Two Loki Wei Shihao Blades and Their Explosive Snap-Through Feel
After Wei Shihao joined the LOKI brand, they released six new blades for him — all aimed squarely at the mid-to-low price segment, covering a variety of constructions that are relatively popular in the market right now.
Today, let’s focus on the two most popular constructions: the Wei Shihao ADC and the Wei Shihao ARC. These correspond to inner yellow aramid carbon and outer blue aramid carbon respectively.
Loki Wei Shihao ADC
Construction: Limba face ply, Ayous force ply, ADC aramid carbon fiber layer, Ayous core Measured weight: 89 g. Thickness: 5.97 mm. Head dimensions: 160 x 151 mm.
The classic representatives of this construction are the well-known Long 5 and W968. This type shares similar characteristics: at low-to-medium force it feels almost like pure wood — easy to control, with less ball projection. At high force, the inner fiber layer and Ayous core deform and spring, and the blade immediately becomes explosive and powerful with excellent depth.
This Wei Shihao ADC has a large head, a slim handle, and a head-heavy balance point — all traits it shares with the Long 5. In particular, it genuinely delivers the Long 5 style of snap acceleration. Once you drive through, the ball quality accelerates noticeably; the ball really launches, and the second bounce has some bite to it. If you want to experience the Long 5’s snap feel at a lower price, this is worth considering. Note that the head-heavy balance does make it feel noticeably weighty, which will suit some players but not others.
At low-to-medium force, the ball doesn’t project as readily, so for rubber pairing you’ll want something on the softer and more transparent side — that way playing won’t feel too tiring.
All in all, this blade suits players who love to hit hard and take the initiative on both wings. Build quality, however, is only average.
Loki Wei Shihao ARC
Construction: Koto face ply, ARC polyarylate fiber layer, Ayous force ply, Paulownia core Measured weight: 91.7 g. Thickness: 5.75 mm. Head dimensions: 158 x 151 mm.
The classic examples of this construction are the Viscaria and the Fan Zhendong ALC. Generally speaking, outer aramid carbon structures offer crisp backhand explosiveness, first-bounce speed, and easy passive redirection. With a Paulownia core, near-table play is transparent and easy to control. Absolute depth is not a strength, but near the table it’s fast and effortless.
That said, the Wei Shihao ARC has carved out its own personality: among outer aramid carbon blades, it’s one of the snappier ones. I even suspected it might use the same adhesive as the Wei Shihao ADC.
If you’re looking for a blade with a similar character, the closest match would be the W81 Zhou Yu special edition. Think of this ARC as a budget version of that blade. The arc quality and the dwell-then-release feel are both good, and once you drive through, the deformation tension and explosive energy come out. It’s a dwell-type outer aramid carbon suited to the current era. It isn’t quite as springy as the Zhou Yu special, and you do need to commit a bit more before the amplification kicks in — but the value for money is solid.
The handle grip also feels quite comfortable. The forehand-to-backhand transition flows naturally, with no obstruction — similar to the Fan Zhendong ALC. The balance point feels decent as well.
For recreational players looking for a budget dwell-type outer carbon, this one is worth a look.