Yinhe Carbokev K-5

My first foray into a fast, higher-quality blade. I can’t really speak to comparisons, but this blade has served me well when it came to learning how to play the game above a beginner level.

It’s definitely quite fast but has decent control, is fairly flexible, and is slightly heavy but feels good. Or maybe I’m just used to it, who knows.

Anyway, the quality of this blade is as good as any I’ve ever seen. Definitely recommended, along with the other CarboKev K series.

Great alternative for people wanting a fast looping blade without spending $100+ on a Butterfly or Nittaku blade. It is pretty springy, fairly soft, and a quality blade for a discount price. There is a bit of variety from model to model. For example, my friend and I got one each from the same company at the same time and there was a noticeable size difference in the handle thickness. With the right wrist movement in your loops, it’s a very deadly weapon for quick loopers. However, it can be tamed with the right rubbers. Choose dwell time when setting it up.

It is supposed to be similar to Butterfly Viscaria. However, I cannot compare it with Viscaria as I have not played with it.

K-5 is very soft and hence the bounce of the ball is uncontrollable at different speeds. It is not stable for fast balls.

Similarly, T-8 is very hard and provides better stability at high speeds, but not when compared to Butterfly. This could be because of the less weight of the ply (87 grams) compared to Butterfly’s 94 grams.