tip of the blades. Try to use the middle of the blades, and keep using the same position while you cut over the line that you had marked.

2. You can cut the rubber with a sharp sporting knife. I have used drywall knife and is very good. You can get one at the Home Depot or a hardware store.

1. Put the rubber on a flat surface. It would be good if you can have a wooden surface or non-scratch glass surface.
2. Place the blade on the rubber.
3. Press the blade on the rubber, and start cutting the rubber.
4. Slowly rotate the blade and rubber together to complete the task.
5. There are table tennis rubber cutting boards available from the manufactures. That can make your task easy.

3. The third way to cut a rubber is fast, but need some skills. The rubbers need to be put on the blade first.

1. Put the rubbers on the blade by using the glue.
2. Use the scissor and cut the rubbers to the shape of the blade.

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