Experience with some other Loki rubbers - Arthur China, GTX Pro (inc)

[Fnub]

definitely, it's worth a try for its price. It's one of the best Chinese rubbers I've tried in recent years. It has many hardness options for you to choose, I prefer medium hard on BH so I chose H-, if you like it softer you can try M+

Even better than undying LAC?😀

 

[longle]

Even better than undying LAC?😀

LAC would have been the BEST, if not for its terrible lifespan (at least in my experience) I killed 5 sheets in 2 months..

 

[Egon]

Have you tried Moon Speed? Even cheaper than Moon 12

I tried it and was very disappointed with it. Before that, I played the backhand with an ordinary moon for a long time and I liked it until the ball changed. Moon speed came out as an update to Moon under a new ball, but it's a completely different rubber. I did not like the topsheet, it is matte, unlike the gloss on the usual Moon, and is not tenacious and not resistant - it crumbles around the edges. The speed is not bad - 80% of the Vega pro, but grip and durability are a shame. Compared to anything I've tried, it's most similar to Gold Arc5, with the difference that Gold Arc is more controllable.

 

[mocker88]

Thanks, that's a pretty objective standpoint. I will probably just stay with G-1. While stable BH blocking sounds attractive for a lefty, for me also the BH open-up and chiquita are equally if not more important. I like a little FTL boosted G-1 since it is helping so much while having grip always. It's very hard to explain but it is supple (like Tenergy) and feels like a 3/4 inflated beach ball, and a solid bouncy ball that kids throw around... Like it's a combination of all of these.
And the grip doesn't come from some top layer coating BS (bullshit, not blue sponge) like in newer ESN thin sheet, thick sponge rubbers, but the actual topsheet material. I suppose this is why it's so durable.

I have tried Moon Speed at 35deg, and for that time the 12EURish price it was awesome. It could be also boosted and felt even better. But this Moon 12 with being a bit dull does sound like more of a control type rubber and not for someone who is seeking opportunities with BH attack

Yes, please see below. Top left is black. Top right is red. I also got a Big Dipper 38 degree red. I did not like my Big Dipper 40 degree black before. I decided to give that one more shot. Then there is AK47 blue.

View attachment 26047

Yeah. The Big Dipper 38deg will feel very different 😀👍

 

[JJ Ng]

Yeah. The Big Dipper 38deg will feel very different 😀👍

Yes I don't know why they use 40 degree and 38 degree as their scale because it makes them seem like, "38 is a little softer than 40." I have played with it a bit. 40 degree feels like a brick. 38 degree feels more alive. However Big Dipper is not Hurricane. the top sheet is not tacky. It is grippy like European rubber. Just not tacky tacky like hurricane. I have also heard good things about AK47 and CJ8000 on the backhand. So far AK47 blue is soft (I like it soft) and the top sheet, like Big Dipper, is grippy but not tacky tacky. I am actually surprised to say CJ8000 has tacky tacky topsheet just like Mercury II and Hurricane. Obviously AK47, CJ8000, Mercury II and Big Dipper are all made by Yinhe so I am just confused as to how the tackiness varies so much! I will play with these rubbers a bit more later this week and next week. I have a feeling my regular set up will still be H3 on the forehand and a soft ESN rubber on the backhand side. But with these rubbers, I am not breaking the bank EJ'ing!!!

 

[turbozed]

Glued a new sheet of Bloom Power (45d and has LARC number). Everything went great with gluing and cutting, but when I went to pull the thin plastic sheet off, something bizarre happened that hasn't happened to me before.

Chunks of the tacky surface stuck to plastic sheet. Like there's a pattern of clearish goo on the sheet, and the rubber topsheet is dull corresponding to it.

When I feel the rubber surface, the parts that had the goo lifted off of it aren't tacky at all. Whereas some parts of topsheet are very tacky. Unfortunately the tacky part is on the base of the rubber and the non-tacky parts are right in the middle of the racket.

Has anyone had something like this happen? Is this just a bad sheet now and should I just toss it?

Maybe it was my mistake pulling the plastic sheet off of the topsheet so fast, but I had no idea that I could literally pull the tackiness off a rubber.

 

[mocker88]

Glued a new sheet of Bloom Power (45d and has LARC number). Everything went great with gluing and cutting, but when I went to pull the thin plastic sheet off, something bizarre happened that hasn't happened to me before.

Chunks of the tacky surface stuck to plastic sheet. Like there's a pattern of clearish goo on the sheet, and the rubber topsheet is dull corresponding to it.

When I feel the rubber surface, the parts that had the goo lifted off of it aren't tacky at all. Whereas some parts of topsheet are very tacky. Unfortunately the tacky part is on the base of the rubber and the non-tacky parts are right in the middle of the racket.

Has anyone had something like this happen? Is this just a bad sheet now and should I just toss it?

Maybe it was my mistake pulling the plastic sheet off of the topsheet so fast, but I had no idea that I could literally pull the tackiness off a rubber.

That's strange. I think you should tell your dealer and get a new one. 729 would be happy to get this information.

 

[Lazer]

Glued a new sheet of Bloom Power (45d and has LARC number). Everything went great with gluing and cutting, but when I went to pull the thin plastic sheet off, something bizarre happened that hasn't happened to me before.

Chunks of the tacky surface stuck to plastic sheet. Like there's a pattern of clearish goo on the sheet, and the rubber topsheet is dull corresponding to it.

When I feel the rubber surface, the parts that had the goo lifted off of it aren't tacky at all. Whereas some parts of topsheet are very tacky. Unfortunately the tacky part is on the base of the rubber and the non-tacky parts are right in the middle of the racket.

