The Black Knight Ion Cannon PS:

Image via pdhsports.com
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Search:This guy is 135 grams, with an even balance. It’s the successor to the Black Knight Ion Cannon.
What does the PS stand for? Well after you drill your shot into the nick, you look straight at your opponent and say, “Oh, that’s just the Black Knight Ion Cannon. PS: IN YOUR FACE!”
If you’re more interested in a traditional head shape, see the Black Knight Ion Galaxy PS.
Reviews
Here’s my review:
Here’s a review from Paul at PDH Sports. He says in the future this racket will start coming strung with Ashaway Supernick ZX:
Spotted
Mathieu Castagnet rocks this one. Here he is at the 2013 US Open:

Photo by Steve Cubbins
PS: IN YOUR FACE!
Todd Harrity rocks the Black Knight Ion Cannon PS:

Photo by Steve Cubbins ∞
PS: TIIIIIIGHT.
Mathieu Castagnet Signature Version
Looks like Mathieu Castagnet is getting his own signature version of the Black Knight Ion Cannon PS.
PS: LOOKIN’ GOOD

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Search:Racket Specs chart
Factory strings: Ashaway SuperNick ZX
Castagnet 2020 Model
Here’s Castagnet’s 2020 signature Black Knight Ion Cannon PS (thanks Mathias):

Image via my-squash.com
Product Info
Release year: 2020
Price: €113
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Search:Spotted
Here’s Castagnet at the 2020 Windy City Open:

Photo via Windy City Open →
Shoes: Eye Squash Shoes
Location: 2020 Windy City Open
Lloyd says
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I’ve been playing with this racket for a fair while now. I have the newer 2020 version and the one before that. Both of them are fantastic rackets in my opinion. I wouldn’t say I normally get on with tear drop rackets but this one has been my most successful venture into tear drops by far.
They’re evenly weighted, absolutely not head heavy as that is what I used to play with. Incredible power and great accuracy. I would totally recommend to anyone looking to move from traditional shaped rackets over to teardrop and to people looking for a good powerful racket who perhaps have a short punchy swing.
Mathias Skov says
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The new ion canon ps 2020 is now available. Paint job lookin’ good.
I’ve been playing with the ion canon ps for 6 months now, and I’m really happy with the feel and the power, thanks to the Ashaway ZX strings and the slightly head heavy balance.
Looking forward to receive the new 2020 model.
Marcin says
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Hi,
Is it possibile that total weight is 185g?
Mine is like that and iam a bit confused.
Can it be a fake one?
Kevin says
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Was just wondering if this racket is actually head heavy or more towards an even balance.
Rod says
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Had a very brief hit today with the Ion Cannon Castagnet and was impressed. I was mostly interested to find out how the Ashaway ZX string felt and liked it. Nice soft feel and plentiful power. The cosmetic on the racket is also very nice and a definite improvement on the previous iteration of this racket.
Chad says
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I was wondering if the Castagnet model is similar to the red Ion Cannon? Both are head heavy. I find the red racket feels much heavier than the Ion Cannon PS (yellow).
Can anyone give indication whether the Castagnet model is heavier than the Ion Cannon PS?
Thanks
Rod says
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Chad, it’s the same racket as the Ion Cannon PS just with a better string and an update cosmetic. The original red Ion Cannon was slightly lighter and had a more head heavy balance than the versions that followed which have more of an even balance.
Pierre Bastien says
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Good spot guys. Here’s a photo of the new SuperNick ZX strings:
Image via tocsquash.com ∞
Rod says
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Good find! 17 gauge is pretty thick string for a pro to be using but Castagnet seems to be using them pretty well at the TOC right now!
Brent says
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I wonder if it’s the new Supernick ZX.
http://trankin.com/releases/ashaway/ash8875.asp
Brent says
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Yes. I actually read the press release and it says Castegnet is using it.
Rod says
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Anybody have any idea what string Mathieu is using at the TOC right now? It’s an orange string that I don’t recognize.
Fred says
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Had the chance to chat with Castagnet in Hong Kong. He said that his signature version should be released next month, January 2016, or perhaps early February. It will have the exact same specifications as the usual Ion Cannon PS, only with different cosmetics.
Lawrence says
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Hi Fred
Just wanted to check with you – Mathieu told you that his signature black version is EXACTLY the same as the previous silver one? Cos I am contemplating getting the silver one IF it has exactly the same specs as the Castagnet signature edition….cos it’s cheaper by half!
Let me know!
Thanks Fred!
Fred says
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Hi Lawrence,
Yes he did. The only difference is in the appearance.
Anyway here’s a detailed page on the specs of the Castagnet racket:
http://sportsvirtuoso.com/en/squash/racquets/by-brand/black-knight/ion-series/cannon-power-surge-castagnet/
And here’s the original edition from the BK Canadian page:
http://blackknight.ca/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=780
Apart from the strings, both are at 135 grams, even-balanced, with PowerSurge. I held the Castagnet racket before and I think it has some grooves near the throat (where the red and white lines are), which I don’t remember seeing on the original Ion Cannon, but I might be wrong. I don’t think that really makes much of a difference though.
Maybe you could visit a retailer and hold them both side by side? You could always write to Mathieu’s fan page (https://www.facebook.com/castagnetmathieusquash/), I’m sure he’d be glad to talk about the rackets.
SD says
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I’d like to buy the silver version for the same reason – lower price! But i can’t find them anywhere.
Can any one help?
Cheers!
Gurj says
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Played with this racket for several years now…. amazing power generated!
Pierre Bastien says
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Thanks guys, I moved your comments into the main post for the Black Knight Ion Cannon PS and consolidated everything there.
Yann, was it maybe the Ion Quartx PSX you played with?
Yann says
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It had a closed throat frame, it really looked like a regular Ion PSX but green and white and the balance was better for me, I’m playing tomorrow I’ll take a few pictures.
No idea how to upload them though, maybe photobucket?
Yann says
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I tried the whole BK range last week during a demo at our club, the Ion Cannon I tried was the Ion Cannon PS. It is crazy stiff and powerful, control is average at best but it’s really surprising how fast the ball travels with that thing.
At first it felt a bit like the Harrow Vapor, even balance (maybe a tiny bit head heavy), very stiff and that “thud” noise when you hit the ball, no ping here, but then when the Vapor hits quite dry and keeps the control in check, this Cannon has a trampoline effect, and it’s massive.
The frame is really big, but it’s not heavy, I’d say 140g unstrung but I had no balance obviously.
I wouldn’t recommend this racket for beginners, it’s a ton of fun but it feels fragile.
As for the rest of the BK range, well the Ion Element Selby edition was horrid, it was all soft and quite heavy, my favourite was a white and green racket that I can’t find on the BK website, it looked like an Ion Psx with better looks.
Ibrahim says
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Hi P,
High stiffness is the major con in bk rackets. My friends and I bought 8 ion cannon. Only two left. Its not the wall came out of nowhere. Hit the ball with the side frame and your racket is gone.