Yinhe Venus V-16

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Stiffer and harder than Viscaria (despite the outer layer being limba), the V16 exhibits a higher pitched sound upon impact, indicating its increased hardness. This stiffness results in slower top gear performance and increased bounciness in the low gear, accompanied by a lower throw compared to Viscaria. However, the V16's low dwell time can present challenges, particularly for generating sufficient spin on initial loops in the low gear.

Despite this drawback, the V16 complements Chinese rubbers such as H3, H8, Tg2, and Tg3, which are less reactive. While Viscaria remains a superior option, the V16 offers a more economical solution.

This is a fast blade. I have just put a boosted Dianch D rubber on the forehand side and a Tenergy 64 on the backhand side. The forehand side is a wonderful combination. The loops are perfect and blocks are effortless. However, the backhand side was too fast at the beginning and I missed some punch backhand attacks. I got used to the combination after a while.

The build quality is high. The wood is sanded smooth. The handle is well made and the blade is overall worth the price. It has the feeling of a premium blade.

Update after three months: The blade is too fast for fast rubbers. The combination of this blade with Tenergy 64 was very hard to control. I still miss a lot of backhand smashes. But it goes perfectly with Chinese-type rubbers.

Ishida and Dominus7 are absolutely correct. This is a very good blade for attacking and old-style all-around players. It has a high throw angle, making it easy to loop and topspin with hard rubber such as DHS Hurricane 3 Neo.

This blade is comparable to other expensive blades. If you were to conduct a blind test, you would be amazed by its quality. You will never be disappointed with this blade.

This is the best blade I’ve ever used from Yinhe. It’s incredibly precise for every shot. The medium-high throw is ideal for looping, while the medium throw is suitable for smashing. It has an OFF+ speed rating, medium flex, and medium-hard hardness. The handle provides an excellent grip. The touch is medium, and it pairs well with any type of rubber, including tacky or tensor rubbers. I’ve tested it with Hurricane Long 5, and the feel is almost identical (around 96%). Considering its low price, this is a high-end blade that rivals blades in the $100-$200 range. It’s truly exceptional.

This is a really good blade! Before playing with this, I was using a Korbel, which is also a great blade. However, I had a bad hit and it broke between the face and handle, leaving me with no choice but to find a replacement. I then changed to a Viscaria, but I didn’t like it because it felt too fast and crispy.

The V16 is slower than the Viscaria and faster than the Korbel. I sticked MX-P and EL-P to the FH and BH, respectively.

In terms of feel, I would rank the blades as follows: Korbel > V16 > Viscaria.

In terms of speed, I would rank the blades as follows: Viscaria > V16 > Korbel.

In terms of stiffness, I would rank the blades as follows: Viscaria > V16 > Korbel.

In terms of control, I would rank the blades as follows: Korbel > V16 > Viscaria.

I was surprised to find no reviews on this blade, so I ordered one. Coming from a Chinese manufacturer, I expected a wider range of variety in blade production, given the standards they set. This particular V-16 blade attempts to be a replacement for Butterfly’s famous Michael Maze blade.

Let’s compare the specifications: the weight should be around 85g, mine measures 92.4g; the thickness should be 5.9mm, mine measures 5.94mm. I examined the veneers under a microscope and found them to be quite uniformly thick at the blade’s head, with greater variation at the handle. The surface veneer was lacquered and repolished in the factory, giving it a nice finish. The overall composition and materials used suggest quality workmanship. There is no trimming of carbon and Kevlar fibers on the edges. In terms of manufacturing, it appears to be well-made; even Butterfly can vary 4g from the stated weight.

In terms of performance, the tempo and general sound of the blade suggest an OFF+ rating. It has a nice feel, with good ball feedback that scales well with power. The soft touch is similar to the original Maze blade. The speed feels slightly faster, but it is very linear and adjustable. Dropping shots, both passive and punch drops, are effortless. Looping is very dynamic, with a fine touch. When smashing, you can feel the ball and execute effective kill shots. Ball placement is relatively easy, as the blade is slightly bouncy, but the rubber minimizes it. I believe both hard and soft sponge rubbers would perform well on this blade.

Some users report variations between different pieces of the same model. My particular blade seems to be slightly heavier and faster than the average ideal model. The handle is quite similar to the TB series. Overall, I would say this blade is a very good clone of the Michael Maze, at around 80-90% similarity.

UPDATE: I tried the blade with MAXXX 500 and T05 rubbers on both sides and was not disappointed. It performs as a very nice offensive blade, comparable to higher-priced models.