Has anyone had something like this happen? Is this just a bad sheet now and should I just toss it?

Maybe it was my mistake pulling the plastic sheet off of the topsheet so fast, but I had no idea that I could literally pull the tackiness off a rubber.

This means that the tackiness probably comes from a post poduction treatment and is not integral into the topsheet. It also means that this rubber will probably loose its tackiness fast.

I also got a sheet, but without the number (I think) so well see. But honestly I don't expect it to last very long.

Cheers
L-zr

 

[longle]

4th day: it surpassed my expectations - I can perform various shots with same or higher quality compare to LAC, the topsheet still tacky as hell, and the sponge shows no sign of breaking. In the first day it can be slow, but on the 2nd day forward the rubber 'Bloom' like a flower, it became very lively.
I even ordered 1 new sheet of Battle 2 Gold to compare (looks like they are using the same sponge), it has more speed, but the shots were way more flat, then I came back to Bloom then saw the beautiful curves it made. It lacks a bit power far from table but I can compensate for it with stronger footwork. I can say I won't miss the LAC no more.

 

[hclnnkhg]

4th day: it surpassed my expectations - I can perform various shots with same or higher quality compare to LAC, the topsheet still tacky as hell, and the sponge shows no sign of breaking. In the first day it can be slow, but on the 2nd day forward the rubber 'Bloom' like a flower, it became very lively.
I even ordered 1 new sheet of Battle 2 Gold to compare, it has more speed, but the shots were way more flat, then I came back to Bloom then saw the beautiful curves it made. It lacks a bit power far from table but I can compensate for it with stronger footwork. I can say I won't miss the LAC no more.
View attachment 26159

Friendship has got it all wrong if Bloom Power is better than Battle 2 lol

 

[TensorBackhand]

4th day: it surpassed my expectations - I can perform various shots with same or higher quality compare to LAC, the topsheet still tacky as hell, and the sponge shows no sign of breaking. In the first day it can be slow, but on the 2nd day forward the rubber 'Bloom' like a flower, it became very lively.
I even ordered 1 new sheet of Battle 2 Gold to compare, it has more speed, but the shots were way more flat, then I came back to Bloom then saw the beautiful curves it made. It lacks a bit power far from table but I can compensate for it with stronger footwork. I can say I won't miss the LAC no more.
View attachment 26159

Finally Bloom Power gets recognition. I've been saying for years how good Bloom Power is.

Hey Longle, now you must try the tuned GTX! It's a monster with booster and baby oil.

 

[longle]

Friendship has got it all wrong if Bloom Power is better than Battle 2 lol

yeah they try to make Bloom Power more powerful, so they make a less tacky and harder sponge version of it. Can't say Bloom Power is better than B2 but it suits my style more

 

[longle]

Finally Bloom Power gets recognition. I've been saying for years how good Bloom Power is.

Hey Longle, now you must try the tuned GTX! It's a monster with booster and baby oil.

Noooo the purpose for my EJing is to find a rubber I can use without tuning but maybe someday I will try GTX - without tuning

 

[turbozed]

Here's what my sheet of Bloom Power looks like after peeling off the plastic sheet.

Hopefully it's just cosmetic and plays OK. I doubt it considering how uneven the tackiness is. 😔

 

[longle]

Here's what my sheet of Bloom Power looks like after peeling off the plastic sheet.

Hopefully it's just cosmetic and plays OK. I doubt it considering how uneven the tackiness is. 😔

it actually looks like a Blooming Flower

 

[turbozed]

it actually looks like a Blooming Flower

Yeah it reminds me of the time someone here posted their messed up sheet of Jupiter 3 that looked like the cloud patterns of the planet Jupiter.

I'm just going to roll some new balls on this sheet to try to get the tackiness to even out a bit and see how it goes. I'm able to pick up balls for a few seconds even on the less tacky parts, so maybe it's starting to normalize.

 

[longle]

Yeah it reminds me of the time someone here posted their messed up sheet of Jupiter 3 that looked like the cloud patterns of the planet Jupiter.

I'm just going to roll some new balls on this sheet to try to get the tackiness to even out a bit and see how it goes. I'm able to pick up balls for a few seconds even on the less tacky parts, so maybe it's starting to normalize.

Just maybe, the tacky part is the residue of the protective firm, and the non tacky parts are actually the original topsheet ?

 

[Zwill]

Here's what my sheet of Bloom Power looks like after peeling off the plastic sheet.

Hopefully it's just cosmetic and plays OK. I doubt it considering how uneven the tackiness is. 😔

Surely it'll buff out

 

[turbozed]

Just maybe, the tacky part is the residue of the protective firm, and the non tacky parts are actually the original topsheet ?

Unfortunately that's not the case because I can clean off the goo from the plastic sheet. The plastic sheet definitely took some of the tacky layer with it.

Anyway, lesson learned. Be careful guys when you pull the plastic sheet off a new tacky rubber! You might take some of the tacky layer with it. Luckily this only costed me $13 off Shopee

 

[Fnub]

4th day: it surpassed my expectations - I can perform various shots with same or higher quality compare to LAC, the topsheet still tacky as hell, and the sponge shows no sign of breaking. In the first day it can be slow, but on the 2nd day forward the rubber 'Bloom' like a flower, it became very lively.
I even ordered 1 new sheet of Battle 2 Gold to compare (looks like they are using the same sponge), it has more speed, but the shots were way more flat, then I came back to Bloom then saw the beautiful curves it made. It lacks a bit power far from table but I can compensate for it with stronger footwork. I can say I won't miss the LAC no more.
View attachment 26159

Are you saying that Bloom Power has higher throw angle than B2 Gold? And your sheet looks like a boosted one again. Did you boost it?